Former Junior Eurovision participant Viola Gjyzeli has been confirmed to compete in the Dreaming San Marino Song Contest 2026.
Her Junior Eurovision Past
She joins a diverse group of performers from across Europe, Sheila, Xannova Xan, Magdalena Tul and many more, all hoping that San Marino will be their pathway to Eurovision 2026.
Gjyzeli competed for Albania at Junior Eurovision 2023 in Nice, France, performing the song “Bota Ime.” She achieved a strong 8th place, collecting 115 points.
About San Marino Song Contest
The San Marino Song Contest is known among Eurovision fans as perhaps the most chaotic national final in Eurovision–and for good reason. Micronation San Marino subsidises its participation through the UVPSM application fees and accepted over 100 participants in 2023. Following a marathon of jury-only qualifying rounds, the top songs compete in a live show to represent San Marino at Eurovision. But here’s the catch–no one involved has to be Sammarinese. Una Voce draws participants from around Europe and around the world, giving everyone the opportunity to represent Europe’s favourite micronation.
San Marino’s Eurovision journey
As one of the smallest countries in Europe, San Marino made its debut in the competition in 2008 with Miodio and the song “Complice”. Since then, they have participated in the competition 14 times, qualifying for the grand final three times. Their best result was in 2019, with Serhat and “Say Na Na Na”.
Italian DJ Gabry Ponte represented San Marino in 2025 with his song “Tutta L’Italia” – the original theme song for Sanremo that year. Performing in the first semi-final, San Marino qualified for the final, where it ultimately placed last with 37 points. 28 points came from the juries, while 9 came from the televote.
Are you excited for the San Marino Song Contest? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below. And don’t forget to follow That Eurovision Site on Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, Facebook, Threads, Tumblr, and Bluesky for all the latest updates on Sanremo and Eurovision 2026!
News Source: eurovoix
Photo Credit: Corinne Cumming/EBU
Tetiana Viznytsia 
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