Iceland: Meet the participants of Söngvakeppnin 2016

22 January 2016 at 17:00 CET

All the participants in Iceland's Söngvakeppnin 2016 RUV

This year marks the 30th anniversary of Iceland in the Eurovision Song Contest and that's why their national selection, Söngvakeppnin 2016, promises to be extra special this year. Among the guest stars on the stage in the final on the 20th of February will be Eurovision Song Contest winners Sandra Kim and Loreen.

The contest to select Iceland's entry for the 2016 Eurovision Song Contest, Söngvakeppnin, comprises two heats, the first one on the 6th of February and the second one on the 13th of February, with six songs competing each night. You can listen to the 12 participating songs through their broadcaster's, RUV, website.

Those semi-finals will take place at the Haskolabio venue, while the Final will be held at the Laugardalsholl Arena on the 20th of February. Besides Loreen (2012) and Sandra Kim (1986), Paul Oscar (Iceland 1997) will also perform in the final show.

Gallery: Iceland: Söngvakeppnin 2016 participants

The line-up

Alda Dís Arnardóttir - Augnablik (Alma Guðmundsdóttir, James Wong & Alda Dís Arnardóttir)
Elísabet Ormslev - Á ný (Greta Salóme Stefánsdóttir)
The Band Eva - Ég sé þig (Sigríður Eir Zophoniasardóttir & Jóhanna Vala Höskuldsdóttir)
Pálmi Gunnarsson - Ég leiði þig heim (Þórir Úlfarsson)
Ingólfur Þórarinsson - Fátækur námsmaður (Ingólfur Þórarinsson)
Hjörtur Traustason & Erna Hrönn Ólafsdóttir - Hugur minn er (Þórunn Erna Clausen)
Sigga Eyrún - Kreisí (Karl Olgeirsson & Sigríður Eyrún Friðriksdóttir)
Karlotta Sigurðardóttir - Óstöðvandi (Kristinn Sigurpáll Sturluson, Ylva Persson, Linda Persson & Karlotta Sigurðardóttir)
Erna Mist & Magnús Thorlacius - Ótöluð orð (Erna Mist & Magnús Thorlacius)
Helgi Valur Ásgeirsson - Óvær (Karl Olgeirsson)
Greta Salóme - Raddirnar (Greta Salóme Stefánsdóttir)
Þórdís Birna Borgarsdóttir & Guðmundur Snorri Sigurðarson - Spring yfir heiminn (Júlí Heiðar Halldórsson & Guðmundur Snorri Sigurðarson)

Who's who?

Alda Dís Arnardóttir won the talent show Ísland got talent in 2015.
Greta Salóme composed the song Never Forget and performed it with Jónsi in 2012 in Baku.
Pálmi Gunnarsson was a member of Icy who represented Iceland on their debut Bergen in 1986.
Ingólfur Þórarinsson has had the the runner-up song Undir regnbogann in Söngvakeppnin 2009. He also participated in 2010.
Hjörtur Traustason was the winner in the Icelandic version of The Voice 2015.
Þórunn Erna Clausen wrote the lyrics for the song Coming Home which Sjonni‘s Friends which represented Iceland in Düsseldorf in 2011.
Sigga Eyrún performed the runner-up song, written by Karl, in Söngvakeppnin in 2014.