It is a tiny town of just 2,300 people sitting in northern Iceland on the eastern shore of Shaky Bay, also known as the Whale Capital of Iceland because of the frequent whale sightings there. But the town, once just a fishing port but whose extensive beauty has turned it into popular destination for travelers, is now on the map of the world, for Húsavík served as the setting and inspiration for the song Húsavík in the 2020 Netflix film Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga, which was nominated for an Academy Award in the Best Original Song category, although it did not take home the top honor. The 93rd Academy Awards were held on April 25th.

As the town relies heavily on tourism for its livelihood — more than a third of the jobs in Húsavík are in the tourism sector — the nomination, in the age of Covid, has been an uplifting event for the local residents who have taken the song up as an anthem and through a video and website engaged in an independent Oscar Campaign. The town is also working to build a museum dedicated to the Eurovision Song Contest in Húsavík slated to open in the summer of 2021. Other activities in Húsavík include geothermal bathing, whale watching — the town has a whale museum — and birdwatching. The Northern Lights are also visible from Húsavík during part of the year and the town has a handy Aurora Forecast.
©Trish Valicenti for The Gourmet Gazette
https://visiticeland.com/
Find out more about the song and the Oscar Campaign here:
https://www.oskarforhusavik.com/
Find out more about Húsavík here:
http://www.visithusavik.com/
Listen to the song here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qjuphuG3ndw