microphone on stage

Iceland confirms participation in 2016 Eurovision

Iceland has already confirmed that it will take part in the 2016 Eurovision Song Contest, which will be held in the Swedish capital, Stockholm.

After the failure of the North Atlantic island’s representative this year in Vienna, Maria Olafs, the national broadcaster RUV made the official announcement that Iceland would be giving it another go come next May.

Iceland will now take its place alongside the holders Sweden as well as fellow Nordic countries Denmark, Norway and Finland. Other nations that have already confirmed their participation include the UK, the Netherlands, Belgium, Ireland, France, Estonia, Germany, Ukraine, Hungary and Lithuania.

In recent times there have been persisting rumours that Iceland would opt not to participate due to the costs involved, while others have called for the country’s withdrawal on the grounds that it would never win. The country remains the only Northern European nation yet to have won the Eurovisions.

Iceland’s best performances in the annual music contest came on 1999 and 2009, when Selma and Yohanna claimed second position respectively. Meanwhile, the Icelandic representatives came in last place in 1989 and 2001, scoring “nul points” in the former.