Iceland, one of the countries expressing hesitation about participation in Eurovision 2026, says that the rule reforms recently released by the EBU are a “step in the right direction”.

RÚV’s official position

Director of Radio Stefán Eiríksson provided comment for RÚV’s official post. Eiríksson added that Iceland will also consult with the other Nordic countries to form a united front ahead of the December General Assembly that will ultimately decide Israel’s participation at this year’s contest and, by extension, the participation of several other countries that object to Israel’s presence.

While Iceland has not explicitly threatened to withdraw should Israel be included in 2026, RÚV did express concern over the voting results from the 2025 contest, and more than half of polled Icelandic citizens would want Iceland to withdraw if Israel participates. At the time of the statement, Eiríksson said he could not say at this time what RÚV’s official position is in that regard; RÚV’s Board of Directors have since voted to ban Israel from Eurovision.

Iceland’s Eurovision journey

Iceland made its debut on the Eurovision stage in 1986, finishing 16th with the song “Gleðibankinn” (Bank of Fun) by ICY. In their 35 appearances, Iceland has finished in top 10 an impressive 7 times. Their best result to date is second place, which they have achieved twice. The first time was in 1999, where Selma Björnsdóttir received 146 points for her performance of “All Out of Luck”. The second time was in 2009, with Yohanna singing “Is It True” and receiving 218 points.

VÆB represented Iceland in Basel in 2025 with their song “RÓA”. The duo qualified for the final, bringing Iceland back into the final for the first time since 2022. In the final, they finished in 25th place with 33 points; all of these were awarded by the televote.

Will the rule changes lead to real change at Eurovision? Do you think Iceland will participate or leave Eurovision this year? As always, please let us know what you think by getting involved in the comments below. Also, be sure to follow ‘That Eurovision Site’ on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, Threads, Tumblr, and Bluesky for more information about Eurovision 2026!

News Source: RÚV
Photo Credit: EBU

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