Moldovan artist Dana Marchitan has announced that she is withdrawing from Selecția Națională 2026, the national selection that will pick Moldova’s representative for the Eurovision Song Contest 2026.
The Reason Behind the Withdrawal
Dana Marchitan explained that she initially entered Selecția Națională with the song “Cry”, only to discover during the audition stage that the same song had also been submitted by another artist, Katy Rain, under the title “Dance & Cry.” This meant both singers were set to compete in the selection with identical musical material, something Dana Marchitan said she was not informed about when she accepted the song.
In a statement on social media, Dana Marchitan explained:
“Sometimes, the strongest gesture in a competition is to choose not to enter a forced competition.
In the context of the Moldovan Eurovision preselection, the same song was offered, from the outside, to two performers. I accepted this song without being informed that it was simultaneously proposed to another artist, based on the trust that things are done with honesty and respect for the artists.
Later, I was offered to enter a direct competition with the same artistic material, a situation that I do not consider fair to art, to the audience, or to myself.
I chose to take a step back, giving my colleague, Katy, the opportunity to move forward. I sincerely wish her success. The song ‘Cry’ is very dear to me. I invested my soul, work, training and trust in it. That is why I considered artistic dignity to be more important than any stage or competition.
I strongly believe that music should unite, not create duels of interpretation. Games with double standards do not represent me.
I also believe that in a delicate situation, unique and unprecedented for Moldova, direct communication between the organisers and the artists, before the songs were made public, could have led to a more elegant solution than the simple question: ‘Who will sing it better?’.
My path continues with other songs, other choices and the same sincerity.”
The final will be at Arena Chişinău on January 17th.
Moldova’s Eurovision journey
Moldova is relatively new to the Eurovision Song Contest, joining in 2005. Their debut entry, Zdob și 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 ‘Hey Mamma’, 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.
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News Source: Dana Marchitan
Photo Credit: TRM
Thomas James 
Rory Gannon