Road to Liverpool: Croatia

It’s time for a weekly update! A little over a week has passed since Austria won the Eurovision Song Contest 2025 with JJ’s “Wasted Love.” As the celebrations fade, Europe turns its eyes toward Eurovision 2026. Plenty is already happening: Austria is preparing to host, broadcasters question the voting, Israel’s role is debated, and the first countries are confirming participation. Austria Gets Ready for 2026 Austria has officially confirmed that it will host Eurovision 2026. The Wiener Stadthalle in Vienna, which previously hosted the contest in 2015, has been confirmed as a strong candidate. Other cities including Graz, Innsbruck, Linz/Wels, Oberwart, St. Pölten and Ebreichsdorf have also expressed interest. A decision about the host city is expected later this year. Vienna’s infrastructure and experience give it an edge. However, the competition is open, and local governments across Austria are keen to welcome the Eurovision spotlight. ORF, Austria’s national broadcaster, is currently reviewing proposals. 📷 Robert Zolles, Wikimedia Commons Voting System Under Review The results of Eurovision 2025 sparked discussion in several countries. In particular, Israel won the public televote by a large margin, which led to concerns about the voting process. Some broadcasters have officially asked the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) to investigate. In response, the EBU released a statement. They confirmed that the televoting system worked according to the rules and that they found no irregularities. However, they promised to evaluate the situation and listen to feedback from participating countries. The goal is to keep Eurovision fair and transparent. Debate Over Israel’s Participation Alongside the voting concerns, Israel’s participation itself is a topic of discussion. Several broadcasters have asked the EBU to open talks about whether Israel should continue to take part in Eurovision. The request comes in the wake of political tensions and protests before the 2025 contest. The EBU has not changed its position. It maintains that Eurovision is a non-political event and that all active members have the right to participate. Whether this debate will affect the 2026 lineup is still unclear. The Netherlands and Others Begin 2026 Preparations Broadcasters are already thinking about next year. In the Netherlands, AVROTROS opened its submission process on 19 May. Artists and songwriters can send in their songs until 31 August. The broadcaster expects to make a final decision in December. Denmark and Finland have gone one step further. They have both set dates for their national finals. Denmark’s selection will take place on 14 February 2026, while Finland will choose its act on 28 February 2026. So far, Austria, the Netherlands, and Montenegro have confirmed participation. Andorra has announced it will not return to the contest. Most other countries have not made official statements yet. 📷 EBU/Sarah Louise Bennett Eurovision 2025 Songs on the Charts The Eurovision Song Contest always has an impact on the charts, and this year is no exception. A number of songs from the 2025 contest are performing well across Europe. Here is an overview of current chart positions: Country Artist Song Chart Countries & Peak Positions Austria JJ Wasted Love #1 Austria, #3 Switzerland, #8 Sweden Israel Yuval Raphael New Day Will Rise #1 Israel, #89 Sweden Estonia Tommy Cash Espresso Macchiato #1 Estonia, #4 Sweden Sweden KAJ Bara Bada Bastu #1 Sweden, #1 Norway Germany Abor & Tynna Baller #3 Germany, #34 UK United Kingdom Remember Monday What the Hell Just Happened? #31 UK Norway Kyle Alessandro Lighter #6 Norway, #6 Lithuania Italy Lucio Corsi Volevo essere un duro #5 Italy, #30 Sweden Finland Erika Vikman Ich komme #1 Finland, #38 Sweden France Louane Maman #23 France, Top 50 Belgium Malta Miriana Conte Serving #90 Sweden San Marino Gabry Ponte Tutta l’Italia #91 Sweden The Netherlands Claude C’est la vie #1 Netherlands, #12 Lithuania, #16 Estonia Clearly, the Eurovision Song Contest continues to influence popular music. Even songs that did not win are finding international success. Looking Ahead As the Eurovision season shifts from celebration to preparation, there is already a lot to follow. Cities are bidding to host, broadcasters are raising questions, and fans are replaying their favourites. We’ll be back next week with another Eurovision weekly update! Share