The Eurovision Adventure

It was in late September and early October of 2019 that a Netflix film crew, along with the main actors, made their way to Húsavík. The film is American and tells the story of two Icelandic singers, Lars Erickssong (Ferrell) and Sigrit Ericksdóttir (McAdams), who get the chance to represent Iceland in the Eurovision Song Contest. Pierce Brosnan — who once played James Bond — appears in the film as Lars’s father.

During the shoot, normal life in the town was disrupted for a while — streets near the harbor were temporarily closed, and residents naturally paid special attention throughout the week of filming. It was a major event for a small town in North Iceland, and even more so when the film later premiered on Netflix. But the adventure was only just beginning.

When the Netflix film Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga was released in 2020, few could have predicted that it would spark one of the most colorful marketing adventures in Húsavík’s history. But then an unexpected combination clicked into place: a Hollywood movie, the charm of a small fishing town, a wonderful song — and a proud community that saw opportunity where few others would have looked.

The song Húsavík (My Hometown) quickly became the emotional core of the film. It was beautiful, heartfelt, and mentioned Húsavík by name — not merely as decoration but as a real hometown, a dreamscape. When the song was later placed on the list of potential contenders for an Oscar nomination for Best Original Song, the small community sprang into action. “Why not?” asked the people of Húsavík. “Why shouldn’t we fight for our own nomination?”

What followed was a grassroots campaign that was both earnest and playful — perfectly in tune with Húsavík’s creative and good-humored spirit. The campaign was named “An Óskar for Húsavík”, and in truth, everyone took part. Young and old, businesses, clubs, and individuals created videos, sent greetings, wrote letters, sang the song in choirs, and essentially turned the entire town into the set of one of the largest publicity efforts ever undertaken by an Icelandic municipality.

A “red carpet” was painted on the main street as a symbolic flourish. Children sang the song in preschool, local businesses posted their support on social media, and tourism officials proudly stated that Húsavík was ready for its Hollywood moment. One man in particular stood out — Örlygur Hnefill Örlygsson — who became the face of the campaign, driven by humor, creativity, and a firm belief that small towns can also play big roles.

The campaign caught the attention of international media, from People Magazine to major British and American television networks, some of which even visited the town to make feature stories. This created a unique atmosphere in Húsavík, where the community’s boldness and the cheerful tone of the campaign climbed into the global conversation.

And the result? Húsavík (My Hometown) was nominated for an Oscar for Best Original Song. Though it didn’t take home the statue, the nomination itself felt like a victory in the town. The people of Húsavík had entered the Oscar adventure — and in the process, the town became a cultural symbol in its own right.

The “Óskar for Húsavík” campaign had an immediate and noticeable impact on tourism. Once the song gained attention and the community united behind it, visitors began to see Húsavík as more than just the whale-watching capital of Iceland — the town had become part of international pop culture.

People who had seen the film wanted to visit, to walk the streets that appeared on screen, and to experience the atmosphere captured in the song. Tourism increased quickly, bringing a new type of visitor specifically seeking out the town’s Eurovision connection. In response, the Eurovision exhibition in Húsavík opened and became a new attraction that deepened the link between the film and the town.

The campaign also strengthened the town’s self-image. It created positive international publicity and established Húsavík in the minds of travelers as a lively, fun, and creative destination. This was especially valuable in the period after the pandemic, helping the town recover quickly and strongly in the tourism sector.

When the song Húsavík (My Hometown) was nominated for an Oscar in 2021, there was great excitement and anticipation in the town. Many expected that the singer Molly Sandén — who performs the song in the film Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga — would perform it live on the Oscar stage in Los Angeles. But the pandemic changed everything. Due to strict travel restrictions and health measures, it became clear that Molly would not be able to travel to the United States and that the Oscar performance would have to be recorded elsewhere.

Húsavík itself was then chosen as the location. It was considered both beautiful and symbolic to perform the song in the small harbor that the song is about. So Molly Sandén arrived in Húsavík shortly before the Oscars along with a film crew, and townspeople followed the process almost like a local festival. Filming took place around the harbor, on the pier, and inside Húsavík Church, where the Húsavík Girls’ Choir joined her for part of the performance. A special atmosphere emerged: the wind, the sea, and Molly’s voice created a scene that felt almost cinematic — except this time reality outshone the movie.

Residents were both excited and proud; it’s not every day that a town of 2,500 people gets its own performance at the Academy Awards! When the video aired during the Oscars, it was very well received, and media around the world described it as one of the highlights of the ceremony. Húsavík thus enjoyed its own “Hollywood moment” — even though the song did not win the statue itself. The recording further strengthened the bond between the town and the Eurovision film and became an event that the people of Húsavík remember fondly.