GERMANY 2026

The German act and song was chosen on 28th February through the national final "Das Deutsche Final". In the first round, an international jury created a superfinal of three, then voting lines opened for the public to solely decide the winner. Going to Vienna is Sarah Engels with the song "Fire".

The staging is fairly rudimental with no props or extra staging. Sarah is in a red bejewelled leotard with knee high boots while her dancers are in similar black outfits. The staging is primarily black which allows the different 'fire' representations and motifs to stand out behind them. In addition, some of the words in the bridge appear on the backdrop. Although there is a fair amount of conventional commercial choreography throughout, there is one particularly short (and not too taxing) dance break before a final belt out of the chorus. The lyrics, which are in English, depict someone - who has been ignored and not heard for too long - take control as they realise they are stronger than they first believed. This entry comes straight out of the Slomo, Fuego, Solo, My Number One et al. playbook in terms of song style, outfits and dancing.

On a positive note, Sarah handles herself well on stage. The choreo is tight but at the right level for her dance and vocal ability. She sings confidently and with control and has the right tone and personality. Unfortunately the whole entry is old hat, providing no innovation or freshness to the competition. It will feel familiar with its well-trodden tropes but this does not guarantee any votes or post-Eurovision success. If Javine's "Touch My Fire" was a knock-off 21 years ago, then this is downright lazy.

ARTIST -  Sarah Engels

SONG – Fire

WRITING/PRODUCTION CREDITS – Valentin Boes, Sarah Engels, Luisa Heinemann, Raphael Lott, Dario Schürmann 

FINLAND 2026

The Finnish act and song was chosen on 28th February through the national final "Uuden Musiikin Kilpailu". A winner was declared after jury and televoting points were added together with a weighting of 25% and 75% respectively. Going to Vienna is the duet of violinist Linda Lampenius and singer Pete Parkkonen with the song "Liekinheitin" (Flamethrower) 

The focus starts on Pete who is dimly lit and dressed in black. He is sat near a window-cum-confession booth through which Linda can be seen. As the first violin solo comes in, the lighting becomes brighter with reds and oranges. Linda is dressed in a flowing silver dress, knee high boots and is heavy on the wind machine. Pete's sections are filmed with the prop but as Linda move closer, the window is set on fire and finishes in a final tableau with Linda standing over Pete with chairs also on fire. Like many recent entries, this is wholly in Finnish and recounts a dangerous love, switching between hot and cold. Most of the movement is done by the camera work which cuts between the duo and the last 50 seconds is done in one shot. The song has a Nordic, Melodifestivalen feel to the concept and delivery, with a fierce ending a la JJ or Erik Vikman.

The audience takes little time to start clapping and when Linda does her solo the crowd whoops into even more appreciation. The staging is eye-catching but it would be nice to see more of Pete out of the dim lighting. Non-Finnish speakers can feel the tension and drama on stage but there is a sense that the minutiae in the lyrics is going over your head. The backing track is powerful but the sung tune is less memorable.  This is a well put together and professional entry which will go down well with all.

ARTIST -  Linda Lampenius & Pete Parkkonen

SONG – Liekinheitin

WRITING/PRODUCTION CREDITS – Lauri Halavaara, Vilma Alina Lähteenmäki, Linda Lampenius, Pete Parkkonen, Antti Riihimäki

NORWAY 2026

The Norwegian act and song was chosen on 28th February through the national final "Melodi Grand Prix". A winner was declared after adding a jury and teletoving score, with a weighting of 40% and 60% respectively. Winning both parts of the vote and off to Vienna is Jonas Lovv with the song "Ya Ya Ya"

Jonas is with two guitarists and a drummer all dressed in red. Jonas is wears what looks like a tight pair of waders, leaving his top and arms exposed. He struts around the stage with confidence and sings just as well. There is a red carpet across the stage and this horizonal plane helps with the wide and sweeping camera angles. There is also an interesting shot where the camera is directly below the singer and gives an aggressively intimate visual. At the end, Jonas employs the satellite stage nearer the audience. The track has a very prominent driving guitar hook line and drumbeat which keeps the song moving on. Jonas has a soulful rocky voice with a slight gravelly tone when holding onto the long or higher notes. The song has a whiff of Benson Boone but also a Nordic rock feel, almost Hives inspired, and Jonas' outfit comes straight from the Måneskin style book.

Considering the glam/funk rock nature of the song, the audience claps politely at the end and doesn't seem enthusiastic during it. The visual is strong, the song has a great feel but it doesn't really go anywhere. I would love the ending to feel more spectacular - sonically and visually - not just a "20 seconds to go key" change and a lame pose. Maybe some double speed drums, chant of the chorus creating a crescendo or an intensification of guitars or singing to a scream. It's good but it's not quite right.

ARTIST - Jonas Lovv

SONG – Ya Ya Ya

WRITING/PRODUCTION CREDITS – Jonas Lovv Hellesøy, Sondre Skaftun

BULGARIA 2026

The Bulgarian song was selected on 28th February through the their selection process “Natsionalnata Selektsiya”. On January 31st, a jury and televote decided on an artist then four weeks later the three songs up for selection were performed. The song choice selection was made through a combination of jury and televoting. Going to Vienna will be Dora with the song "Bangaranga".

Dora appears with male and female dancers. They are dressed in black while she is in a white dress with fluffy arm details. The colour palette uses orangy tones and the name of the song flashes on the backdrop. The track has a bombastic feel with a mix of urban and Balkan. The chorus, or parts of the chorus, are repeated quite a lot. However, the music also has an unusual hypnotising change of tempo during the instrumentals, slowing down and speeding up again, keeping you on your toes. During these non-singing parts there are ensemble dance routines which Dora confidently gets involved with. Her voice  and pronunciation is quite clear. The song puts me in mind of many Balkan performances such as "Sekret" and "Zari" with obvious similarities to the songs with choreographed sequences such as "SloMo" and "Fuego"

Dora looks and feels very professional on the stage. This said, the show was not as dynamic as it could have been but I put this down to rushed rehearsals due to the short turn around between shows. With better preparation, braver choreography, more interesting outfits & lighting, an enthusiastic audience to bounce off and possibly even a revamp on the track to give it a stronger identity and more power, this could really stand out during Eurovision and easily have a successful life outside of the contest.

ARTIST - DORA

SONG – Bangaranga

WRITING/PRODUCTION CREDITS – Dimitris Kontopoulos, Cristian Tarcea, Anne Judith Wik, Darina Nikolaeva Yotova

LITHUANIA 2026

The Lithuanian act and song was chosen on 27th February through the national final "Eurovizija.LT ". A winner was announced after an equal weighting of jury and public voting points were combined. This combination resulted in a tie and the rules stated that the televote winner took precedence. Going to Vienna is Lion Ceccah with the song "Sólo quiero más" (I just want more)

Lion is wearing an oversized black suit with an emphasis on wide, square shoulders. His head and arms are covered in silver paint. Although the title is in Spanish the song (and is repeated throughout), is in fact predominantly in Lithuanian and English as well as a smattering of lines in French and German. Lion is on  the ethereal stage alone and at the start of the song he is inside a fake suit which mysteriously collapses later in the song. The lighting employs light and shadows - not always in the places you expect - and flashing, strobing lights. His voice is dramatic, with some operatic undertones in the chorus. His movements are slow - sometimes robotic, sometimes flowing. The oeuvre of the concept seems influenced by last year's winner, however as a lot of little parts have changed it feels fresh and intriguing rather than a copy.

The audience look and sound engaged with this production and Lion himself. He comes across as self assured, confident and fills the stage even though he's the only one on it. The show has an accessible avantgarde sheen which will make it stand out. It is a shame they are using Spanish in a year Spain is not participating. I think the team should err on the side of caution an refine what they have rather than making any rash changes although more power in the backing track could be an interesting addition.

ARTIST - Lion Ceccah

SONG – Sólo quiero más

WRITING/PRODUCTION CREDITS – Tomas Alenčikas, Aurimas Galvelis

AUSTRIA 2026

The Austrian act and song was chosen on 20th February through the national final "Vienna Calling". A winner was declared after adding equally weighted jury and public scores. Representing Austria on home turf is Cosmó with "Tanzschein" (Dancing Licence)

Cosmó is wearing a Gina G-esque sequin top, dark trousers and a blue star around his eye. With him is a guitarist dressed in a suit and 3 dancers wearing elaborate animal helmets. There is a lot of movement between the five of them culminating in catchy armography during the chorus. The lyrics use animals as metaphors to describe the type of people at a club and the narrator's wish that you go to a club to dance. The staging is initially plain but the use of flashing panels in the chorus creates a highlight when coupled with the choreography. Later, the animal motifs appear and pink smoke ejects from the stage. The song is sung, sometimes rap/spoken, and Cosmó utilises a range of vocal tones, especially in the lower register, which is rather unexpected. I am unsure if we have seen or heard anything quite like this at Eurovision before however the rap and its tone is reminiscent of Falco.

The audience's' reaction is toned down in the production but in the reprise they are seen joining in with the dance routine. This is has bags of potential; the staging has an interesting identity but needs to be made bigger, more cohesive, slicker. Maybe extra 'dancers' on the backdrop (like Who the hell is Edgar?) could make a bigger impression. The outfits also need refining but if Cosmó can nail the vocal this really will be a fun and oddball host entry. 

ARTIST - Cosmó

SONG – Tanzschein

WRITING/PRODUCTION CREDITS – Benjamin Gedeon, Elias Stejskal, Ella Stern

BELGIUM 2026

The song and act representing Belgium was announced on 19th February with a simultaneous reveal of the track on youtube, the Belgian TV channel La Une and radio station Vivacité. Going to Vienna is Essyla performing "Dancing on the ice".

The video is in colour but the lighting and outfits are in black and white with fast cuts and changes of lighting. At the end, the white on the backdrop turns to red. The song uses the title as a metaphor for exploring the jeopardy of connections which can be exciting, confidence building or coercive. Essyla is joined by a group of male and female dancers who do the bulk of the choreography in the video. Essyla spends a lot of time walking and standing, as a solo tight shot or surrounded by her dancers. The song is in English and has a good strong synth-led beat. The lyrics are simplistic, uses a lot of harmony in the pre-chorus and very earwormy repetitive chorus but the main pull of the song is its synthy brassy bassline. This is carries on from many past Belgian entries with a strong synth sound but also seems to borrow commercial ideas from Lorde and Billie Eilish.

 

This is hard to judge because of the stylistic choices and lack of audience reaction. The presentation of Essyla makes it look like she is less comfortable with dancing and movement. Her facial mien is slightly one-note; better gestures and poses could give her a more curious or playful tone, however she may just come to life with a live audience. Although the song has some good earworms, and a catchy title, it will need more than this and effective strobing effects, to make it qualification worthy/certain.

ARTIST - Essyla

SONG – Dancing on the ice

WRITING/PRODUCTION CREDITS – Nicolas d'Avell, Alice Van Eesbeeck, Barbara Petitjean, Emil Stengele

CROATIA 2026

The Croatian act and song was chosen on 15th February through the national final "DORA". A winner was announced after Croat and international juries had 25% each and public voting the other 50%. Going to Vienna is Lelek with the song "Andromeda"

Lelek is a five-piece female group and they are dressed in draped grey skirts, dark tops and ethnic face markings called šicanje. The song's inspiration is the historical struggle of the people of the Balkans against the Ottoman Empire but could be used to describe the fall-out of any conflict at any time. The attitude is serious and the ladies walk with a purposeful poise. They provide harmony in their movement and vocal, as they show a united front,  providing support through anger and grief. Either side of the stage are bare trees, with red ribbon in their branches and candles at their roots. The backdrop shows what looks like a temple lit with candles and later the bricks are thrown through the air like it has been destroyed. In between, the tattoo emblems are repeated. The staging and song genre puts one in mind of Tulia from Poland and Tautumeitas from Lithuania.

There are cheers from the audience after the first chorus, showing that the local crowd understand the storytelling and appreciate the art. The use of the tattoos and repeated imagery on the backdrop is mystic, evoking of magick and rather confronting. The staging is more memorable than the song, especially if you are not clear of the subject matter, and could come across as shouty and fervent. Overall, one may wait for more light and shade throughout the track, but it never really comes.

ARTIST - Lelek

SONG – Andromeda

WRITING/PRODUCTION CREDITS – Filip Lacković, Lazar Pajić, Zorica Pajić

GREECE 2026

The Greek act and song was chosen on 15th February through the national final "Sing for Greece!". A winner was announced after national and international juries offered 1/4 of the points each and the remaining half from public voting. Winning all three parts of the vote and going to Vienna is Akylas with "Ferto" (Bring it)

Akylas is on stage with 4 dancers dressed in back while he is dressed in matching black and orange jacket, shorts and hat with bright orange furry boots. The song is a satirical dig at the materialistic nature of people who want it all. The song is in Greek apart from a couple of lines in Spanish. The lyrics come quick and fast during the main part of the track although there is a fun traditional-style instrumental halfway through and a false ballad ending which keeps you on your toes. Although the lyrics create a negative statement, the chorus is fast and repetitive almost cajoling your body to join in with the infectious beat. The backdrop is very fun; a retro video game full of 8-bit caricatures of Akylas and other things mentioned in the lyrics. There are hints of Baby Lasagne and Let 3 in the staging as well as musical vibes from Joost Klein.

The audience is visibly and audibly enjoying the track and Akylas feeds off this. The package works on a small stage but may need extra direction when scaling up to a Eurovision stage. I feel like Akylas could go even bigger and more outrageous with his stage persona as long as it does not effect his vocal, which although not technical, is still very quick. Although not everyone's cup of tea, it is memorable nonetheless. There will be a lot of buzz around this and I would expect this to be a front runner for televotes.

ARTIST - Akylas

SONG – Ferto

WRITING/PRODUCTION CREDITS – Akylas Mytilinaios, Orfeas Nonis, Thomas Papathanasis, Theofilos Pouzbouris

LATVIA 2026

The Latvian act and song was chosen on 14st February through the national final "Supernova". A winner was declared after adding equally weighted jury and public ranking scores. Going to Vienna is Atvara with the song "Ēnā" (In the shadow)

Atvara is alone but the staging utilises a range of trickery to make the performance more active. The lyrics reveal a sense of relationships looking normal on the outside but being cold and isolating in other ways. The song is wholly in Latvian and employs some operatic tones. The tone is dark and isolating; mirrored in the haunting environment. The backdrop is black apart from a sliver of light mimicking an open door however the shadow shown is that of a child. Halfway through, a motif of flying glass appears on the backdrop and as an overlay. Atvara's dress even reflects this with a stripe of crystals across her black dress. The variety of camera shots reinforces the intimate yet lonely sentiment of the track. The song's structure is very simple, repeating the same refrains each time. The black and white colour scheme is similar to that of JJ, Barbra Pravi and Sanna Nielsen.

The audience is shut out of this performance with the camera ensuring the meaning is clear whether or not you speak Latvian. Atvara sings with control and clarity and is visibly moved by the end of the 3 minutes. This is a stylised performance - nailing the minimalism visually and in the songwriting. I wonder if, during the end vocalisations, the camera could spin round to show the crowd with their flashing bands on? This entry will be memorable, and something the artistic section of the jury will appreciate.

ARTIST - Atvara

SONG – Ēnā

WRITING/PRODUCTION CREDITS – Jānis Jačmenkins, Liene Stūrmane