Söngvakeppnin

Söngvakeppnin is the national selection process used by Ríkisútvarpið (RÚV), Iceland's national public broadcaster, to choose their entry for the Eurovision Song Contest. The competition has been held annually since 1986, with a few exceptions. It is the longest-running national selection show in Eurovision history.

The format of Söngvakeppnin typically involves several heats, followed by a semi-final and a grand final. Artists and songwriters submit their entries to RÚV, and a selection committee chooses a number of songs to compete. The songs are performed live, with public voting playing a significant role in determining the winner. In the final, the winning song is usually performed twice, once in Icelandic and once in English, with the final decision made by a combination of jury and public votes.

Söngvakeppnin has a strong following in Iceland, and the winning song often becomes a national hit. Iceland has participated in the Eurovision Song Contest every year since 1986, except for 1998 and 2002, when they withdrew due to financial reasons. The country has achieved its best results in recent years, with wins in 2000 and 2004, and several top-ten finishes. The competition serves as a platform for Icelandic artists to showcase their music to an international audience and has launched the careers of several popular Icelandic musicians.