Now Eurovision 2026 is firmly behind us and we’ve had a chance to properly digest the wild ride of Vienna, it’s now time to discuss What Went Wrong. We’ve all had a chance to mull over the results of the contest. The Eurovision 2026 final saw some very dramatic results, but 6 acts in particular had noticeably bad results.
In our sixteenth part Kittens, Tom, and Euan discuss what went wrong with Lithuania.
Who is Lion Ceccah?
Alen Chicco is the stage name of Tomas Alenčikas, a 34-year-old singer-songwriter born in Vilnius. Visual art has always been a key part of Tomas’ music, as he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in musical theatre, before earning a master’s degree at Lithuania’s most prestigious music academy. He has also become a prominent figure in Lithuania’s drag scene as a result of his appearance. He has released songs since 2018, finished second in Lithuania’s national selection in 2025 before returning in 2026 to with the competition.
His song for Eurovision 2026 – “Sólo quiero más” – was written by Tomas himself, as well as Aurimas Galvelis.
What are the issues with the selection?
Kittens: I do not have beef with the song selected but darling, Eurovizija Dot LT, we need to talk. I’m begging you to stop this selection from growing even more unwieldy. I’m not sure any part of this actually helps? A much tighter well controlled selection would not only be feasible but would make your life easier. I’m not sure you’re getting what you want out of this. It’s not me. It’s you.
Tom: Lion Ceccah should’ve won in 2025 and SHWR should’ve won in 2026. That’s an opinion I can never get past and it really affects how I view both years for Lithuania in Eurovision. Overall, Eurovizija.LT excites me every year.
Euan: I wrote a thousand words a year ago about what I’d change about the selection and not much has changed for the better. I don’t think the size of the selection is the problem, but the main issue has got to be the passive nature of the song selection. There needs to be a more proactive effort from LRT to entice established talent into the selection. There’s a wealth of electronica in Lithuania that just isn’t getting enough airtime in Eurovizija. Structurally, the voting system desperately needs sorted out.
Was the song and act good enough to be in Eurovision?
Kittens: I don’t think there’s a discussion to be had about skill here, and you’ve got an artist who clearly can perform, is very strong in his own identity and has a Vision. The song grew on me (this is a problem in itself) but I have a lot of respect for him as a performer on a technical basis and if I was watching him perform just on stage generally I think I would be pretty engaged.
Tom: Yeah. Sure. It was bold, it was artistic, it was risky and creative. Was it my favourite – not at all. Do I think Lion Ceccah has better songs and performances – absolutely. His recent “post-EUROVISION” EP is 10 times better than his ESC entry in my opinion. His 2025 national final entry “Drobé” was better than his 2026 entry in my opinion. But I am absolutely glad this artist was in the Contest this year overall.
Euan: The only aspect of this entry that warranted being in Eurovision was the vocals. That alone does not make a good Eurovision performance. It was messy, and just not good. It was all concept, and no substance.
Did the staging compliment the song and stand out?
Kittens: Yes, I do think it did. Like I say, very strong vision, someone who knows what they want to say. But I also do think this was always gonna be a hard sell. It’s just…odd but in an artsy way that can make it just difficult to pick up for the casual watcher. While everything is clearly so incredibly calculated, and immaculately put together, it sometimes just fails to connect with the audience without alienating them. However, I’d much rather this performance than to betray his vision and ideas – at least this was true to him.
Tom: Yes – to a point. The falling silhouette moment was stunning. The iconic Ceccah silver body paint stood out and made the performance unforgettable. I just wish the stage wasn’t so dark throughout. I think this could’ve been so much more exciting with the stage being brightly lit, juxtaposing Lion in the black and silver. The dark blue / black / silver colour scene did not work for me.
Euan: I thought the overall approach was just a bit to visually lacking. There was this big grand song, but nothing about the performance felt grand. It hit the worst of both worlds of being not intimate enough, and not being grand enough. The whole concept was just.. meh?
Should this song have qualified from this year’s semifinals?
Kittens: Personally I am glad it did, I’m glad creativity and vision was rewarded here. Other countries should take note!
Tom: Sure. 100% glad it did. Would I have chosen other songs, possibly. Do I think this didn’t deserve it? Absolutely not.
Euan: No. It pains me to say this because Lithuania is my stan country, and has been for a decade and a half, but this didn’t deserve to be in Eurovision at all.
What are our outlooks for future contests?
Kittens: Unlike other countries, I think Lithuania are in a relatively good place in terms of what they send, finding talent and knowing what their identity is. I just wish it didn’t take 6 weeks and a whole lot of chaff to get there – it’s just not necessary. And while technically it doesn’t matter when the end result is still good, I just think they could reform their national final so easily and get the same if not better results with so much less effort – and they could spend that time and energy elsewhere. Anyway, Euan will have me shot for this comment, so it’s been nice knowing you.
Tom: Lithuania are on a good track record at the moment. The national final seems to be working for them, and they’ve had some really good songs in the last few years. Let’s see what 2027 brings. The SHWR for Eurovision 2027 campaign starts here for me personally!
Euan: Lithuania is cooked. The NF is going downhill. The talent is applying. I fear an NQ streak is coming.
Watch the accompanying discussion video here:
Lithuani’s Eurovision Journey
The Baltic nation made its debut at the Eurovision Song contest in 1994, where Ovidijus Vyšniauskas represented them with the song “Lopšinė mylimai”, which placed 25th. Since then, Lithuania has participated 22 times and made the Grand Final 15 times. LT United gave Lithuania their best ever Eurovision result back in 2006, where the country placed 6th.
In 2026, Lion Ceccah represented Lithuania, participating with the song “Sólo quiero más”. Performing in the first semi-final, Lion Ceccah qualified for the final in eighth place. In the Grand Final, Lithuania finished in 22nd place overall, with 22 points – 10 points came from the juries, with another 12 points from the televote.
What do think about our thoughts? Do you think Lithuania could have done better? Let us know in the comments or on social media! Be sure to follow ‘That Eurovision Site’ on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Threads and Bluesky as we prepare for Eurovision 2027!
Source: That Eurovision Site
Image Credit: Alma Bengtsson / EBU