🇳🇴 Road to Basel: Norway

Road to Basel: Norway

As the Eurovision Song Contest in Basel approaches, we continue our daily spotlight on this year’s contestants. Today, we focus on Norway.

photo: Thor HĂĄkon Ulstadt

Kyle Alessandro

Kyle Alessandro Helgesen Villalobos, known professionally as Kyle Alessandro, is a Norwegian singer-songwriter born in 2006. He first gained national attention at the age of 9, participating in “Norske Talenter,” Norway’s version of “Got Talent,” where he showcased his vocal abilities. Over the years, Kyle has continued to develop his musical career, culminating in his participation in Melodi Grand Prix 2025.

“Lighter” (What does AI say?)

His Eurovision entry, “Lighter,” is an emotive pop song co-written by Kyle Alessandro and Adam Woods. The track showcases Kyle’s vocal range and artistic maturity, delving into themes of hope and resilience. Upon its release, “Lighter” quickly resonated with audiences, leading to its selection as Norway’s representative entry for Eurovision 2025.

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Melodi Grand Prix 2025

Norway selected its Eurovision 2025 representative through the national competition Melodi Grand Prix 2025. The final took place on February 15, 2025, at the Oslo Spektrum in Oslo, hosted by Markus Neby, Marte Stokstad, and Tete Lidbom. Nine songs competed, with the winner determined by a combination of a public vote (60%) and votes from ten international juries (40%). Kyle Alessandro’s performance of “Lighter” captivated both the jury and the public, securing his victory with a total of 307 points. ​

  1. Kyle Alessandro, “Lighter
  2. Nataleen, “The Game
  3. Bobbysocks, “Joyful
  4. Wig Wam, “Human Fire
  5. Tone Damli, “Last Song
  6. Nora Jabri, “Sulale
  7. Sondrey, “Vagabond
  8. LLL, “Parasite
  9. Ladybug, “Hot as Hell in Paradise
Norway in the Eurovision Song Contest

Norway has a storied history in the Eurovision Song Contest, having participated since 1960. The country boasts three victories: in 1985 with Bobbysocks‘ “La det swinge,” in 1995 with Secret Garden‘s “Nocturne,” and in 2009 with Alexander Rybak‘s “Fairytale.” Despite holding the record for the most last-place finishes, Norway has also achieved numerous top-ten results, reflecting its resilience and commitment to the competition.

Alexander Rybak

A Random Norwegian Entry

Reflecting on Norway’s Eurovision history, random.org selected the entry of 1971, “Lykken er” by Hanne Krogh. Hanne was only 14 years old, but in 1985 she won Eurovision with Bobbysocks. In 1991 she was a member of Just4Fun. And yes, this year Bobbysocks took part in Melodi Grand Prix!

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Betting Odds

As of now, Kyle Alessandro’s “Lighter” has a steady 23rd place in the betting odds for winning the contest. To qualify in the 1st semifinal, Norway is in 6th place. So everything must be possible for Kyle Alessandro. Good luck Kyle!​

We eagerly await the Eurovision Song Contest in Basel and look forward to witnessing Kyle Alessandro’s performance on the grand stage.

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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 KĂ«ngĂ«s 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. 🇨🇭 CĂ©line Dion Eurovision Rumours Denied Eurovision fans were abuzz with speculation about CĂ©line 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, CĂ©line 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 đź“· 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 đź“· 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 đź“· 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 đź“· EBU/Sarah Louise Bennett

Read More »
Eurovision 2026
Martijn

Weekly Update

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 KĂ«ngĂ«s 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. 🇨🇭 CĂ©line Dion Eurovision Rumours Denied Eurovision fans were abuzz with speculation about CĂ©line 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, CĂ©line 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 đź“· 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 đź“· 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 đź“· 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 đź“· EBU/Sarah Louise Bennett

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