Weekly Update

It’s time for another weekly Eurovision update! This week sees multiple countries making their Eurovision comebacks for the 70th contest in 2026. Bulgaria, Romania, Moldova, and North Macedonia are stepping back onto the Eurovision stage after time away. Meanwhile, national selection season is kicking into high gear, with news ranging from song submission tallies to finalist announcements across Europe. Here are this week’s top stories:

Returning Countries in 2026
🇧🇬 Bulgaria Ends Three-Year Eurovision Hiatus

BNT (Bulgarian National Television) has confirmed that Bulgaria will return to the Eurovision Song Contest in 2026 after a three-year hiatus. The broadcaster last participated in 2022. Preparations are underway to choose a new entry. BNT has not yet decided whether it will hold a national final or an internal selection for its 2026 act. BNT’s Director General Emil Koshlukov hailed Eurovision as a platform where cultures meet. He is proud that Bulgaria will once more have the chance to send an artist to an audience of millions. Source: bnt.bg

🇷🇴 Romania Returns After Two-Year Absence

Romania will be back for Eurovision 2026. Broadcaster TVR’s Board of Directors voted on October 30 to approve Romania’s return. This marks the country’s comeback after its last appearance in 2023. In a bid to improve on past results, Romania is reviving its traditional national selection, Selecția Națională. This will be the first Selecția Națională since 2022. TVR’s President-General Director, Dan Cristian Turturică, noted that the two-year break allowed the broadcaster to reflect on what needed to change. He promised a “fresh start” with better support for artists. source: Eurovision.tv

🇲🇩 Moldova Back in Eurovision After 2025 Withdrawal

Moldova confirmed its return to Eurovision 2026 after a one‑year break. Teleradio‑Moldova (TRM) withdrew from the 2025 contest because of financial and organizational issues. After consulting artists and producers, TRM will launch a revamped national selection for 2026. The format follows European best practices and fits Moldova’s music scene. The national final will feature a 20‑member jury, five international and fifteen local, to strengthen transparency and broaden perspectives. Song submissions open on 7 November and run for 30 days as Moldova searches for its next representative for Vienna. Source: trm.md

🇲🇰 North Macedonia Poised for Eurovision Comeback

North Macedonia is moving closer to rejoining Eurovision in 2026 after not participating since 2022. Although MRT (Macedonian Radio Television) has yet to make a final official decision, recent developments are promising. According to minutes from MRT’s Program Council, the broadcaster reports improved finances, a clear selection plan, and reviewed production capacities. MRT’s Director General confirmed that the 2026 budget is largely in place and the broadcaster is regaining stability. With these positive signs, North Macedonia’s comeback now looks more likely than ever, though formal confirmation is still pending. source: MKRTV

National Finals and Selections
🇵🇹 Portugal: Festival da Canção 2026 Gets Format Tweaks

RTP has unveiled the format for Festival da Canção 2026. The selection features 16 songs across two semifinals and a grand final. RTP will invite eight songwriters, while six spots go to the open submissions that closed on October 31. Last year’s winner, NAPA, will pick one act, and a new “Prova de Acesso” for music schools will award the final slot to an emerging artist. The headline change: the Festival da Canção winner does not have to go to Eurovision. RTP makes representing Portugal optional; an unprecedented shift in its selection strategy. source: Eurovoix

🇺🇦 Ukraine: Vidbir 2026 Draws 451 Entries

Ukraine’s Eurovision hopes look strong: Suspilne received 451 songs for Vidbir 2026 from 392 artists. The scale of interest promises fierce competition to represent Ukraine in Vienna. Suspilne appointed Jamala (Eurovision 2016 winner) as music producer to oversee shortlisting. An expert jury and the production team will review submissions, create a longlist, and run live auditions under Jamala’s supervision. By December 15, Suspilne plans to reveal nine finalists, while an online wildcard vote will add a tenth. Suspilne has scheduled the Vidbir 2026 national final for February 2026. source: suspilne

🇪🇪 Estonia: Eesti Laul 2026 Finalists Announced

In Estonia, the lineup for Eesti Laul 2026 is now complete. ERR (Estonian Public Broadcasting) received 171 song submissions and has selected 12 finalists to compete for Estonia’s ticket to Eurovision. The national final is set for February 14, 2026, where all 12 acts will perform and a winner will be chosen. Notably, this year’s Eesti Laul roster includes some big names and returning stars. 2000s girl band Vanilla Ninja, famous for representing Switzerland in Eurovision 2005, have made the cut,. Another high-profile finalist is NOËP (Andres Kõpper), a popular electronic artist in Estonia, who will be bringing his distinctive sound to the contest. Facebook Eesti Laul

🇬🇷 Greece: 264 Songs Submitted for National Final

Greece’s upcoming Eurovision selection has attracted significant interest. ERT, the Greek national broadcaster, confirmed that 264 songs were submitted for its national final, titled Ethnikós Telikós 2026. According to ERT, a total of 28 songs will be chosen from the submissions to compete in the televised shows. The Greek selection format will include two semifinals, each featuring 14 songs, from which the finalists will be decided solely by public vote. In the final, however, the winner will be determined by a 50/50 voting split between the public and juries. The 28 semifinalists are expected to be unveiled by January, and excitement is building to see who will vie to represent Greece in Vienna. source: ERT

🇩🇰 Denmark: Dansk Melodi Grand Prix 2026 Gets a Modern Makeover

Denmark’s road to Eurovision is gearing up with Dansk Melodi Grand Prix (DMGP) 2026 taking on a refreshed approach. Danish broadcaster DR is promising a “modern, renewed and innovative” DMGP show for 2026, complete with a new stage design, logo, and visual identity. In terms of the competition itself, DR has confirmed that eight songs will compete in DMGP 2026. The selection committee has already picked several of these entries, and interestingly, the lineup is said to include a few familiar names. Former DMGP participants and other established Danish artists are among those in the running. This suggests Denmark is aiming for a high-quality field with both experience and fan appeal. The DMGP 2026 final will be held on February 14 in Copenhagen, hosted by Sara Bro and actor Alex Høgh Andersen. source: DR

🇲🇹 Malta: MESC 2026 Final Set for January 17

Malta has confirmed the details of its national selection. The Malta Eurovision Song Contest 2026 (MESC 2026) will take place over two nights, with a semifinal on January 15 and the Grand Final on January 17, 2026. Maltese broadcaster PBS announced that the song submission window for MESC will be open for one week, from November 17 to November 23. During this period, Maltese artists and songwriters can send in their entries under the published rules. After submissions close, PBS will reveal the 18 songs selected for the semifinal on December 1. From that semifinal, a combined jury and public vote will pick the 12 finalists who will advance to the final on January 17. source: TVM

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Eurovision 2026

Vienna 12 points: from a huge table to 7,000 crystals

  Day four of first rehearsals at the 70th Eurovision Song Contest is underway in Vienna. The final eight countries of Semi-Final 2 step onto the Wiener Stadthalle stage for the very first time today, Tuesday 5 May. First rehearsals remain closed to press; three approved images per country will be published approximately 24 hours after each performance. The official Eurovision subreddit is providing live descriptions throughout the day. Eurovision Universe sought additional detail through national broadcaster coverage, social media, and press reports. All five countries below compete in Semi-Final 2 on Thursday, May 14. 🇨🇾 Cyprus — Antigoni, “Jalla” Running order: 8 | Rehearsal: 5 May, 09:00–09:30 CEST | Second rehearsal: 9 May Antigoni has been promising she would dance on the table. This morning at the Wiener Stadthalle she delivered  in a way nobody quite anticipated. The centrepiece of the staging is a table of extraordinary scale: large enough for all four dancers to join Antigoni on top of it, large enough to function as a full catwalk, and large enough that the chairs do not go beside it but on it. This choreography is tight and deliberate. The dancers even work with plates. And the whole setup directly brings to life the song’s most iconic lyric. It is a reference with Eurovision history behind it: Ivi Adamou danced on a table for Cyprus at Baku 2012, but the 2026 version operates on an entirely different scale. The table itself has a table runner made from an LED strip, which comes into its own during the “you want more?” section of the song. From there, Antigoni steps off the table and onto the catwalk with a purposeful strut, before the staging closes out with fire and pyrotechnics more commonly associated with rock entries than Mediterranean pop. The backdrop features giant ancient pillars lit in blue. Antigoni wears a short white beaded dress. Staging is by Sacha Jean-Baptiste, whose Eurovision credits include “Fuego” (Cyprus 2018) and the 2023 winner “Tattoo” for Sweden. Antigoni Buxton, 29, is a British-Cypriot singer-songwriter from North London who gained wider recognition after Love Island UK in 2022. CyBC selected her internally in November 2025. “Jalla”, meaning “more” in the Cypriot dialect, was co-written with Charalambous Kallona, Connor Mullally-Knight, Demetris Nikolaou, Claydee, Paris Kalpos, and Trey Qua. Cyprus competes 8th in Semi-Final 2. Sources: r/eurovision live thread / CyBC / Eurovoix / Instagram @antigoni 🇱🇻 Latvia — Atvara, “Ēnā” Running order: 9 | Rehearsal: 5 May, 09:40–10:10 CEST | Second rehearsal: 8 May Latvia’s first Vienna rehearsal delivers a scaled-up version of the performance that won Supernova 2026 in February. If the subreddit’s reporters are to be believed, it translates powerfully to the larger Wiener Stadthalle stage. Atvara completed three full run-throughs of “Ēnā.” The core concept remains unchanged: an intimate, atmospheric performance built around the song’s cinematic ballad structure and Atvara’s vocal. What has changed is the detail. Atvara is wearing a newly designed gown decorated with sparkling stones. They now extend further down the side and along her left arm. Speaking to Latvian broadcaster LSM ahead of Vienna, Atvara confirmed that the team had worked to adapt the Supernova concept to the Eurovision scale. They refined technical elements while leaving the core performance intact. Her stylist Inna Bertāne described the new dress in Latvian press as a deliberate step up. Atvara rose to prominence on TikTok via her debut single “Pie Manis Tveries” and later sold out 22 solo shows in Latvia in 2025. She won Supernova on 14 February, taking both the jury and public votes. Latvia competes 9th in Semi-Final 1. Sources: LSM / Supernova / Latvian Radio / Instagram @atvara.liene 🇩🇰 Denmark — Søren Torpegaard Lund, “Før vi går hjem” Running order: 10 | Rehearsal: 5 May, 10:20–10:50 CEST | Second rehearsal: 9 May The Melodi Grand Prix staging has arrived in Vienna completely intact, and apparently quite literally so. The box that defined Søren’s breakthrough performance in Frederikshavn was not dismantled and rebuilt for the Wiener Stadthalle; it was shipped as-is. When something works that well, you don’t take risks with it. That said, what is inside the box has been elevated for Eurovision. Søren opens in black leather trousers and an aquamarine silk chiffon shirt, before ripping it off mid-performance. The singer than reveals a sparkly black mesh top underneath. The outfit reveal lands as a proper moment. Inside the box, red tube lights illuminate and intensify as the performance builds, so that by the second chorus the whole structure is radiating heat, matching the choreography. This has been noticeably scaled up from the national final, particularly the thrusting during the first verse. When Søren finally steps out of the box towards the end of the song, a storm takes over the stage floor and the backdrop behind him. The respite is brief: the graphics transform into blazing fire for the final twenty seconds.  Søren Torpegaard Lund, 27, is a trained musical theatre actor who graduated from the Danish Stage Arts School and played Tony in West Side Story at the Copenhagen Opera House in 2021–22. He co-wrote “Før vi går hjem” with Clara Sofie Fabricius, Thomas Meilstrup, and Valdemar Littauer Bendixen, winning Melodi Grand Prix on 14 February with both the jury and public votes. Denmark competes 10th in Semi-Final 2. Sources: r/eurovision live thread / DR / ESC Insight / Instagram @sorentorpegaardlund 🇦🇺 Australia — Delta Goodrem, “Eclipse” Running order: 11 | Rehearsal: 5 May, 11:00–11:30 CEST | Second rehearsal: 9 May The biggest name in this year’s contest steps onto the Wiener Stadthalle stage and, by all accounts, does not disappoint. Delta Goodrem’s first Vienna rehearsal for “Eclipse” is a significant production. The staging is developed by Black Skull Creative, the team behind the entire Liverpool 2023 contest, alongside creative director Paul Clarke. It is described as one of the most technically ambitious performances in Vienna this year. The concept tracks a journey from a moon world into a sun world, culminating in a

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May 5, 2026 No Comments
Eurovision 2026
Martijn

Vienna 12 points: from a huge table to 7,000 crystals

  Day four of first rehearsals at the 70th Eurovision Song Contest is underway in Vienna. The final eight countries of Semi-Final 2 step onto the Wiener Stadthalle stage for the very first time today, Tuesday 5 May. First rehearsals remain closed to press; three approved images per country will be published approximately 24 hours after each performance. The official Eurovision subreddit is providing live descriptions throughout the day. Eurovision Universe sought additional detail through national broadcaster coverage, social media, and press reports. All five countries below compete in Semi-Final 2 on Thursday, May 14. 🇨🇾 Cyprus — Antigoni, “Jalla” Running order: 8 | Rehearsal: 5 May, 09:00–09:30 CEST | Second rehearsal: 9 May Antigoni has been promising she would dance on the table. This morning at the Wiener Stadthalle she delivered  in a way nobody quite anticipated. The centrepiece of the staging is a table of extraordinary scale: large enough for all four dancers to join Antigoni on top of it, large enough to function as a full catwalk, and large enough that the chairs do not go beside it but on it. This choreography is tight and deliberate. The dancers even work with plates. And the whole setup directly brings to life the song’s most iconic lyric. It is a reference with Eurovision history behind it: Ivi Adamou danced on a table for Cyprus at Baku 2012, but the 2026 version operates on an entirely different scale. The table itself has a table runner made from an LED strip, which comes into its own during the “you want more?” section of the song. From there, Antigoni steps off the table and onto the catwalk with a purposeful strut, before the staging closes out with fire and pyrotechnics more commonly associated with rock entries than Mediterranean pop. The backdrop features giant ancient pillars lit in blue. Antigoni wears a short white beaded dress. Staging is by Sacha Jean-Baptiste, whose Eurovision credits include “Fuego” (Cyprus 2018) and the 2023 winner “Tattoo” for Sweden. Antigoni Buxton, 29, is a British-Cypriot singer-songwriter from North London who gained wider recognition after Love Island UK in 2022. CyBC selected her internally in November 2025. “Jalla”, meaning “more” in the Cypriot dialect, was co-written with Charalambous Kallona, Connor Mullally-Knight, Demetris Nikolaou, Claydee, Paris Kalpos, and Trey Qua. Cyprus competes 8th in Semi-Final 2. Sources: r/eurovision live thread / CyBC / Eurovoix / Instagram @antigoni 🇱🇻 Latvia — Atvara, “Ēnā” Running order: 9 | Rehearsal: 5 May, 09:40–10:10 CEST | Second rehearsal: 8 May Latvia’s first Vienna rehearsal delivers a scaled-up version of the performance that won Supernova 2026 in February. If the subreddit’s reporters are to be believed, it translates powerfully to the larger Wiener Stadthalle stage. Atvara completed three full run-throughs of “Ēnā.” The core concept remains unchanged: an intimate, atmospheric performance built around the song’s cinematic ballad structure and Atvara’s vocal. What has changed is the detail. Atvara is wearing a newly designed gown decorated with sparkling stones. They now extend further down the side and along her left arm. Speaking to Latvian broadcaster LSM ahead of Vienna, Atvara confirmed that the team had worked to adapt the Supernova concept to the Eurovision scale. They refined technical elements while leaving the core performance intact. Her stylist Inna Bertāne described the new dress in Latvian press as a deliberate step up. Atvara rose to prominence on TikTok via her debut single “Pie Manis Tveries” and later sold out 22 solo shows in Latvia in 2025. She won Supernova on 14 February, taking both the jury and public votes. Latvia competes 9th in Semi-Final 1. Sources: LSM / Supernova / Latvian Radio / Instagram @atvara.liene 🇩🇰 Denmark — Søren Torpegaard Lund, “Før vi går hjem” Running order: 10 | Rehearsal: 5 May, 10:20–10:50 CEST | Second rehearsal: 9 May The Melodi Grand Prix staging has arrived in Vienna completely intact, and apparently quite literally so. The box that defined Søren’s breakthrough performance in Frederikshavn was not dismantled and rebuilt for the Wiener Stadthalle; it was shipped as-is. When something works that well, you don’t take risks with it. That said, what is inside the box has been elevated for Eurovision. Søren opens in black leather trousers and an aquamarine silk chiffon shirt, before ripping it off mid-performance. The singer than reveals a sparkly black mesh top underneath. The outfit reveal lands as a proper moment. Inside the box, red tube lights illuminate and intensify as the performance builds, so that by the second chorus the whole structure is radiating heat, matching the choreography. This has been noticeably scaled up from the national final, particularly the thrusting during the first verse. When Søren finally steps out of the box towards the end of the song, a storm takes over the stage floor and the backdrop behind him. The respite is brief: the graphics transform into blazing fire for the final twenty seconds.  Søren Torpegaard Lund, 27, is a trained musical theatre actor who graduated from the Danish Stage Arts School and played Tony in West Side Story at the Copenhagen Opera House in 2021–22. He co-wrote “Før vi går hjem” with Clara Sofie Fabricius, Thomas Meilstrup, and Valdemar Littauer Bendixen, winning Melodi Grand Prix on 14 February with both the jury and public votes. Denmark competes 10th in Semi-Final 2. Sources: r/eurovision live thread / DR / ESC Insight / Instagram @sorentorpegaardlund 🇦🇺 Australia — Delta Goodrem, “Eclipse” Running order: 11 | Rehearsal: 5 May, 11:00–11:30 CEST | Second rehearsal: 9 May The biggest name in this year’s contest steps onto the Wiener Stadthalle stage and, by all accounts, does not disappoint. Delta Goodrem’s first Vienna rehearsal for “Eclipse” is a significant production. The staging is developed by Black Skull Creative, the team behind the entire Liverpool 2023 contest, alongside creative director Paul Clarke. It is described as one of the most technically ambitious performances in Vienna this year. The concept tracks a journey from a moon world into a sun world, culminating in a

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May 5, 2026 No Comments
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