Eurovision and JESC news:

Ruby · 2026-03-08T17:09:15-0400

Daniel Zizka has been selected to represent Czechia at the Eurovision Song Contest 2026 in Vienna with “CROSSROADS”.

The Czech Broadcaster ČT has announced that they have selected Daniel Zizka to represent Czechia at the coming Eurovision Song Contest in Vienna. ČT previously revealed that a total of 260 songs were submitted for the Eurovision Song Contest 2026. An open call for songs took place for six weeks between September and mid-October. The entries were then reviewed by a combination of experts and a public poll.

Daniel Zizka is 23 years old and has been described as one of the best new artists in the Czech music industry. The magazine Headliner has included him among the future talents of the Czech music scene.

Kryštof Šámal, Head of Delegation for Czechia, commented on how Daniel made an impression during the first listening sessions:

“When Daniel came into the studio and sang his song straight through on the first try with absolute ease, the room fell completely silent. Not because he was loud, but because he was completely focused and confident. The performance was disarming – technically precise, yet full of emotion,” says “It was clear we were watching an artist who knows exactly who he wants to be.”

Michal Utíkal, Head of Media and Creative Producer for Czechia, described the approach that that Czech delegation is taking to Eurovision this year:

“This year we decided to connect our media outputs with a unifying element. All components from photography and graphic identity to the music video and staging contain a leitmotif that symbolically underlines Daniel’s journey.”
“This year we decided to connect our media outputs with a unifying element.

Daniel Zizka added:

“Eurovision is a huge platform and a big show. But what I mainly want to bring there is music and emotion. I don’t want to compete hidden behind flashiness and spectacle. I want to stand firmly behind who I am as an artist.”

The song that Daniel will perform in Vienna is called “CROSSROADS”. It will be revealed on March 11 on the official Eurovision YouTube channel.

Daniel will perform in the first half of the second semi-final on May 14.

Source: eurovision.com

Ruby · 2026-03-08T17:09:45-0400

The Georgian entry for the 2026 Eurovision Song Contest will be released in just a few days time.

Bzikebi, the Georgian act for this year’s Eurovision Song Contest, will perform “On Replay”, which is set for release on March 11. At the beginning of this month, the trio was in the recording studio with Giga Kukhianidze, who is the producer behind their song for Vienna.

Giga Kukhianidze is a two-time Junior Eurovision winning songwriter and producer being behind “Mzeo” and “To My Mom” which brought Georgia their two most recent victories in the competition, and is the most prolific songwriter in the history of the competition.

Bzikebi consists of Giorgi Shiolashvili, Mariam Tatulashvili and Mariam Kikuashvili. In 2008, they won the Junior Eurovision Song Contest with “Bzz”, the first song in the contest’s history to be performed in an imaginary language and the first of four victories for Georgia in the contest. After the contest, they released the album “Zabuzei”.

Bzikebi returned to Junior Eurovision in 2022, where they took part in an interval act celebrating 20 years of the contest. They also performed as an interval act at the Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2025 in Tbilisi, where they performed the original song “We Don’t Sleep”.

Bzikebi will perform in the first half of the first semi-final on May 12.

Source: GPB

Ruby · 2026-03-08T17:10:23-0400

The final version of “Nova Zora” which will represent Montenegro at the 70th edition of the Eurovision Song Contest has been released.

The revamped “Nova Zora” which is being performed by Tamara Živković, has been released today. The song has undergone changes to its production to enhance it for the Eurovision Song Contest stage this May. The choice of release date is also important to Tamara as March 8 is International Women’s Day. Tamara commented that:

“When I say ‘Nova Zora’, I don’t mean the perfect beginning or the moment, but the moment when you say to yourself – enough is enough. You don’t have to like everyone, fit in, pretend it’s easy for you. I want women to recognize themselves in this, as I recognized myself, to feel that they are not alone, and for it to be natural for them to choose and listen to themselves.”

Tamara Živković will perform in the second half of the first semi-final on May 12.

Source: RTCG

Ruby · 2026-03-08T17:10:57-0400

Alicja has won Finał polskich kwalifikacji and will represent Poland in the Eurovision Song Contest 2026 in Vienna with “Prayer”.

Finał polskich kwalifikacji took place last night in TVP Studios in Warsaw. The show was hosted by Artur Orzech. A total of eight artists competed for the Polish ticket to Vienna. In addition to the contest performances, there was also a guest performance from Michał Wiśniewski, who represented Poland in 2003 and 2006 as part of Ich Troje, and Viki Gabor, the winner of Junior Eurovision 2019. Alicja will take to the Eurovision stage having won the Polish selection in 2020, but being unable to compete due the contest being cancelled because of COVID-19.

The show featured pre-recorded performances of the eight finalists. The public vote, which decided the results, was open until midnight last night. The results were revealed this morning on Pytanie na śniadanie.

The results were as follows:

Artist	Song	% of vote	Result
Anastazja	“Wild Child”	4.02	7th
Piotr Pręgowski	“Parawany tango” (Tango screens)	11.47	4th
Stasiek Kukulski	“This Too Shall Pass”	9.62	5th
Karolina Szczurowska	“Nie bój się” (Don’t be afraid)	6.36	6th
Basia Giewont	“Zimna woda” (Cold water)	14.55	3rd
Alicja	“Pray”	32.01	1st
Jeremi Sikorski	“Cienie przeszłości” (Shadows of the past)	3.5	8th
Ola Antoniak	“Don’t you try”	18.39	2nd

Alicja will perform in the second half of the first semi-final on May 12.

Ruby · 2026-03-08T17:11:32-0400

Bandidos do Cante have won Festival da Canção 2026 with the song “Rosa” (Rose) and will represent Portugal at Eurovision 2026.

Following two semi-finals, the final of Festival da Canção 2026 took place in the Valentim da Carvalho Studios in Lisbon. The show was hosted by Filomena Cautela and Vasco Palmeirim. Alongside the 10 competing performances, there were also guest performances from Throes+The Shine, Catarina Salinas, Selma Uamusse, Samuel Uria, and last year’s winners Napa.

The results were decided by seven regional juries (50%) and public voting (50%). The results were as follows:

Running order	Artist	Song	Jury points	Televote points	Result
1	Bandidos do Cante	“Rosa”	10	12	22 points – 1st place
2	João Ribeiro	“Canção do querer”	12	2	14 points – 4th place
3	André Amaro	“Dá-me a tua mão”	1	7	8 points – 7th place
4	Gonçalo Gomes	“Doce ilusão”	4	3	7 points – 9th place
5	Marquise	“Chuva”	3	5	8 points – 8th place
6	Evaya	“Sprint”	2	1	3 points – 10th place
7	Sandrino	“Disposto a tudo”	7	6	13 points – 5th place
8	Nunca Mates o Mandarim	“Fumo”	8	8	16 points – 3rd place
9	Silvana Peres	“Não tem fim”	5	4	9 points – 6th place
10	Dinis Mota	“Jurei”	6	10	16 points – 2nd place

Bandidos do Cante will perform during the first half of the first semi-final on May 12.

Ruby · 2026-03-08T17:12:09-0400

Felicia has won Melodifestivalen 2026 and will represent Sweden in Vienna at this year’s Eurovision Song Contest with “My System”.

The grand final of Melodifestivalen 2026 took place this evening in Stockholm’s Strawberry Arena, following 6 weeks of competition and was hosted by Gina Dirawi and Hampus Nessvold. A total of 12 acts competed to represent Sweden in Vienna, Austria in May. The results were decided by a 50-50 split between international juries and a public vote. The international juries voting tonight were:

France
Finland
Australia
Greece
Italy
Czechia
Armenia
Croatia

The final results were as follows:

Running order	Artist	Song	Jury points	Televote points	Total points	Result
1	A*Teens	“Iconic”	31	36	67	7th
2	Meira Omar	“Dooset Daram”	33	8	41	9th
3	Lilla Al-Fadji	“Delulu”	24	39	63	8th
4	Saga Ludvigsson	“Ain’t Today”	5	13	18	12th
5	Smash Into Pieces	“Hollow”	49	41	90	4th
6	Cimberly	“Eternity”	48	30	78	6th
7	Medina	“Viva l’amor”	66	66	132	3rd
8	Greczula	“Half of Me”	64	70	134	2nd
9	Robin Bengtsson	“Honey Honey”	22	7	29	11th
10	Felicia	“My system”	71	90	161	1st
11	Sanna Nielsen	“Waste Your Love”	17	16	33	10th
12	Brandsta City Slackers	“Rakt in i elden”	34	48	82	5th

Felicia will perform in the first half of the first semi final on May 12.

Ruby · 2026-03-08T17:15:08-0400

Benidorm Fest is set to be held until 2028, according to local politicians in the Valencian Community.

El Español reports that Benidorm Fest is set to be held until 2028, as Benidorm and RTVE have an agreement for three more editions of the competition. Councillor for Events, Jesús Carrobles, explained to the outlet that Benidorm has confidence in the event, which was held for the first time this year without being linked to the Eurovision Song Contest.

Mr. Carrobles expects that next year’s contest will return to the first weekend of February. In addition, Benidorm is continuing to explore ways to grow the event and its recognition.

“We want to follow in the footsteps of other festivals like San Remo or Viña del Mar”

Benidorm Fest

Benidorm Fest was first held in 2022 as a new selection process for the Eurovision Song Contest. The contest is related to the Benidorm International Song Festival, which was created in 1958 and was last held in 2006.

The previous winners of Benidorm Fest are:

2026: Tony Grox & LUCYCALYS – “T AMARÉ”
2022: Chanel – “SloMo”
2023: Blanca Paloma – “Eaea”
2024: Nebulossa – “Zorra”
2025: Melody – “Esa diva”

Source: El Español

Ruby · 2026-03-08T17:26:58-0400

North Macedonia is set to host the Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2026, according to the Sammarinese delegation for the Eurovision Song Contest.

Eurofestival News reports that North Macedonia has been chosen by the European Broadcasting Union to host the Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2026. The outlet reports that the information was revealed during the press conference that followed the San Marino Song Contest 2026 final overnight.

Roberto Sergio was asked by a member of the press whether San Marino would host Junior Eurovision 2026, after San Marino RTV had confirmed that it was bidding for the competition. Roberto Sergio, the Director General of San Marino RTV, commented:

“We have actually applied. San Marino has submitted its candidacy to the EBU, but unfortunately we will not be hosting the event because another country applied before us, so that country will be contacted first.”

Following his response, a discussion took place between the Director General and the Head of Delegation, Denny Monetsi. During the discussion, it is stated:

“France has given up, so we’ll go… I don’t remember where. To Montenegro? No, to North Macedonia. I shouldn’t have said it, but we’ve already said it.”

Should the information be confirmed by the European Broadcasting Union or MRT, it will mark the first time that a Eurovision competition has been held in former Yugoslavia since 2008, when Belgrade, the capital of Serbia, hosted the Eurovision Song Contest. It would also be the first Eurovision contest to be held in North Macedonia.

A bidding process has been held to determine the host of the Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2026 after France, which won the 2025 contest declined to host. To date, the following broadcasters have confirmed their intention to compete in the 2026 contest:

Georgia: GPB
Ireland: TG4
Netherlands: AVROTROS
North Macedonia: MRT
Poland: TVP
Portugal: RTP
San Marino: San Marino RTV

The following broadcasters, who have previously participated, have declined returning to the contest:

Belgium: VRT – Last competed in 2012
Denmark: DR – Last participated in 2005
Germany: KiKA – Last participated in 2024
Norway: NRK – Last participated in 2005
Slovenia: RTVSLO – Last participated in 2015
Sweden: SVT – Last participated in 2014
Wales: S4C – Last participated in 2019

The following broadcasters have ruled out debuting in the contest:

Czechia: ČT – Never broadcast the contest
Finland: Yle – Last broadcast the contest in 2003
Iceland: RÚV – Last broadcast the contest in 2021

North Macedonia was among the original sixteen countries that competed in the first edition of the Junior Eurovison Song Contest. They have competed nearly every year only missing the 2012 and 2014 contests due to financial difficulties and 2020 due to COVID-19. In December 2025, it was confirmed that the Program Council of MRT supported it bidding to host Junior Eurovision in 2027, but also returning to Eurovision.

Nela Mančeska represented North Macedonia at the Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2025 with the song “Miracle”. She placed 7th in Tbilisi scoring 141 points including 12 points from the jury in Italy and Montenegro.

Ruby · 2026-03-08T17:27:24-0400

Poland’s search for the Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2026 commenced last night with the first episode of The Voice Kids.

The Voice Kids commenced last night in Poland as the search commences for the Polish representative for the Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2026. During the Blind Auditions, the singers will perform a cover, with the judges pressing their buzzer to turn their chair and compete to have the singer as part of their team. The judging panel for The Voice Kids 2026 is formed of Cleo, Tribbs and Blanka, all of whom have links to the Eurovision Song Contest.

The results of the first episode were:

Wiktor (13) – All coaches turned – Selected Tribbs’ team
Antonina Gajewska (11) – All coaches turned – Selected Blanka’s team
Janek (11) – Blank and Cleo turned – Selected Cleo’s team
Hania (12) – Cleo and Tribbs turned – Selected Tribbs’ team
Karol (13) – No coaches turned
Alan (12) – All coaches turned – Selected Blanka’s team
Leon (13) – All coaches turned – Selected Cleo’s team
Hania – Cleo turned and joined Cleo’s team
Benjamin (12) – Tribbs and Cleo turned – Selected Tribb’s team
Lena (11) – No coaches turned
Wiktoria (12) – Cleo turned and joined Cleo’s teams
Leon (13) – All coaches turned – Selected Tribb’s team

The coaches teams after episode one are as follows:

Blanka’s Team

Antonina Gajewska (11)
Alan (12)

Cleo’s Team

Janek (11)
Leon (13)
Wiktoria (12)

Tribbs’ Team

Wiktor (13)
Hania (12)
Benjamin (12)
Leon (13)

Marianna Kłos represented Poland at the Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2025 with “Brightest Light”. She finished 8th with 139 points.

Source: Tele Magazyn

Ruby · 2026-03-08T17:27:55-0400

Benidorm is discussing with the Spanish public broadcaster a national selection show to select the nations entry for the Junior Eurovision Song Contest.

Speaking to El Español, Councillor for Events, Jesús Carrobles, explained that Benidorm is exploring ways to expand and grow Benidorm Fest. One proposal is the creation of Benidorm Fest Junior, which would be used to select the Spanish entry for the Junior Eurovision Song Contest. Mr. Carrobles commented:

“TVE is also keen; we’re taking the first steps to see if we can hold a pre-selection for Junior Eurovision”

Spain has not held a televised national selection for the Junior Eurovision Song Contest since 2006. Eurojunior was a talent show that was used between 2003 and 2006 to select the Spanish entry for Junior Eurovision. In the final edition in 2006, a single-night final was held where five finalists were coached by an established artist.

RTVE has yet to state whether it will compete in the Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2026. The Spanish broadcaster withdrew from the competition in the Eurovision Song Contest 2026 in protest at Israel’s continued participation in the competition. Israel does not currently compete in Junior Eurovision.

Gonzalo Pinillos represented Spain at the Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2025 with “Érase Una Vez (Once Upon a Time)”. He placed 5th in the final, scoring 152 points, including 12 points from the Portuguese jury.

Source: El Español

Ruby · 2026-03-08T17:28:26-0400

The German broadcaster KiKA has confirmed that it will not return to the Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2026.

Germany will not be competing in the next edition of the Junior Eurovision Song Contest. KiKA had previously withdrawn from the Junior Eurovision Song Contest in 2025 following changes to the organisation of German participation in the Eurovision Song Contest. NDR and KiKA had previously collaborated on Junior Eurovision participation; NDR was replaced as the broadcaster responsible for Germany’s Eurovision participation by SWR following the 2025 Eurovision Song Contest.

In a statement to ESC Spot, the broadcaster explained it’s non-participation in 2026:

“Unfortunately, after a long consultation process, we have decided to withdraw from further participation in the Junior Eurovision Song Contest for the foreseeable future. This decision is the result of a structured exchange of views between the editorial staff, those responsible for the program, and the relevant team and the KiKA program committee, who have carefully assessed further participation in the competition in recent months.”

KiKA is the sixth broadcaster that has previously competed in the Junior Eurovision Song Contest that has ruled out a return to the contest in 2026.

Ruby · 2026-03-08T18:16:29-0400

March

11 –

Switzerland – Veronica Fusaro’s Eurovision Song Reveal
12 –

Eurovision Party SKG
21 –

Nordic Eurovision Party 2026

April

11 –

Eurovision in Concert 2026
17 –

London Eurovision Festival Fundraiser
19 –

London Eurovision Party 2026

May

12 –

Eurovision 2026 – Semi-Final One
14 –

Eurovision 2026 – Semi-Final Two
16 –

Eurovision 2026 – Final

June

6 –

Eurovision Young Musicians 2026

September

TBA –

Eurovision Workshop – Tivat, Montenegro

Ruby · 2026-03-08T18:25:10-0400

Cosmó, the Austrian representative for Eurovision 2026, is the latest artist to be announced for the London Eurovision Party 2026.

The representative of this year’s host country, Cosmó, is the latest artist to be confirmed for the London Eurovision Party 2026 at HERE at the Outernet. He will perform his song “Tanzschein”. This will be Cosmó’s third appearance at a pre-party, having already been confirmed for the Nordic Eurovision Party and Eurovision in Concert.

She joins a lineup featuring Eurovision 2026 contestants, as well as former participants from previous years. The Eurovision 2026 artists announced so far are:

Alis (Albania)
Cosmó (Austria)
Essyla (Belgium)
DARA (Bulgaria)
Søren Torpegaard Lund (Denmark)
Atvara (Latvia)
Eva Marija (Luxembourg)
Aidan (Malta)
Satoshi (Moldova)
Tamara Živković (Montenegro)
Leléka (Ukraine)

The special guests announced so far are:

Sissal (Denmark 2025)
Aliona Moon (Moldova 2013)

Further artists will be announced at a later date.

The London Eurovision Party will take place on April 19 at HERE at Outernet. Tickets for the event are currently on sale here.

The London Eurovision Party was first held in 2008 and is the oldest Eurovision pre-party event in Europe. The 2025 edition was held at HERE at Outernet for the third time. A total of 21 artists from Eurovision 2025 performed at the event. They were also joined by several artists from past Eurovision contests.

Ruby · 2026-03-09T09:19:06-0400

JIVA will perform “Just Go” for Azerbaijan at the Eurovision Song Contest 2026 in Vienna.

“Just Go” is the name of the Azerbaijani entry for the Eurovision Song Contest 2026. The song and official music video will be released today at 18:00 CET on the official Eurovision YouTube channel.

Jamila Hashimova, better known as JIVA, began her career in 2003, after finishing second in the Baku Autumn contest. In 2007, she participated in Show Time, and in 2011, she participated in Milli Seçim Turu 2011, the Azerbaijani selection for Eurovision 2011.

JIVA has participated in several festivals in Azerbaijan and abroad, like the Montreux Jazz Festival in Switzerland and Zhara Fest in Baku. In 2025, she won the third season of Səs Azərbaycan (The Voice of Azerbaijan).

JIVA was selected to represent Azerbaijan at Eurovision 2026 from 100 artists who competed in the Azerbaijani selection. She will perform in the in the first half of the second semi-final on May 14.

Mamagama represented Azerbaijan at Eurovision 2025 with “Run With U”. The group finished last in their semi-final, scoring 7 points. This was the first time that Azerbaijan finished last in a Eurovision Song Contest semi-final.

Source: JIVA

Ruby · 2026-03-09T09:19:42-0400

The final version of “Ridnym”, the song representing Ukraine at the Eurovision Song Contest 2026, has been released.

The revamped version of “Ridnym”, performed by LELÉKA, was released today by the Ukrainian broadcaster Suspilne. The song has undergone changes to its production to enhance it for the Eurovision Song Contest stage this May. The updated version was enhanced by an even richer sound of the music instrument bandura, performed by musician Yaroslav Dzhus.

LELÉKA has commented that:

“This Eurovision version of the song ‘Ridnym’ is special to me. I wanted to emphasise its roots and sound even more strongly, so there is more pure sound of bandura at the beginning. Bandura is a very symbolic instrument for Ukrainian culture. Its sound contains our history, our songs and memory. I call it the ‘Ukrainian harp’, but it has an even deeper meaning for us — it is the sound that instantly brings us home.”

LELÉKA will perform in the second half of the second semi-final on May 14.

Source: Suspilne

Ruby · 2026-03-09T09:20:35-0400

Satoshi has released the music video for “Viva, Moldova”, the Moldovan entry for the Eurovision Song Contest 2026.

Satoshi released the music video for “Viva, Moldova!” today. The music video features the revamped version of the song, which was performed for the first time at Vidbir 2026, the Ukrainian national final, last month.

Satoshi won the Moldovan selection after receiving the maximum points available from the Moldovan jury, the international jury and the Moldovan public. He will perform in the first half of the first semi-final on May 12.

Ruby · 2026-03-09T11:58:31-0400

Antigoni and Akylas have joined the line-up for the Nordic Eurovision Party, which will take place in the Norwegian capital in March.

Antigoni and Akylas, the Cypriot and Greek representatives at Eurovision 2026, are the latest artists to be announced as participating in the Nordic Eurovision Party in Oslo. This is the first Eurovision party where the two artists have been confirmed. In addition, this will be the first time since 2019 that the Greek representative participates in a pre-party.

The acts announced to date are:

Poli Genova – Represented Bulgaria at Eurovision 2011 and 2016
Lindsay Dracass – Represented the United Kingdom at Eurovision 2001
Ovi – Represented Romania at Eurovision 2010 and 2014
Ilinica – Represented Romania at Eurovision 2017
Jørgen Olsen – Won the Eurovision Song Contest 2000 alongside Niels Olsen as part of the Olsen Brothers for Denmark
Elisabeth Andreassen – Won the Eurovision Song Contest 1985 for Norway as part of Bobbysocks, also represented Norway at Eurovision 1994 and 1996, and Sweden in Eurovision 1982
Mathilde SPZ – Competed in Melodi Grand Prix 2024
Guri Schanke – Represented Norway at Eurovision 2007
Tamara Živković – Will represent Montenegro at Eurovision 2026
Satoshi – Will represent Moldova at Eurovision 2026
Sunstroke Project – Represented Moldova at Eurovision 2010 and 2017
Mileo – Competed in Melodi Grand Prix 2024 and 2026
AIDAN – Will represent Malta at Eurovision 2026
Alis – Will represent Albania at Eurovision 2026
Silke – Competed in Melodi Grand Prix 2026
Eva Marija – Will represent Luxembourg at Eurovision 2026
Leonardo Amor – Competed in Melodi Grand Prix 2026
Piera Eira and MÁIJÁ – Winners of Sámi Grand Prix 2025
Atvara – Will represent Latvia at Eurovision 2026
Antigoni – Will represent Cyprus at Eurovision 2026
Akylas – Will represent Greece at Eurovision 2026

The show will be held on March 21, as it brings together Eurovision stars, veterans of the contest, and other talented artists associated with the Eurovision Song Contest.

Taking place at Rockefeller in Oslo, the event is open to those aged 18+. Tickets are on sale now, with prices starting at 594 NOK.

The Nordic Eurovision Party and Nordic Music Celebration were first held in 2024, before the events merged at the end of 2024 under the Nordic Eurovision Party name. Last year, a total of 21 past and present Eurovision artists performed at the event in the Norwegian capital.

Source: Nordic Eurovision Party, Nordic Eurovision Party

Ruby · 2026-03-09T14:52:44-0400

Lion Ceccah, Linda Lampenius, and Pete Parkkonen are the latest artist to be announced for the London Eurovision Party 2026.

The representatives at Eurovision 2026 for Lithuania, Lion Ceccah, and for Finland, Linda Lampenius & Pete Parkkonen, are the latest artist to be confirmed for the London Eurovision Party 2026 at HERE at the Outernet. Lion Ceccah will perform his song “Sólo quiero más”, will the Finnish duo will be performing their entry “Liekinheitin”. This is the first appearance at a pre-party for all the three artists.

They join a lineup featuring Eurovision 2026 contestants, as well as former participants from previous years. The Eurovision 2026 artists announced so far are:

Alis (Albania)
Cosmó (Austria)
Essyla (Belgium)
DARA (Bulgaria)
Søren Torpegaard Lund (Denmark)
Linda Lampenius x Pete Parkkonen (Finland)
Atvara (Latvia)
Lion Ceccah (Lithuania)
Eva Marija (Luxembourg)
Aidan (Malta)
Satoshi (Moldova)
Tamara Živković (Montenegro)
Leléka (Ukraine)

The special guests announced so far are:

Sissal (Denmark 2025)
Aliona Moon (Moldova 2013)

Further artists will be announced at a later date.

The London Eurovision Party will take place on April 19 at HERE at Outernet. Tickets for the event are currently on sale here.

The London Eurovision Party was first held in 2008 and is the oldest Eurovision pre-party event in Europe. The 2025 edition was held at HERE at Outernet for the third time. A total of 21 artists from Eurovision 2025 performed at the event. They were also joined by several artists from past Eurovision contests.

Source: London Eurovision Party, London Eurovision Party

Ruby · 2026-03-09T14:53:03-0400

An average of 409,000 viewers watched the Grand Final of Festival da Canção 2026 live on RTP 1 last Saturday night.

An average of 409,000 viewers watched the show, registering a decrease of 41,000 viewers compared to the Grand Final of the festival in 2025, and of 3,000 viewers compared to the second semi-final of this year’s edition. In addition, the show had a rating of 4.1 and an average share of 10.4%, also a drop of 1% compared to last year’s figures. The peak audience was during the results at around 00:28 local time, with a share of 16.1%.

After a record of 912,000 viewers in 2018, Festival da Canção has been losing viewers for a number of years. The past four editions of the final have seen the number of viewers watching live on RTP 1 fall, in 2024 for the first time under half a million spectators.

The results were decided by seven regional juries (50%) and public voting (50%). The results were as follows:

Running order	Artist	Song	Jury points	Televote points	Result
1	Bandidos do Cante	“Rosa”	10	12	22 points – 1st place
2	João Ribeiro	“Canção do querer”	12	2	14 points – 4th place
3	André Amaro	“Dá-me a tua mão”	1	7	8 points – 7th place
4	Gonçalo Gomes	“Doce ilusão”	4	3	7 points – 9th place
5	Marquise	“Chuva”	3	5	8 points – 8th place
6	Evaya	“Sprint”	2	1	3 points – 10th place
7	Sandrino	“Disposto a tudo”	7	6	13 points – 5th place
8	Nunca Mates o Mandarim	“Fumo”	8	8	16 points – 3rd place
9	Silvana Peres	“Não tem fim”	5	4	9 points – 6th place
10	Dinis Mota	“Jurei”	6	10	16 points – 2nd place

Bandidos do Cante resulted as the overall winner of the festival, placing second with the jury vote and topping the televote and earning the right to represent Portugal at the Eurovision Song Contest 2026. They will perform during the first half of the first semi-final on May 12.

Source: ESC Portugal

Ruby · 2026-03-09T14:53:27-0400

JIVA has released “Just Go”, the Azerbaijani entry for the Eurovision Song Contest 2026 in Vienna.

JIVA will perform “Just Go” for Azerbaijan at the Eurovision Song Contest 2026. The song was written and composed by Fuad Javadov.

Jamila Hashimova, better known as JIVA, began her career in 2003, after finishing second in the Baku Autumn contest. In 2007, she participated in Show Time, and in 2011, she participated in Milli Seçim Turu 2011, the Azerbaijani selection for Eurovision 2011.

JIVA has participated in several festivals in Azerbaijan and abroad, like the Montreux Jazz Festival in Switzerland and Zhara Fest in Baku. In 2025, she won the third season of Səs Azərbaycan (The Voice of Azerbaijan).

JIVA was selected to represent Azerbaijan at Eurovision 2026 from 100 artists who competed in the Azerbaijani selection. She will perform in the in the first half of the second semi-final on May 14.

Mamagama represented Azerbaijan at Eurovision 2025 with “Run With U”. The group finished last in their semi-final, scoring 7 points. This was the first time that Azerbaijan finished last in a Eurovision Song Contest semi-final.

Ruby · 2026-03-09T14:53:45-0400

The final of the Swedish selection for the Eurovision Song Contest, Melodifestivalen 2026, was watched by just under 3 million viewers.

An average of 2,785,000 viewers watched the final of Melodifestivalen 2026 last Saturday night. The figure represents a decrease in the audience compared to 2025 by 236,000 viewers, going back to the same numbers of the final of Melodifestivalen 2024.

Across the selection, the audience on SVT1 for the contest was:

Heat One – 2,679,000 viewers
Heat Two – 2,547,000 viewers
Heat Three – 2,213,000 viewers
Heat Four – 2,232,000 viewers
Heat Five – 2,207,000 viewers
Grand Final – 2,785,000 viewers

Besides the Grand Final, the Second Heat was the most watched event of Melodifestivalen 2026. Felicia, the overall winner of the Festival, competed for the first time during Heat Two.

The grand final of Melodifestivalen 2026 took place in Stockholm’s Strawberry Arena, following 6 weeks of competition and was hosted by Gina Dirawi and Hampus Nessvold.

A total of 12 acts competed to represent Sweden in Vienna next May. The final results were decided by a split vote between an international jury (50%) and the audience vote (50%). The results were as follows:

Running order	Artist	Song	Jury points	Televote points	Total points	Result
1	A*Teens	“Iconic”	31	36	67	7th
2	Meira Omar	“Dooset Daram”	33	8	41	9th
3	Lilla Al-Fadji	“Delulu”	24	39	63	8th
4	Saga Ludvigsson	“Ain’t Today”	5	13	18	12th
5	Smash Into Pieces	“Hollow”	49	41	90	4th
6	Cimberly	“Eternity”	48	30	78	6th
7	Medina	“Viva l’amor”	66	66	132	3rd
8	Greczula	“Half of Me”	64	70	134	2nd
9	Robin Bengtsson	“Honey Honey”	22	7	29	11th
10	Felicia	“My system”	71	90	161	1st
11	Sanna Nielsen	“Waste Your Love”	17	16	33	10th
12	Brandsta City Slackers	“Rakt in i elden”	34	48	82	5th

Felicia will perform in the first half of the first semi final on May 12.

Source: MMS

Ruby · 2026-03-09T14:54:03-0400

The official music video for “Ferto” by Akylas is set to be revealed on Wednesday, March 11.

ERT has announced that the official music video for the Greek entry for the Eurovision Song Contest 2026 will be revealed this Wednesday. The clip will receives its first play on ERT1 at 08:00 CET during ‘Proían se eídon‘, the video will then be released on the official Eurovision Song Contest YouTube channel shortly after.

As part of the music video reveal, Akylas will also appear on Proían se eídon to discuss his preparations for the 70th Eurovision Song Contest. Since his victory in Sing for Greece, Akylas has started promoting his song internationall performing in Serbia and San Marino as part of their selections.

Akylas will represent Greece in the 70th edition of the Eurovision Song Contest. He will perform “Ferto” in the first half of the first Semi-Final on May 12.

Source: ERT

Ruby · 2026-03-09T14:54:08-0400

France climbed to second favourite to win Eurovision 2026 in the betting markets, while Finland has cemented its place as the favourite during the past week.

With just a handful of songs left to be revealed, the Eurovision betting markets are backing Finland for victory in Vienna, while there have been some interesting changes over the past week. France climbed to second favourite after “Regarde !” was revealed as its entry at the end of last week, making a 5 place climb and jumping Denmark into second place.

By contrast, Australia has dropped out of the top three and is now a comfortable fifth favourite for victory in Austria. The biggest climber of the past week is Czechia, which is being backed ahead of their song being released on Wednesday, and now sits as the twelfth favourite. In contrast, Malta has dropped out of the top ten and is now thirteenth.

With four songs left to be revealed, the current odds of victory are (Compared to March 3):

Finland – Linda Lampenius and Pete Parkkonen – “Liekinheitin” – 26.6% (+4.9%)
France – Monroe – “Regarde !” – 10.8% (+5 places, +5.6%)
Denmark – Søren Torpegaard Lund – “Før vi går hjem” – 10.1% (-1 place, -0.5%)
Greece – Akylas – “Ferto” – 7.5% (+1 place, -1.6%)
Australia – Delta Goodrem – “Eclipse” – 6.3% (-2 places, -3%)
Israel – Noam Bettan – “Michelle” – 4.8% (-1 place, -0.9%)
Sweden – Felicia – “My System” – 4.7% (-1 place, -0.9%)
Ukraine – Leléka – “Ridnym” – 2.3% (+4 places)
Cyprus – Antigoni – “Jalla” – 2.1% (-1 place, -0.4%)
United Kingdom – Look Mum No Computer – “Eins, zwei, drei” – 2.0% (-1 place, -0.3%)
Italy – Sal Da Vinci – “Per sempre si” – 2.0% (-0.3%)
Czechia – Daniel Zizika – “Crossroads” (To be released on Wednesday) – 1.7% (+8 places, +0.7%)
Malta – Aidan – “Bella” – 1.6% (-3 places, -0.7%)
Armenia – To be revealed – 1.6% (-1 place, +0.2%)
Bulgaria – DARA – “Bangaranga” – 1.4% (No change)
Luxembourg – Eva Marija – “Mother Nature” – 1.3% (-2 places, -0.1%)
Switzerland – Veronica Fusaro – Song to be revealed on Wednesday – 1.2% (No change)
Azerbaijan – Jiva – “Just Go” – 1.2% (+8 places, +0.3%)
Georgia – Bzikebi – “On Replay” (Song to be released on Wednesday) – 1.1% (+5 places, +0.1%)
Norway – Jonas Lovv – “Ya Ya Ya” – 1.1% (-4 places, -0.3%)
Romania – Alexandra Căpitănescu – “Choke Me” – 1% (+2 places)
Lithuania – Lion Ceecah – “Sólo quiero más” – 0.9% (+3 places)
Germany – Sarah Engels – “Fire” – 0.8% (-1 place, -0.2%)
Croatia – Lelek – “Andromeda” – 0.8% (-6 places, -0.3%)
San Marino – Senhit feat. Boy George – “Superstar” – 0.7% (+4 places, -0.1%)
Latvia – Atvara – “Ēnā” – 0.6% (-7 places, -0.5%)
Moldova – Satoshi – “Viva Moldova!” – 0.5% (+3 places, -0.2%)
Poland – Alicja – “Prayer” – 0.5% (-1 place, -0.3%)
Serbia – Lavina – “Kraj mene” – 0.5% (-8 places, -0.5%)
Belgium – Essyla – “Dancing on the Ice” – 0.5% (-2 places, -0.3%)
Portugal – Bandidos do Cante – “Rosa” – 0.4% (-0.2%)
Austria – Cosmó – “Tanzschien” – 0.4% (-0.1%)
Estonia – Vanilla Ninja – “Too Epic to Be True” – 0.3% (-0.1%)
Albania – Alis – “Nân” – 0.3% (-0.1%)
Montenegro – Tamara Živković – “Noza Zora” – 0.3% (-0.1%)

Source: Eurovision World

Ruby · 2026-03-09T17:13:46-0400

Poland’s search for the Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2026 continued on Saturday night with the second episode of The Voice Kids.

The Voice Kids continued on Saturday night in Poland as the search is underway for the Polish representative for the Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2026. During the Blind Auditions, the singers will perform a cover, with the judges pressing their buzzer to turn their chair and compete to have the singer as part of their team. The judging panel for The Voice Kids 2026 is formed of Cleo, Tribbs and Blanka, all of whom have links to the Eurovision Song Contest.

The results of the second episode were:

Zosia Marchalewicz (13) – Cleo and Blanka turned – Joined Blanka’s team
Hubert Zdanowski (11) – No coaches turned
Antosia (12) – Blanka turned – Joined Blanka’s team
Wiktoria (13) – All coaches turned – Joined Cleo’s team
Basia Barylak (13) – No coaches turned
Amelka (8) – All coaches turned – Joined Tribbs’ team
Amelia – All coaches turned – Joined Tribb’s team
Rysiek (13) – No coaches turned
Zuzia (13) – All coaches turned – Joined Blanka’s team
Emilka (10) – All coaches turned – Joined Cleo’s team
Wiktoria – Cleo turned – Joined Cleo’s team
Lena (12) – All coaches turned – Joined Blanka’s team

The coaches teams after episode two are as follows:

Blanka’s Team

Antonina Gajewska (11)
Alan (12)
Zosia Marchalewicz (13)
Antosia (12)
Zuzia (13)
Lena (12)

Cleo’s Team

Janek (11)
Leon (13)
Wiktoria (12)
Wiktoria (13)
Emilka (10)
Wiktoria

Tribbs’ Team

Wiktor (13)
Hania (12)
Benjamin (12)
Leon (13)
Amelka (8)
Amelia

Marianna Kłos represented Poland at the Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2025 with “Brightest Light”. She finished 8th with 139 points.

Source: Tele Magazyn

Ruby · 2026-03-09T17:14:19-0400

The Armenian preview show for Eurovision Young Musicians 2026 continued on Sunday, with its latest episode.

Dasakan Yevratesil – Yetnabem continued yesterday with the latest episode focusing on the auditions for the Armenian national selection for Eurovision Young Musicians 2026. The show features episodes with the jurors who will help to determine the Armenian representative for the contest this June.

Depi dasakan Yevratesil is the title of the Armenian national selection. Musicians must first pass the first stage of the application process before they attend live auditions for the show. The best performers will then compete in the semi-finals and final of Depi dasakan Yevratesil. The winner will be chosen by a professional jury.

Eurovision Young Musicians 2026 will take place on June 6 in Yerevan, this is the first time that Eurovision Young Musicians has been hosted by Armenia, and the third time Yerevan has hosted a Eurovision competition.

The countries and broadcasters competing and musicians selected so far are:

Armenia: AMPTV
Belgium: RTBF – Simon Nakhimovitch
Cyprus: CyBC – Iakovos Kedaritis
Czechia: ČT
Germany: WDR
Latvia: LSM – Sonja Misiņa
Poland: TVP – Selects on April 14
Portugal: RTP – Beatriz Li Rosão
Serbia: RTS
Sweden: SVT – Edward Ahlbeck Glader
Switzerland: SRF – Manoush Toth

Eurovision Young Musicians

A total of 42 countries have competed over 21 editions of the contest. Norway has competed in 20 out of the 21 contests, tied with Austria. Austria is the most successful country, having won six editions and competed in 17 finals. Leonhard Baumgartner from Austria is the latest winner of the contest, taking victory in Bodø‎ in 2024.

Eurovision Young Musicians is a contest for musicians between the ages of 12 and 21. It has been held since 1982, as the first spin-off contest of the Eurovision Song Contest. The event celebrated its 20th edition in 2022, when Montpellier hosted the competition.

Ruby · 2026-03-09T17:14:57-0400

The third edition of Biser Jadrana will be held in Tivat between July 18, with twenty four acts competing for victory.

Biser Jadrana returns for a third edition with a call for songs for the contest this July. The competition format has changed for the third edition, with the show now a one-night show, with performers from across ex-Yugoslavia competing.

Songs can be submitted until May 24, with participants informed of their selection no later than June 10. The winner of Biser Jadrana 2026 will be chosen entirely by jury voting. As was the case last year the competition is open to duets and groups, who can be from one nation or from multiple nations. The contest will once again air on RTCG.

The first edition of Biser Jadrana was won by Princ from Serbia with “Čardak”, while Dado Topić & Ana Petan from Croatia and North Macedonia won the second edition.

Source: Biser Jadrana

Ruby · 2026-03-09T18:05:04-0400

The Swedish public broadcaster SVT has launched a new preview show for the Eurovision Song Contest.

Eurovisionklubben has been announced by SVT as a new TV show focused on the Eurovision Song Contest. Every Wednesday for the next ten weeks, Eurovisionklubben will discuss the latest news in the contest, discuss the contest and build up to the contest in May.

The show is hosted by Torbjörn Averås Skorup and Tina Mehrafzoon and will be available on SVT Play every Wednesday from 19:00 CET. Tina Mehrafzoon commented:

“This program is for all of us who love Eurovision and want to talk about it more than our friends can bear to listen to! Here we get the opportunity to invite both those who know everything and those who just love the competition, and together create the ultimate meeting place to nerd out about everything that, in my opinion, is one of the highlights of the year”

The show is the first time that SVT has held a standalone Eurovision preview show outside of hosting the competition since Inför Eurovision, which last had an extended series in 2016.

KAJ represented Sweden at the Eurovision Song Contest 2025 with “Bara Bada Bastu”. They finished 4th in the final with 321 points.

Source: SVT

Ruby · 2026-03-09T18:08:12-0400

Speaking following her victory in Das Deutsche Finale 2026, Sarah Engels has spoken of her plans to build her performance for the Eurovision Song Contest.

In an interview with the ARD magazine program Brisant, Sarah Engels has confirmed she will be making changes to her performance for the Eurovision stage in Vienna. She recognises that what won her victory in the German national final last weekend needs to be improved for Vienna. She commented:

“We’ve already put our heads together and considered how we can make it even bigger. Because the stage will be bigger. Everything will be even more spectacular. And I think it’s also important to try and stand out somehow. Just singing and dancing and a bit of fire – I don’t think that will necessarily be enough at Eurovision. Because there are some really amazing artists there. And you really have to represent yourself well. But we’re working on it. And I can definitely promise: I’ll give it my all.”

No details have been revealed to date regarding the team that will work with Sarah Engels on her performance for the 70th edition of the Eurovision Song Contest.

Sarah Engels will represent Germany at Eurovision 2026 with “Fire”. She won the German national final receiving 38.3% of the votes cast in the Superfinal. Germany have automatically qualified for the Grand Final on Saturday, the 16th of May as one of the countries that contributes the most financially alongside France, the United Kingdom and Italy as well as the hosts Austria.

Source: ESC Kompakt

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