After one year away from the competition, Moldova has confirmed it will be returning to the Eurovision Song Contest in 2026. It comes following an official announcement from national broadcaster TRM.
Moldova working with local artists
In a press conference outside the sole indoor arena in the capital Chiลinฤu, TRM confirmed it would be coming back to Eurovision. This came after Moldova opted to withdraw at a late stage in 2025, due to the poor quality of songs it received from its submissions.
The move to confirm participation comes after TRM held a forum with acts in Moldova on how TRM could adapt its Eurovision strategy. However, this was caveated with the fact it did not automatically mean the country was officially returning to the competition. TRM’s decision now brings the total number of countries returning to Eurovision to three, so far.
Revamp of the national final
As a result of the forum, TRM announced a major overhaul of its national selection format. In an effort to maintain and improve transparency and credibility, the show will be co-produced by two people for the first time.
A submissions window will be opened from November 7th and will run until November 30th. Interested acts will be able to send their songs to TRM via email to eurovision@trm.md. Further details of when the selection will take place will be revealed in due course. However, it has been confirmed that a jury will be used in helping to select the winner, and will be made up of 15 national jurors and 5 international jurors.
Moldova’s Eurovision journey
Moldova is relatively new to the Eurovision Song Contest, joining in 2005. Their debut entry, Zdob ศi Zdub, finished in 6th place, which had remained their highest scoring entry up until 2017. They were dethroned by returners Sunstroke Project and the song โHey Mammaโ, which finished in 3rd place. At the close of voting, Moldova received 374 points.
After representing Moldova in 2007, Natalia Barbu returned to Eurovision in 2024 with the song “In the Middle”. She received 20 points in the first semifinal, ultimately placing thirteenth and missing out on the grand final.
What you think of the decision for Moldova to return to Eurovision in 2026? Do you think they can finally score a win? As always, please let us know what you think by getting involved in the comments below. Also, be sure to follow โThat Eurovision Siteโ on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, Threads, tumblr, and Bluesky for more information about Eurovision 2026!
News Source: TRM
Photo Credit: Sarah Louise Bennett / EBU
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