{"id":44666,"date":"2026-05-16T19:26:15","date_gmt":"2026-05-16T19:26:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/europe\/44666\/"},"modified":"2026-05-16T19:26:15","modified_gmt":"2026-05-16T19:26:15","slug":"the-8-eurovision-icons-who-are-returning-for-this-years-interval-act","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/europe\/44666\/","title":{"rendered":"The 8 Eurovision icons who are returning for this year’s interval act"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Grand Final of this year’s Eurovision Song Contest<\/a> is now under way in Austria, marking the competition’s 70th anniversary. We don’t yet know who will win this year’s contest, but we do know there are treats in store for long-running fans of Eurovision.<\/p>\n

For the interval act, eight Eurovision icons are returning to the stage for what promises to be “an electrifying musical journey through seven decades of Eurovision magic”<\/a>. But who is coming back and what’s their Eurovision history? Let Digital Spy explain all. <\/p>\n

Alexander Rybak\"<p><\/p>\"<\/p>\n

Getty Images<\/p>\n

Alexander Rybak was the triumphant victor of the Eurovision Song Contest in 2009. He had previously featured on two Norwegian talent shows, including Kjempesjansen (Norway’s Got Talent), in 2005 and 2006. In 2008, he decided to sign up for Eurovision with a song he\u2019d written called ‘Fairytale’ \u2013 and the rest is history.<\/p>\n

The artist was selected to represent Norway at the Olimpiyskiy Arena in Moscow, Russia. On 16 May 2009, he took the stage with his violin and a group of folk dancers, which earned him 387 points. His win didn’t just land him the Eurovision trophy but also shattered the previous record of 292 points from Finnish entrant Lordi, who we’ll introduce you to later on.<\/p>\n

‘Fairytale’ became a massive success for Rybak, reaching 10th on the European iTunes chart the week after, with the song becoming the title track for his album titled Fairytales. And following his post-Eurovision win, things went up and up as he wrote songs for Malta and Belarus’s selections in 2014, and he ventured outside of music, voicing Hiccup in the Norwegian dub of How to Train Your Dragon and its sequel.<\/p>\n

In a 2014 interview on Eurovision’s YouTube channel<\/a>, Rybak said that if he hadn’t won the contest, then he would “still be happy that [he] got the courage to compete”, adding that he would “still feel inner success”.<\/p>\n

Verka Serduchka\"verka<\/p>\n

Getty Images<\/p>\n

Verka Serduchka’s ‘Dancing Lasha Tumbai’ is so synonymous with Eurovision that it is hard not to picture the silver suits and iconic dance moves. Ukrainian comedian Andriy Mykhailovych Danylko entered the contest in 2007 as Serduchka, his drag persona, after being selected out of seven entries in the national final.<\/p>\n

Despite Serduchka’s iconic performance, he was not the winner in the eyes of the voters, finishing second behind Serbia’s Marija \u0160erifovi\u0107’s ‘Molitva’. However, Serduchka cemented himself as Eurovision royalty and has made four appearances at the event since then.<\/p>\n

In 2016, Serduchka was Ukraine’s voting spokesperson, and he performed on the Eurovision stage in 2019 and 2023. Outside of Eurovision, Serduchka had a small cameo appearance in 2015’s Spy, when Melissa McCarthy’s character gets into a high-stakes fight during the star’s concert. <\/p>\n

Erika Vikman\"erika<\/p>\n

Getty Images<\/p>\n

Erika Vikman is one of the newer Eurovision stars, having competed last year. She’d previously entered the show in 2020 but only ranked third in the national selection; however, her song ‘Cicciolina’ became a big hit in her native Finland.<\/p>\n

For 2025, Vikman performed a new song, ‘ICH KOMME’, which she described in an interview with The Independent<\/a> as “a celebration of female pleasure, empowerment, and liberation”, adding: “The track resonated deeply with me, and I knew it was the right moment to take the Eurovision stage. I love Eurovision and its community. They are my people, and it’s where I belong. I’m home here.”<\/p>\n

In the voting, Finland did very well, earning 392 points, but the win ultimately went to Austria’s JJ. Following Eurovision, Vikman said<\/a> that it was “the best time of her life, but also the hardest”.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy journey to Eurovision grew me as an pop artist and a person, more than the last 10 years in the industry. And you know what has been the best thing? YOU guys, my fans. I’m grateful to each of you,” she added.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou came to explore my world with open minds, you’ve supported me, sent love to me and gave me inspiration. You are the best thing that ESC journey gave to me.”<\/p>\n

Lordi\"<p><\/p>\"<\/p>\n

Getty Images<\/p>\n

Just like Verka Serduchka, everyone remembers the moment they witnessed Lordi perform ‘Hard Rock Hallelujah’ in 2016 in their horror-film attire, complete with masks, bat wings and pyrotechnics.<\/p>\n

\u200bFinland hadn’t had much success at Eurovision, and it was hungry for a win, so much so that the words “nul points” had become a source of “national trauma” for the country, according to Kimmo Valtanen, the managing director of Sony BMG Music Finland, who were also Lordi’s label at the time (via The Guardian<\/a>).<\/p>\n

\u200bThe choice to send a metal band wasn’t initially a popular one at the time, as the publication also reported at the time that religious protesters had accused Lordi of being “evil and satanic”, which their frontman, Mr Lordi (Tomi Putaansuu), vehemently denied: “We have absolutely nothing to do with devil worship.”<\/p>\n

\u200b”I mean, Hard Rock Hallelujah! Would a satanic band write a song title like that? No. Our second single was called The Devil Is a Loser. Although we are not a gospel band, either,” he added.<\/p>\n

\u200bNot only did Lordi take the top spot, but they swept the scoreboard with 292 points, earning 12 points from eight countries, including the UK. Following their victory, Lordi were honoured with a postage stamp, a branded drink and a square in Mr Lordi’s hometown being named after them (via BBC<\/a>).<\/p>\n

As of 2025, Lordi have released 19 studio albums, toured numerous times and appeared twice at Eurovision \u2013 once in 2012 as Finland’s voting representatives and again in 2021 as performers.<\/p>\n

\u200bMirana Conte\"miriana<\/p>\n

Getty Images<\/p>\n

Like Erika Vikman, Mirana Conte also participated in last year’s Eurovision Song Contest, representing Malta. She had previously participated in 2022, performing ‘Look What You’ve Done Now’ and reaching sixth place, before being selected for 2025, when she performed her song ‘Serving’ to the Eurovision audience in Switzerland. However, that wasn’t its original name.<\/p>\n

‘Serving’ was originally called ‘Kant’, the Maltese word for singing, with the chorus including “serving kant”, referencing a popular LGBTQ+ phrase meaning to be fierce. At the time, Radio Times<\/a> reported that a participating body had filed a complaint with the European Broadcasting Union (EBU). In March 2025, they announced their decision to censor the song.<\/p>\n

\u200bIn a Facebook post, Conte said that while she was “shocked and disappointed”<\/a>, she promised “the show will go on”, adding: “Diva NOT down.” <\/p>\n

The word was later removed from the song entirely, with the chorus now saying: “Serving (ah)”. She said in a TikTok interview<\/a>: “I thought that maybe the song would lose the magic but, to be honest, I have such a big following, such big supporters, that even now with the new version people tell me they can still hear it in their heads.”<\/p>\n

\u200b’Serving’ took 17th place at the Grand Final, with Conte receiving 91 points in total. Since her performance last year, she released her first studio album Overstimulated in January.<\/p>\n

\u200bRuslana\"ruslana,<\/p>\n

Getty Images<\/p>\n

Ruslana was the winner of 2004’s Eurovision Song Contest with her song ‘Wild Dances’, marking the first time Ukraine had won since their official competition debut the year prior. In an interview with Euronews<\/a> last year, the artist said she immediately said yes when asked to participate.<\/p>\n

\u200b”I called my mother and told her, ‘Mom, I’m going to the Eurovision Song Contest’. And my mother replied ‘Ruslana, you will win’,” she continued, adding that she “paid for everything myself”.<\/p>\n

\u200bBut it was a risk that definitely paid off as ‘Wild Dances’, co-written by Ruslana and her husband Oleksandr Ksenofontov, scored her 280 points, with eight countries giving Ukraine 12 points. Post-Eurovision, she continued performing and had a brief political career.<\/p>\n

\u200bIn 2014, Ruslana was one of 10 women to receive the International Women of Courage Award from the then-First Lady Michelle Obama for her performances for pro-European protestors in Kyiv (via BBC News<\/a>).<\/p>\n

\u200bKristian Kostov\"kristian<\/p>\n

Getty Images<\/p>\n

\u200bIn 2017, a then-17-year-old Kristian Kostov took to the Eurovision stage to perform ‘Beautiful Mess’. Before this, he’d competed in X Factor Bulgaria and The Voice in Russia, with his debut single ‘Ne Si Za Men’ having been released in 2016.<\/p>\n

\u200bWhile Kostov lost out to Portugal’s Salvador Sobral and his song ‘Amar Pelos Dois’, he came up close in second place with 615 points, also reaching number two in both the jury and public voting.<\/p>\n

\u200bIn 2019, he took part in another singing competition, appearing in the seventh series of Singer in China before being voted off. <\/p>\n

\u200bMax Mutzke\"max<\/p>\n

Getty Images<\/p>\n

Max \u200bMutzke is another participant from the 2004 Eurovision Song Contest, bringing Germany to eighth place as Ruslana took home the trophy for Ukraine. The artist performed his first single, ‘Can’t Wait Until Tonight’, in Istanbul, which went on to top the German music charts.<\/p>\n

\u200bHowever, 2004 wasn’t the end of Mutzke’s Eurovision journey, as he and his song ‘Forever Strong’ were selected for the German national final in 2024, finishing second. He wanted the chance to represent Germany again on the 20th anniversary of his first performance.<\/p>\n

“Experiencing last year’s Eurovision Song Contest in Liverpool as a guest on the ARD Countdown Show was a revelation for me. I was fascinated by the atmosphere, how much people love this event,” he told Eurovision’s official site<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u200b”With this perspective on the competition and my development in recent years, I find it beautiful to be back. I want to take advantage of this momentum, coming back after exactly 20 years.”
<\/p>\n

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