Weekly Update

It’s Tuesday, January 20, 2026, and time for another weekly update! This week, four countries confirmed their Eurovision acts for Vienna (including a former Junior Eurovision champion’s comeback), national finals season gained momentum across Europe, and the EBU announced a special live concert tour to celebrate Eurovision’s 70th anniversary. Here are this week’s top stories:

New Entries

🇬🇪 Georgia has confirmed Bzikebi as its representative for Eurovision 2026. The trio won the Junior Eurovision Song Contest in 2008. Almost eighteen years later, they return to the Eurovision stage as adult performers. Georgia selected Bzikebi internally.

🇲🇩 Moldova also selected its entry. Satoshi won Selecția Națională 2026 with the song Viva Moldova. He wrote and composed the entry himself. With this result, Moldova returns to Eurovision after a one-year absence.

🇲🇹 Malta chose its act through the Malta Eurovision Song Contest 2026. Aidan won the final with Bella. He wrote and composed the song on his own. Aidan previously finished close to victory in earlier Maltese selections. In Vienna, he will compete in the second semifinal.

🇨🇭 Switzerland opted for an internal selection. Veronica Fusaro will represent the country at Eurovision 2026. She is an established artist in Switzerland. Her Eurovision song will be released at a later date.

Information about the artists (biography) and about the lyrics (description) can be found on our website. New is the information about the national finals. Currently, we only link to the national finals that took place or are ongoing. We are working on information on more national finals. In the scheme below, you’ll find the links:

Country Artist (biography) Lyrics (description) National final
Albania Alis Nân Festivali i Këngës
Cyprus Antigoni TBA
Georgia Bzikebi TBA
Malta Aidan Bella MESC
Moldova Satoshi Viva Moldova  
Montenegro Tamara Živković Nova Zora Montesong
Switzerland Veronika Fusaro TBA
National Finals

🇵🇱 Poland revealed the eight finalists for its Eurovision 2026 selection. The national final will take place in February. The winner will be decided by public voting only. source: TVP

🇷🇴 Romania officially launched its Eurovision 2026 selection. TVR opened the submission period earlier this month. The process includes several stages. A national final is planned for March, with a jury choosing the winning act. source: Eurovision Romania

🇫🇮 Finland announced the seven artists competing in Uuden Musiikin Kilpailu 2026. Yle is releasing the songs gradually throughout January. The UMK final takes place on 28 February in Tampere. Public voting and international juries will determine the result. source: YLE

🇭🇷 Croatia shared new details about Dora 2026. The competition includes two semifinals and a grand final in February. HRT also published the running order for the semifinal shows. source: HR

🇩🇪 Germany confirmed the artists for Das Deutsche Finale 2026. Nine acts will compete on 28 February. A jury will select three superfinalists. After that, the public will choose the winner. source: Eurovision.de

🇳🇴 Norway announced the first finalists for Melodi Grand Prix 2026. Eight artists already secured a place in the final. One additional act will qualify through a radio wildcard round. The final takes place on 28 February. One of the contestants is Alexander Rybak. source: NRK

Other News

The EBU announced the Eurovision Live Tour 2026. The tour celebrates the 70th edition of the Eurovision Song Contest. It will visit several European cities during June and July.

The concerts will feature former Eurovision artists and participants from the 2026 contest. Fans can expect classic Eurovision songs as well as new entries from Vienna. Ticket sales will start soon. source: eurovision.com

Agenda
January 20 Israel Final 20:30 CET Mako (not sure)
January 24 Lithuania Semifinal 20:00 CET LRT and YouTube
January 24 Luxembourg Final 20:00 CET RTL
January 24 Bulgaria Semifinal 20:00 CET BNT

Related news

Eurovision 2026

Road to Vienna: Norway

As the Eurovision Song Contest 2026 in Vienna approaches, we continue our daily spotlight on this year’s contestants. Road to Vienna: Norway   Jonas Lovv: From the Voice to Eurovision Early Life and Local Music Scene Jonas Lovv is a Norwegian singer and songwriter from Bergen. Before gaining national attention, he spent years building his craft on the local music scene, performing in clubs and bands across the city. An early attempt on Idol in 2014 did not lead to a breakthrough, but it strengthened his focus on live performance and artistic development. Shuffle Baby and Musical Growth Lovv later became the frontman of synth-pop trio Shuffle Baby, known for blending 1980s-inspired electro-pop with modern production. The group released the EP Posers in 2019 and the single “Over It” in 2020. Although the band gained traction, the project eventually slowed down, leading Lovv toward a full solo career. Solo Career and Expanding Sound From 2020 onward, Jonas Lovv steadily released solo music in both Norwegian and English. His work ranges from pop and rock to more emotional, stripped-back tracks. With multiple singles and the EP Fotografisk minne (2023), he built a diverse catalogue that showcased his evolving sound and songwriting identity. The Voice Norway Breakthrough His national breakthrough came in 2025 on The Voice Norway, where his powerful audition of “Play That Funky Music” turned all chairs. Mentored by Espen Lind, he impressed audiences with versatile performances and quickly became a standout contestant. After the show, he expanded his live presence with major festival appearances and orchestral collaborations. Ya Ya Ya: A High-Energy Song About Intense Attraction Ya Ya Ya is an energetic track that explores desire, temptation, and emotional intensity. At its core, the song captures the feeling of being pulled into a powerful attraction that is both thrilling and overwhelming. Desire and Emotional Loss of Control The lyrics describe a relationship where passion takes over completely. The narrator becomes consumed by someone irresistible, unable to maintain control. This emotional and physical intensity reflects a connection that feels exciting but also slightly destructive. Pleasure, Pain, and Emotional Conflict A key theme in the song is contradiction. The attraction brings both excitement and frustration, highlighting the unstable nature of the relationship. While the connection feels euphoric, there is also an awareness of emotional risk and instability. Hypnotic Repetition and Emotional Impact The repeated “ya-ya-ya-ya” chorus acts like a hypnotic loop, symbolizing obsessive desire. This repetition enhances the song’s energy and reflects how emotions can feel inescapable when attraction becomes overwhelming.                                                                                                                                                      Ultimately, “Ya Ya Ya” is about surrendering to intense attraction despite the risks. It explores the balance between control and emotional abandon, capturing the excitement, vulnerability, and chaos of passionate relationships.   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. The Bookmakers Norway may be ranked 18th with the bookmakers and 9th in the semi-final, but a place in the final is anything but certain.        

Read More »
Eurovision 2026
Anja Kroeze

Road to Vienna: Norway

As the Eurovision Song Contest 2026 in Vienna approaches, we continue our daily spotlight on this year’s contestants. Road to Vienna: Norway   Jonas Lovv: From the Voice to Eurovision Early Life and Local Music Scene Jonas Lovv is a Norwegian singer and songwriter from Bergen. Before gaining national attention, he spent years building his craft on the local music scene, performing in clubs and bands across the city. An early attempt on Idol in 2014 did not lead to a breakthrough, but it strengthened his focus on live performance and artistic development. Shuffle Baby and Musical Growth Lovv later became the frontman of synth-pop trio Shuffle Baby, known for blending 1980s-inspired electro-pop with modern production. The group released the EP Posers in 2019 and the single “Over It” in 2020. Although the band gained traction, the project eventually slowed down, leading Lovv toward a full solo career. Solo Career and Expanding Sound From 2020 onward, Jonas Lovv steadily released solo music in both Norwegian and English. His work ranges from pop and rock to more emotional, stripped-back tracks. With multiple singles and the EP Fotografisk minne (2023), he built a diverse catalogue that showcased his evolving sound and songwriting identity. The Voice Norway Breakthrough His national breakthrough came in 2025 on The Voice Norway, where his powerful audition of “Play That Funky Music” turned all chairs. Mentored by Espen Lind, he impressed audiences with versatile performances and quickly became a standout contestant. After the show, he expanded his live presence with major festival appearances and orchestral collaborations. Ya Ya Ya: A High-Energy Song About Intense Attraction Ya Ya Ya is an energetic track that explores desire, temptation, and emotional intensity. At its core, the song captures the feeling of being pulled into a powerful attraction that is both thrilling and overwhelming. Desire and Emotional Loss of Control The lyrics describe a relationship where passion takes over completely. The narrator becomes consumed by someone irresistible, unable to maintain control. This emotional and physical intensity reflects a connection that feels exciting but also slightly destructive. Pleasure, Pain, and Emotional Conflict A key theme in the song is contradiction. The attraction brings both excitement and frustration, highlighting the unstable nature of the relationship. While the connection feels euphoric, there is also an awareness of emotional risk and instability. Hypnotic Repetition and Emotional Impact The repeated “ya-ya-ya-ya” chorus acts like a hypnotic loop, symbolizing obsessive desire. This repetition enhances the song’s energy and reflects how emotions can feel inescapable when attraction becomes overwhelming.                                                                                                                                                      Ultimately, “Ya Ya Ya” is about surrendering to intense attraction despite the risks. It explores the balance between control and emotional abandon, capturing the excitement, vulnerability, and chaos of passionate relationships.   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. The Bookmakers Norway may be ranked 18th with the bookmakers and 9th in the semi-final, but a place in the final is anything but certain.        

Read More »
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