Gooseberry season? No way, countries are making plans!

It’s time for another weekly Eurovision update. We will bring you the latest national selection news, a clarification from an iconic Eurovision winner, updates on who’s in for 2026, and the ongoing debate over Israel’s participation. Here are this week’s top stories: National Finals News 🇸🇲 San Marino: Broadcaster SMRTV has confirmed its participation in Eurovision 2026. They will relaunch its national selection as the San Marino Song Contest. The new format will feature two live semifinals and a final to choose San Marino’s act for Vienna. Denny Montesi is appointed as Head of Delegation and four-time Eurovision entrant Valentina Monetta serving as an ambassador source: sanmarinortv.sm. 🇸🇪 Sweden: A record 3,888 songs were submitted to SVT for Melodifestivalen 2026. That’s over one thousand more entries than last year. The submission window is now closed. A jury will shortlist 30 entries to compete in the televised shows early next year. source: Melodifestivalen instagram 🇦🇱 Albania: Elhaida Dani, Albania’s Eurovision 2015 representative is now artistic director of Festivali i Këngës 64. She promises a bolder, more modern and “unforgettable” show full of surprises this year. Elhaida revealed a collaboration with renowned songwriters Aida Baraku and Armend Rexhepagiqi as part of the festival’s plans to bring strong entries and restore faith in the national contest. source: revistawho.com. 🇷🇸 Serbia: RTS has officially opened song submissions for Pesma za Evroviziju 2026, Serbia’s national selection for Eurovision. Entries can be sent in until 10 November 2025. After that a selection committee will choose the finalists. The winner will be decided by a combination of jury and public votes (50/50). source: rts.rs. 🇨🇭 Céline Dion Eurovision Rumours Denied Eurovision fans were abuzz with speculation about Céline Dion making an appearance at Eurovision 2025. However, the singer’s team has now debunked those rumours. In a statement via her representatives, Dion clarified that she was “never due to attend, perform, or present” at this year’s contest in Basel. Contrary to reports in French media, Céline was not in Switzerland during Eurovision. She had no plans to participate in the show. In reality, the 1988 Eurovision winner’s sole involvement was a brief pre-recorded video greeting. Claims that she cancelled an appearance due to ill health were “entirely false and potentially damaging”, according to her team. The 57-year-old Canadian superstar – who has been battling stiff person syndrome – urges media to fact-check sensational stories. While Dion has expressed she’d love to return to the Eurovision stage someday, for now her focus remains on her health and recovery. source: news.stv.tv 📷 Eric Salard, Wikimedia Commons 🇦🇹 Eurovision 2026 Participation Update This week marked a key milestone on the road to Eurovision 2026. 15 September 2025 was the deadline for EBU member broadcasters to apply to participate in next year’s contest. Broadcasters that submitted applications now have until mid-December to withdraw without financial penalty. That date coincides with an upcoming EBU vote on Israel’s participation. So far, around twenty countries have already confirmed their intention to compete in the 70th Eurovision Song Contest. Several others (such as Belgium and Italy) remain undecided or have not made public statements yet. A few countries, Andorra, Bosnia & Herzegovina, and Slovakia, have confirmed they will not return in 2026. Absent broadcasters still have the option to join Eurovision 2026, but any withdrawals after the December cutoff could incur a penalty. All eyes are now on the EBU’s General Assembly in December, when final participation numbers and any special conditions (such as those related to Israel) will become clearer. source: eurovoix.com 📷 Donald Trung Quoc Don, Wikimedia Commons 🇬🇧 🇪🇸 Israel’s Participation Sparks Debate The question of Israel’s participation in Eurovision 2026 has become a hotly debated topic. Israel’s public broadcaster KAN has confirmed it sees “no reason” to withdraw from the contest, stating that Israel intends to remain an important part of this cultural event and that the Eurovision Song Contest should not be politicised. In the UK, the BBC has also weighed in on the issue. Director General Tim Davie acknowledged the concerns raised by other nations but affirmed that the BBC supports the EBU’s approach to handling the situation. He emphasised that Eurovision should be a celebration of music and culture that unites people, not a political battleground, and said the BBC will await the EBU’s decision while continuing to work within its framework. sources: BBC and nu.nl 📷 EBU/BBC RTVE, Spain’s public broadcaster, has officially voted to withdraw from Eurovision 2026 if Israel is allowed to participate. The board of directors approved the motion by an absolute majority. This would make Spain the first of the “Big Five” countries to take such a stand. The decision follows earlier calls from Culture Minister Ernest Urtasun, who urged RTVE to pull out should Israel remain in the contest, asserting that cultural events should not “whitewash genocide”. Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez also supported this position. Despite this conditional withdrawal, RTVE declared that its national selection process, Benidorm Fest, will go ahead regardless of the ultimate decision on Eurovision participation. Spain joins the Netherlands, Ireland, Iceland, and Slovenia in taking a similar stance. source: RTVE 📷 EBU/Sarah Louise Bennett