It’s Tuesday, February 10, 2026, and time for another weekly update! This week saw the Eurovision community saying farewell to a Maltese trailblazer and a Dutch contest legend. Two countries unveiled their entries for Eurovision 2026. Five more will choose their songs this weekend. Host city Vienna revealed its contest branding. Romania also kicked off its national selection after returning to the competition. Here are this week’s top stories: Helen Micallef Veteran Maltese singer Helen Micallef, the first Maltese woman to take part in Eurovision, has died at the age of 75. Micallef’s career left a lasting mark on Malta’s music scene. Helen was born in 1950. She began performing as a child and won major local song festivals in her teens. One of the defining moments of her career came in 1972. At 21 she represented Malta at the Eurovision Song Contest alongside Joe Cutajar with the song “L-Imħabba”. This performance made her the first female singer to represent Malta on the Eurovision stage. Following her Eurovision appearance, Micallef stepped back from the spotlight for some years to focus on family life. She later remained involved in music and is remembered as a pioneer of Malta’s modern music scene. source: Malta Independent Lenny Kuhr Dutch Eurovision icon Lenny Kuhr says she will retire from music after nearly 60 years in the industry. Fans know the 75-year-old singer for winning the Eurovision Song Contest 1969, one of four tied winners, with “De troubadour”. In an emotional Instagram post, Kuhr wrote that she will end her performing career in May 2026, when she wraps up her current farewell tour. She expressed immense gratitude for her long career and for everyone who joined her along the way. Kuhr called the choice “with a heavy heart,” and she cited personal reasons for stepping away slightly earlier than she once expected. Over the decades, she released more than 20 albums and kept close ties with Eurovision. She most recently appeared in the Eurovision 2021 interval act. Her retirement closes an era, yet her influence reaches far beyond 1969. source: Facebook Lenny Kuhr Ukraine and Cyprus Confirm 2026 Entries Two more countries have locked in their songs for Eurovision 2026. In Ukraine, folk-jazz singer singer Viktoriia Leleka won the national final Vidbir. She will represent the country with the song “Ridnym”. Ukraine’s selection took place on 7 February, adding another act to the growing Vienna lineup. Everything about the national final can be found here. Meanwhile in Cyprus, internally-selected artist Antigoni has officially revealed her song “Jalla” for the contest. “Jalla” is described as a Mediterranean summer-pop anthem that blends contemporary beats with traditional Cypriot instrumentation. Antigoni (full name Antigoni Buxton, a British Greek-Cypriot singer) will perform “Jalla” live for the first time during Greece’s national selection show this week. These announcements mean both Ukraine and Cyprus have now set their sights on Vienna with confirmed entries: a soulful Ukrainian track and an upbeat Cypriot anthem. National finals this week: Estonia, Denmark, Latvia, Greece, Croatia The upcoming week will be packed with Eurovision selection shows. Estonia, Denmark, and Latvia are all holding their national finals on Saturday, 14 February. That evening will see Estonia’s Eesti Laul 2026, Denmark’s Dansk Melodi Grand Prix 2026, and Latvia’s Supernova 2026 each crown a winner. The following day, Sunday, 15 February, two more finals will take place: Greece will host the final of Sing for Greece 2026, and Croatia will conclude its Dora 2026 selection to choose its entry. By the end of the weekend, five new Eurovision 2026 entries will be decided. Eurovision 2026: Branding Unveiled in Vienna With less than 100 days until the Eurovision Song Contest 2026, host city Vienna has started to dress up for the occasion. This week, the first official contest branding was revealed on the Wiener Stadthalle, the venue for Eurovision 2026. A large banner featuring the Eurovision 2026 design has been hung atop Hall F of the arena, making the upcoming contest visible to locals and visitors. In the coming weeks, the Eurovision branding will be rolled out across Vienna. Public transport vehicles , including subway trains, trams, and buses, will carry Eurovision 2026 artwork, and even Vienna International Airport will be decorated with contest signage. These efforts aim to build excitement and ensure that the Eurovision atmosphere greets fans as soon as they arrive in the Austrian capital. source: ORF National finals: Romania Romania is back in the Eurovision Song Contest for 2026 and has launched its national selection process. Broadcaster TVR is organizing Selecția Națională 2026 to choose the Romanian entry. Interest has been high, with 101 songs submitted to the selection. This week, a jury panel is holding live audition rounds (February 9–11) to narrow down the field. From a shortlist of 68 semi-finalists, the top 10 acts will advance to the national final. TVR has announced that the 10 finalists will be revealed on 12 February at 19:00 CET. Those finalists will compete in the Selecția Națională final on 4 March 2026, held in Bucharest, where a 100% jury vote will decide Romania’s representative. Romania’s return and selection are highly anticipated, as the country looks to rebound after a short absence and find a song that can bring them success in Vienna. Agenda Date Country National Final Time Watch here: 11 February Greece 1st semifinal 20:00 ERTFLIX 12 February Croatia 1st semifinal 20:15 YouTube DORA 13 February Greece 2nd semifinal 20:00 ERTFLIX Croatia 2nd semifinal 20:15 YouTube DORA 14 February Estonia Final 18:30 YouTube Eurovision and ETV Sweden Heat 3 20:00 SVT Play Lithuania Heat 4 20:00 YouTube LRTinklas and LRT Denmark Final 20:00 DR Latvia Final 20:10 LTV 15 February Greece Final 20:00 ERTFLIX Croatia Final 20:15 YouTube DORA
