Iceland selects tonight their entrant in the 2009 Eurovision Song Contest. In a few minutes, the eight acts qualified from the semis will fight it out for the honour to represent Iceland. Join us to find out who will succeed Eurobandid on stage in Moscow.

The show

The show to be broadcast on RÚV will start at 21:05 CET and it will hosted by Ragnhildur Steinunn Jónsdóttir and Eva María Jónsdóttir, who have also hosted the semi finals. Eight acts will present one soch each and the winner will be chosen by televoting. Presumably, only the top three will be announced.

Webcast

A webcast is provided here.

The participants

1. Edgar Smári Atlason – The kiss we never kissed
2.Jóhanna Guðrún Jónsdóttir – Is it true?
3.Ingó – Undir regnbogann
4.Hreindís Ylva Garðarsdóttir Holm – Vórnott
5.Arnar, Edgar, Sverrir & Ólafur – Easy to fool
6.Kaja Halldórsdóttir – Lygin ein
7.Elektra – Got no love
8.Jógvan Hansen – I think the world of you

Live coverage

The show opened with Euroband performing their 2008 entry This is my life once again.

1. Arnar, Edgar, Sverrir & Ólafur – Easy to fool

A country tune opens the 2009 Icelandic national final. While country music is generally unusual in the Eurovision Song Contest, this tune is rather predictable and hardly stands out in its genre. The vocals are flawless but the overall performance is kept too simple to be memorable in any way.

2. Jógvan Hansen – I think the world of you

One of many ballads that made it to the national final is tonight's number too. The melody somehoe catchy, but not overly remarkable. As expected, the performance is kept simple and would need a much more charismatic appearance to make a major impact. Of course, the simple grey suit might not help either.

3. Kaja Halldórsdóttir – Lygin ein

Unusually for the genre, Kaja delivers a rather strong vocal performance for this electronic dance song. The dark outfits and low lights manage to create a night club atmosphere on stage that works very well with the song. The choice of the Icelandic language for the lyrics definitely helps it stand out. Although it is catchy and memorable, the song might need a more obvious chorus to make it stay
in the heads of the Eurovision voters, but nevertheless, this could well be a favourite tonight.

4. Hreindís Ylva Garðarsdóttir Holm – Vornótt

The innocent and fragile style of this ballad suits the singer very well. The vocals have improved since the semi finals and the singer manages to create the atmosphere on stage that the song demands. In the 1990s, this song would have definitely been a favourite in any Eurovision Song Contest. However, we wonder if it could do well these days.

5. Elektra – Got no love

This is one of the few up-tempo songs tonight. The melody is catchy and it comes across well on screen due to the strong vocal performance. However, the performance would obviously need to be much more of an eye-catcher if Elektra go forward to Moscow.

6. Edgar Smári Atlason – The kiss we never kissed

An emotional performance by Edgar Smári Atlason who delivers this ballad very well. The moldy is very interesting and memorable and this might be one of the strongest ballads tonight. The vocals are flawless, even if the way the singer mumbles parts of some words is slightly distracting.

7. Ingó – Undir regnbogann

All in black Ingó appears on stage. He performs his sweet little guitar pop song accompanying himself on the guitar this time instead of the ukulele. The vocals are flawless (but the song is probably not too demanding). His background performers fit well in the overall performance. Generally a song that is definitely different but if this could do well in Moscow?

8. Jóhanna Guðrún Jónsdóttir – Is it true

The last song is one of the most memorable ones. With her voice, Jóhanna manages to create a magical atmosphere an stage that works well with the overall entry. In the 1990s, this would have probably be a runaway Eurovision Song Contest winner. A very simple but classy performance that could to well in Moscow, although history has shown that Iceland has never done well with ballads.

Results:

Ingó and Jóhanna Guðrún Jónsdóttirare in the top two.Guðrún Jónsdóttir haswon the national final.