Well, it just turned midnight in Central Europe, and with that, there’s only one thing we have to say
LET THE 2026 EUROVISION SONG CONTEST SEASON BEGIN!!!
Rewinding back to May, Austria won the competition in Basel with JJ and his entry “Wasted Love”. ORF was quick to work, with the broadcaster completing the Core Team that will be producing next year’s show by July with the EBU and ORF announcing on August 20 that Vienna will be hosting Eurovision 2026 on May 12, 14, and 16
Who will we see or won’t see in Austria?
With the Eurovision 2026 season just starting, some countries have already confirmed that they will be participating in next year’s competition. Some countries have revealed their selection method, and some are yet to reveal this.
| Country | Broadcaster | Selection Method (If known) |
| Albania | RTSH | It is expected that the broadcaster will use its selection ‘Festivali i Kenges’ to select its Eurovision 2026 representative. |
| Austria | ORF | With the broadcaster hosting this year’s competition, it has been revealed that a National Final will be used to select their Eurovision 2026 representative at the end of February. |
| Azerbaijan | İTV | The broadcaster is yet to reveal how it will select its Eurovision 2026 representative. |
| Cyprus | CyBC | It has been reported by local media that it is looking to potentially doing a National Final to select their Eurovision 2026 representative.. |
| Denmark | DR | Denmark will once again be using ‘Dansk Melodi Grand Prix‘ (DMGP) to select their Eurovision 2026 representative on February 14. |
| Finland | Yle | Finland will once again use its selection ‘Uuden Musiikin Kilpailu’ (UMK) to select its Eurovision 2026 representative on February 28. |
| Germany | SWR | It is yet to be confirmed how Germany will select its representative. With the new season, SWR will be responsible for Germany’s Eurovision participation moving forward. |
| Greece | ERT | Greece will once again be using its new selection ‘Ethnikós Telikós‘ to select its Eurovision 2026 representative. |
| Iceland | RÚV | Iceland will use its selection Söngvakeppnin to select its Eurovision 2026 representative. |
| Israel | IPBC | It is expected that Israel will be using ‘HaKokhav HaBa’ to select its Eurovision 2026 representative. |
| Latvia | LSM | Latvia will once again be using ‘Supernova’ to select its Eurovision 2026 representative, with the broadcaster announcing the return of the two semi-finals format. |
| Lithuania | LRT | It is yet to be revealed how Lithuania will be selecting its Eurovision 2026 representative. |
| Luxembourg | RTL | Latvia will once again be using ‘Luxembourg Song Contest’ (LSC) to select its Eurovision 2026 representative on January 24. |
| Malta | PBS | Malta will once again be using its selection ‘Malta Eurovision Song Contest’ (MESC) to select its Eurovision 2026 representative. |
| Montenegro | RTCG | Montenegro will be using its selection ‘Montesong’ to select its Eurovision 2026 representative. |
| Netherlands | AVROTROS | The Netherlands will once again be opting to select its Eurovision 2026 representative. |
| Norway | NRK | Norway will once again be using its selection ‘Melodi Grand Prix’ (MGP) to select its Eurovision 2026 representative. |
| Serbia | RTS | It is yet to be revealed how Serbia will be selecting its Eurovision 2026 representative. |
| Spain | RTVE | Spain will once again be using its selection ‘Benidorm Fest‘ will be used to select its Eurovision 2026 representative on February 14. |
| Sweden | SVT | Sweden will once again be using its selection ‘Melodifestivalen’ (Melfest) will be used to select its Eurovision 2026 representative. |
| Switzerland | SRG SSR | Switzerland will once again be opting to select its Eurovision 2026 representative internally. |
| Ukraine | Suspilne | It is yet to be revealed how Ukraine will be selecting their Eurovision 2026 representative. |
| United Kingdom | BBC | BBC Studios will continue to be producing the BBC’s Eurovision coverage until 2028, and will work alongside the BBC for the selection of their act and performance. |
The following countries have participated previously, but have not publicly confirmed their participation in next year’s competition:
| Country | Broadcaster |
| Armenia | AMPTV |
| Australia | SBS |
| Belgium | RTBF |
| Croatia | HRT |
| Czechia | ČT |
| Estonia | ERR |
| France | France Télévisions |
| Georgia | GPB |
| Ireland | RTÉ |
| Italy | RAI |
| Montenegro | RTCG |
| Poland | TVP |
| Portugal | RTP |
| San Marino | SMRTV |
| Slovenia | RTVSLO |
The following countries have also confirmed that they will not be participating in next year’s competition.
| Country | Broadcaster |
| Andorra | RTVA |
| Bosnia & Herzegovina | BHRT |
| Slovakia | STVR |
Pre-Parties
In addition to the confirmation of the participating countries, some pre-parties have already confirmed their dates for next year’s event.
- Nordic Eurovision Party – March 21
- Pre-Party ES – April 4-5
- Eurovision in Concert – April 11
Are you excited about Eurovision 2026? Will you be heading to Austria and attend the shows next year? As always, let us know what you think by commenting below. Also, be sure to follow “That Eurovision Site” on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Tik-Tok, Threads and Bluesky as we gear up for Eurovision 2026!
News Sources: Various
Photo Credit: EBU
Euan T 
Samantha 
Giwrgos Oiko