RÚV announced on Monday that singer Hera Björk will represent Iceland in the upcoming Eurovision Song Contest held in Malmö, Sweden, in May.
Hera Björk won the preliminary Icelandic Söngvakeppnin finals with the song “Scared of Heights” after a one-on-one elimination round against Bashar Murad.
In the wake of the war on Gaza, calls for boycotting the song contest have been prevalent, due to Israel’s participation in the competition. In late 2023, hundreds of Icelandic musicians signed a petition to encourage RÚV to withdraw from the contest.
READ MORE: Call For National Broadcaster To Take Stand Against Israel Participation In Eurovision
RÚV subsequently cut Söngvakeppnin’s ties with the Eurovision Song Contest, making the Icelandic competition a standalone event. Ásdís María Viðarsdóttir, one songwriter of “Scared of Heights”, said that she will not accompany Hera to Malmö.
Due to technical errors, questions of possible election fraud arose following the results of Söngvakeppnin. Bashar Murad’s “Wild West” songwriter Einar Hrafn Stefánsson demanded an independent investigation into the matter. After a closer look, the technical problems did not have a significant effect on Hera Björk’s victory, RÚV stated.
