The Heads of Delegations meeting started today in Malmö, the host city of this year’s Eurovision Song Contest, and at this meeting, all delegations need to submit their entries for Eurovision 2024. The participation of Iceland was unsure, as the Icelandic broadcaster RÚV was debating on whether to take part or not due to Israel competing, and the final decision has now been made – Iceland will be competing in this year’s Eurovision, and they will be sending the winner of Söngvakeppnin 2024 – Hera Björk with “Scared Of Heights”.
After the Grand Final of Söngvakeppnin, RÚV confirmed that the votes coming from their app RÚV Stjörnur were incorrect, however that only 748 votes were cast this way. This did not affect the results of the competition, and that Hera Björk remains the clear winner of Söngvakeppnin 2024, with 3500 votes ahead of the second placed Bashar Murad.
Skarphéðinn Guðmundsson, Programme Manager at RÚV stated:
Hera Björk won the duel with an overwhelming public vote, and we see that as a strong support for her going to Eurovision on our behalf. We encourage everyone to rally behind Hera and her colleagues, she will be a splendid representative of us.
Skarphéðinn also added that if Hera would have declined the offer to compete in Eurovision, RÚV would not have offered the place in Eurovision to neither the second placed act, nor any others:
It was never considered in our minds. The contestants in the Söngvakeppnin were informed at the end of December that if the winning song would decline to participate in Eurovision, we would cancel the participation and that decision stands. Of course, it is sad that one of the authors of the song, Ásdís María Viðarsdóttir, has decided to opt out, but we understand her position. However, she told us that she would not stand in the way of Hera holding her own and performing the winning song in Malmö, which is noble and beautiful of her.
Hera Björk will thus be making her Eurovision comeback, after representing Iceland in Eurovision 2010 in Oslo with “Je ne sais quoi”. Check out her entry for Malmö – “Scared Of Heights” right here below:
