It’s time for another weekly Eurovision update! After we were unable to publish an update last week, we have extra information to cover this week. National finals are heating up across Europe, preparations for Eurovision 2026 are in full swing, and the debate over Israel’s participation continues. Here are the latest developments:
Nordic & Baltic National Finals
🇸🇪 Sweden: SVT has announced the six-city tour for Melodifestivalen 2026, which will span five heats and a final. The shows kick off in Linköping on January 31 and continue to Gothenburg, Kristianstad, Malmö, and Sundsvall, culminating with the Grand Final in Stockholm on March 7. Notably, Sundsvall returns as a host city for the first time since 2011. SVT also received a record 3,888 song submissions for Melodifestivalen 2026. source: SVT
🇪🇪 Estonia: Eesti Laul 2026 is now underway. ERR opened song submissions on September 19, with entries accepted until October 20. The Eesti Laul 2026 shows are expected early next year, continuing Estonia’s tradition of a multi-show national final. source: info.err.ee
Western Europe National Finals
🇩🇪 Germany: Germany will choose its Eurovision 2026 act via a public national final in late February. It will be broadcast on ARD’s Das Erste. Broadcaster SWR, taking over Eurovision duties from NDR, confirmed that no cooperation with Stefan Raab or RTL is planned for 2026. This means the earlier proposed Raab/RTL selection show will not go ahead. ARD will organize the selection alone. source: deutschlandfunk.de
🇱🇺 Luxembourg: The Grand Duchy’s return to Eurovision moves forward as the Luxembourg Song Contest 2026 submission window has closed. September 1 was the last day for artists to submit songs to represent Luxembourg in Vienna. National broadcaster RTL will now review all entries and invite selected candidates to audition before an international jury in October. That jury will pick finalists for Luxembourg’s televised national final. source: eurovoix.com
🇳🇱 The Netherlands: Dutch broadcaster AVROTROS has been secretive about its selection. After receiving around 300 song submissions, the field has been narrowed to 10 entries still in the race to represent the Netherlands. An internal selection committee is reviewing the final contenders, with an announcement of the chosen artist expected by the end of the year. source: songfestivalweblog
🇦🇹 Austria: ORF has confirmed “Wer singt für Österreich?” – Austria’s national final – will take place on February 20, 2026. The show returns to choose Austria’s act for Vienna as the country hosts Eurovision 2026. ORF has not yet announced the format or artists. However, expectations are high after Austria’s victory in 2025. source: escxtra
Southern Europe National Finals
🇵🇹 Portugal: RTP unveiled major changes for Festival da Canção 2026. For the first time, a special “Prova de Acesso” contest for music school talents is providing one spot in the FdC line-up via an online public vote. Additionally, last year’s FdC winners NAPA get to directly invite one competing artist for 2026. These new paths join the traditional open submissions and RTP wildcards to make up 16 entries in total. source: RTP
🇪🇸 Spain: RTVE has reported an overwhelming response for Benidorm Fest 2026, Spain’s Eurovision selection. Over 900 songs were submitted by the September 25 deadline. A panel will now shortlist semi-finalists for the Benidorm Fest shows slated for early 2026. This strong interest comes as Spain seeks to continue its recent Eurovision revival. Notably, Spain’s participation itself was under question due to the Israel controversy. However, the broadcaster has since confirmed Spain will have a Benidorm Fest. source: RTVE
South-Eastern Europe National Finals
🇬🇷 Greece: Greek broadcaster ERT is reviving a multi-show national final. Ethnikós Telikós 2026 will feature two semifinals (up to 28 songs total) and a grand final. Song submissions opened September 17 and run through November 2. In the final, the winner will be decided by 50% televote, 25% Greek jury, and 25% international jury. ERT hopes the expanded competition will build excitement and deliver another strong result. source: ERT
🇦🇱 Albania: In Tirana, RTSH has closed song submissions for Festivali i Këngës 64. The long-running festival will once again select Albania’s entry. September 30 was the final deadline for artists to send in songs for FiK 64, which takes place this December. The FiK selection committee will now review the entries and pick the lineup for the festival shows. Notably, FiK 64 will introduce a new real-time voting app for the public alongside the jury voting. Albania’s Eurovision 2026 journey is assured after a financial dispute with the EBU was resolved (more on that below), so the FiK winner will indeed head to Vienna. source: Eurovoix
🇭🇷 Croatia: HRT has officially opened submissions for Dora 2026, Croatia’s national selection for Eurovision. Songwriters and performers can submit entries from September 22 until November 23, 2025. HRT also published the rules and confirmed that Dora 2026 will be broadcast in February. source: HRT
Eurovision 2026 Preparations & Participation
A Eurovision Song Contest workshop was held in Dubrovnik, Croatia, as part of preparations for the upcoming 70th contest. Heads of Delegation from all participating broadcasters traveled to the host country for this meeting. The workshop reportedly covered organizational aspects of Eurovision 2026. That includes discussions about the voting system and potential rule changes for next year. With Eurovision celebrating a milestone edition in 2026, officials are considering tweaks to ensure the contest remains fair and engaging. source: Eurovoix
🇫🇷 France has officially confirmed its participation in Eurovision 2026. In a statement on social media, France Télévisions reaffirmed its support for the Eurovision event and the artists involved. France’s broadcaster emphasized the cultural importance of the contest and indicated it will be present in Vienna. Details of France’s selection process are still to be announced. Since 2023 France has internally selected its act, but it remains to be seen if that will continue.
🇦🇱 Albania will also be at Eurovision 2026 after a moment of uncertainty. RTSH’s Director General, Eni Vasili, successfully renegotiated the broadcaster’s debt with the EBU, averting a potential suspension. The EBU had been on the verge of cutting ties over unpaid dues, but the new agreement means Albania is clear to participate in Vienna. This resolution allowed Albania to proceed with its national selection (Festivali i Këngës) and confirms that all of 2023’s returning Balkan countries remain on board for 2026. source: balkanweb.com
Israel’s Eurovision 2026 Participation Debate
The European Broadcasting Union has scheduled an extraordinary vote in early November to decide whether Israel will be allowed to participate in Eurovision 2026. This unprecedented step comes as a number of member broadcasters voiced sharply divided views regarding Israel’s inclusion due to the ongoing war in Gaza. According to a letter from the EBU leadership, there was “no consensual position” among members. That means all 68 broadcasters will be given a democratic say on Israel’s status. KAN, Israel’s public broadcaster, responded by expressing hope that Eurovision remains a “cultural and apolitical” event, warning that removing Israel could have “wide-ranging implications”. KAN also noted that EBU rules would normally require a 75% supermajority for such an extraordinary exclusion, though the EBU has indicated a simple majority will decide the November vote. sources: Krone.at and Kan
National broadcasters took public positions
Meanwhile, several national broadcasters have taken public positions as the debate rages, all stressing a neutral tone regarding politics:
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🇩🇰 Denmark: DR stated it will not withdraw from Eurovision even if Israel competes, but it set conditions emphasizing that Eurovision must remain a secure, non-political event that brings nations together. DR’s culture editor Gustav Lützhøft reaffirmed the contest’s original purpose of uniting people across differences. source: DR
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🇲🇹 Malta: Culture Minister Owen Bonnici confirmed that Malta will not boycott Eurovision 2026 if Israel participates. He condemned the actions of the Israeli government but argued that Eurovision should be a “safe space for dialogue” rather than exclusion. Bonnici stressed that cultural events like ESC should remain platforms for conversation. source: Timesofmalta.com
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🇳🇴 Norway: Broadcaster NRK has not endorsed a boycott at this stage. Instead, NRK’s leadership pushed for the EBU to address Israel’s participation collectively. NRK questioned whether the Israeli broadcaster’s involvement could damage the contest’s reputation and called for a democratic process. Norway’s approach is to seek an EBU-wide solution rather than act unilaterally. source: aftenposten.no
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🇮🇹 Italy: Three members of the Rai supervisory board made a public appeal that Italy should not participate in Eurovision 2026 if Israel is present. They argued that announcing a withdrawal would show solidarity with people “undergoing extermination” in Gaza. This is not yet an official Rai policy. source: Ansa.it
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🇸🇪 Sweden: SVT broke its silence to confirm that Sweden will not take a political stance on Israel’s participation. SVT has indicated Sweden will remain in the contest regardless of the controversy, aligning with the EBU’s apolitical stance. The Swedish broadcaster emphasized its role is to produce Eurovision, not to make foreign policy statements. svt.se
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🇸🇮 Slovenia: RTVSLO has taken one of the firmest stances, officially declaring that Slovenia will withdraw from Eurovision 2026 if Israel is allowed to compete. The Slovenian broadcaster stated unequivocally that if Israel remains in the lineup, “Slovenia will not participate” in Vienna. Slovenia is effectively tying its participation to the outcome of the EBU’s November vote. If Israel stays, Slovenia goes out. source: evrovizija.com
Five countries might be out
As of now, at least five broadcasters (Slovenia, Spain, Ireland, the Netherlands, Iceland) have threatened to pull out of Eurovision 2026 if Israel competes, while others have rejected calls for a boycott. The situation remains very fluid. All eyes are on the EBU’s General Assembly vote in November, which will determine Israel’s fate in the contest – and in turn, clarify which countries will ultimately be in or out for Eurovision’s 70th edition in 2026.
