Reykjavík Grapevine - 10.05.2019, Síða 12

Icelanders love the Eurovision Song
Contest. Shamelessly, ironically, and
sometimes secretly. Eurovision’s
share of Iceland’s television view-
ers approaches 100% every year, even
though Icelandic entries have not made
it to the finals since 2014, when chil-
dren’s band Pollapönk performed “No
Prejudice.”
This year’s entry is decidedly darker
and more divisive. The anti-capitalist,
BDSM, industrial electronic group
Hatari’s song “Hatrið mun sigra” (Hate
Will Prevail) has been generating a
lot of buzz from international Eurovi-
sion watchers and betting houses are
currently predicting a sixth place finish
for the band.
In the spirit of this year’s cheesy
contest theme, “Dare to Dream,”
Icelanders are imagining Hatari’s all-
but-certain victory on the horizon.
This raises the question of whether
Reykjavík could manage hosting such a
large, prominent international event.
The contest is often dismissed as silly,
but to play host would be a uniquely
sophisticated and expensive undertak-
ing for Iceland.
Hosting Requirements
Eurovision’s organisers, the European
Broadcasting Union (EBM), have three
basic requirements for the contest’s
host: easy access to an international
airport, an indoor venue that can seat
about 10,000 people, and sufficient
hotel space.
Despite WOW Air’s recent collapse,
Iceland remains very well connected to
Europe and beyond. Keflavík Interna-
tional Airport is a 45-minute bus ride
from downtown Reykjavík. The city
also has a small airport right in the city
centre that can service small interna-
tional flights. So that’s the first require-
ment done and dusted.
We hit a speed-bump when it comes
to the venue, however. Reykjavík’s signa-
ture glass oddity, the Harpa Concert
Hall, while appropriately dramatic, is
too small for Eurovision standards. Its
largest hall can seat just 1,800 people,
making is 8,200 seats shy of being a
contender.
“We have done the research and we
believe that there are at two venues that
could host Eurovision in Iceland,” said
Felix Bergson, head of Iceland’s Eurovi-
sion delegation at RÚV.
Those two potential venues are likely
Laugardalshöll, which hosts Iceland’s
nominating contest, and Kórinn, a
newer indoor sports arena in neigh-
bouring Kópavogur, which hosted
Daring to Dream
Iceland’s Quest to Host Eurovision
Words:
Kolbeinn
Arnaldur
Dalrymple
Photos:
Art Bicnick
Where are we even going to put all these people?
12 The Reykjavík Grapevine
Issue 07— 2019News
WHALES, PUFFINS & REYKJAVÍK
May
10:00, 12:00
14:00
June
10:00, 12:00
14:00, 16:00
20:00
July & August
09:00, 10:00, 11:00
12:00, 13:00, 14:00
15:00, 16:00, 20:00
Price: 21.990 ISK
#WHALESAFARI • #THEULTIMATEWHALEWATCHING • #CLOSERTONATURE
+354 497 0000 • INFO@WHALESAFARI.IS • WHALESAFARI.IS
“AMAZING
EXPERIENCE 10/10,
WOULD BOOK AGAIN!”
“THE COOLEST
EXPERIENCE IN
ICELAND!!”
“WE WOULD HIGHLY
RECOMMEND THIS TOUR.
DEFINITELY A 5 STAR COMPANY”

2018
CERTIFCATE of
EXCELLENCE
P R E M I U M
WHALE
WATCHING TOURS
THE CLASSIC
PUFFIN TOUR
THE EXPRESS
PUFFIN TOUR
EASY FAMILY TOUR UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL
1ST OF MAY - 15TH OF AUGUST
08:00, 10:00, 12:00 & 14:00
PRICE
ISK:
7-15 YEARS: 3250 ISK
0-6 YEARS: FREE6.500
1ST OF MAY - 31ST OF MAY
1ST OF JUNE - 20TH OF AUGUST
MINIMUM HEIGHT & AGE:
145 CM / 10 YEARS
9:00, 13:00 & 17:00
9.30, 10.30, 11.30, 12.30, 13.30,
14.30, 15.30, 16.30 & 17.30
PRICE
ISK: 9.990
#PUFFINTOURS #MRPUFFIN /REYKJAVIKBIRDWATCHING WWW.PUFFINTOURS.IS +354 497 2000 INFO@MRPUFFIN.IS
PUFFIN & BIRDWATCHING
UP TO 13 DAILY DEPARTURES
FROM REYKJAVIK OLD HARBOUR