Even Volcanic Activity Didn't Stop 'Eurovision' From Filming In Fire Saga's Hometown

Will Ferrell's latest movie Eurovision Song Contest follows an Icelandic duo, Fire Saga, on their journey to compete in the storied musical competition. While the film centers on the competition itself, its paired with beautiful backdrops distracting enough to make viewers wonder, where was Eurovision filmed?

Eurovision opens in the scenic Icelandic fishing village of Húsavík, Fire Saga's tiny hometown. The town is quite real, and known the "whale capital of Iceland" for frequent sightings of the sea giants. Eurovision did actually film in Húsavík and Rachel McAdams (who also stars in the film) noted that they were lucky to get the location in at all. “We shot in Iceland right where there is volcanic activity right now on top of everything else,” she said to ET Canada, also referring to pandemic-imposed travel restrictions Eurovision narrowly avoided.

But much of Eurovision was shot in Scotland, specifically Edinburgh, where the Eurovision contest takes place in the film. The lovely views of the city are showcased as Ferrell and McAdams scoot up Calton Hill on comically oversized Segways. Shooting also took place on The Mound, an artificial hill connecting the city's Old and New Towns built in the late 1700s, all along Old Town's main shopping district the Royal Mile, and the colorful Grassmarket area.

The main arena for the Eurovision contest is also Scottish — the Hydro, Glasgow's largest indoor music venue, and the Glasgow Airport, are important locations prominently featured in the film. But you just can't fake the real feel and flavor of Eurovision, which explains why the production actually filmed on site during the 2019 Eurovision contest in Tel Aviv, Israel. Though no exteriors from the competition appear in the film, many of the year's participants make cameos through the movie — adding an authentic flair to the Netflix comedy.