Eurovision 2026: Who Will Perform in Vienna. Part 1

An overview of the first 15 Eurovision entries.

The Eurovision 2026 semifinals take place May 12 and 14 in Vienna, Austria. Participating countries have already announced the first 15 contenders for this year's 'crystal microphone.'

Who's already chosen their representative — read on in this DeTalks article.

Antigoni, Cyprus

Cyprus announced Antigoni as its selection winner back on November 6, 2025. The song 'Jalla,' which the singer will bring to Eurovision, was released February 8, 2026, during the main evening newscast of Cypriot broadcaster CyBC.

'Jalla' means 'more' in Cypriot dialect. The artist sings about dancing on tables.

Antigoni studied at London's BRIT School, whose alumni also include Adele and Amy Winehouse. She also appeared on the eighth season of the British reality show Love Island.

Alis, Albania

The winner of the 64th Festivali i Këngës was singer Alis, with the song 'Nân,' meaning 'Mom.'

The track earned 152 points total from the jury and public, beating second-place finisher 'Ta Kam Fal' by Inis Neziri by 50 points.

Alis is a 21-year-old musician active on the Albanian music scene who plays piano and guitar. His career took off after winning the fifth season of X Factor Albania. The year before, he competed in the 63rd Festivali i Këngës with the song 'Mjegull,' finishing third.

Tamara Živković, Montenegro

Tamara Živković's song 'Nova Zora' won Montenegro's national selection with a final score of 22 points, earning full marks from the jury and ten from the public.

Tamara Živković has previously appeared on Serbian music shows like Zvezde Granda and Pinkove Zvezde. She's currently a third-year undergraduate student at the Faculty of Music Arts in Belgrade.

The Band Bzikebi, Georgia

Georgia will be represented at Eurovision 2026 by the band Bzikebi, who hasn't yet revealed the song they'll bring to the contest.

In 2008, Bzikebi won the Junior Eurovision Song Contest with the song 'BZZZ,' performed in an invented language while wearing themed black-and-yellow glittery costumes. After that win, the band released the album 'Zabuzei.'

Satoshi, Moldova

Moldova took a break from Eurovision last year, but this year the country's representative is Satoshi, with the song 'Viva, Moldova!'

Satoshi won the vote, earning the maximum possible score. Judging was split into three stages: a public vote, a 15-member national jury, and five international judges. Notably, the jury included Jamala.

The singer, whose real name is Vlad Sabadzhuk, taught himself to play drums. He launched the project 'Satoshi' in 2019 and has since released three albums.

Aidan, Malta

Aidan's song 'Bella' earned 283 points total, winning the jury vote and finishing second with the public.

Aidan has previously performed at national celebrations, including Malta's New Year's event, and released his debut album, 'This Is AIDAN,' in 2023.

Veronika Fusaro, Switzerland

The national broadcaster announced that Veronika Fusaro will represent Switzerland. The song she'll perform is set for release March 11.

Veronika said she felt incredibly happy to have the honor of representing Switzerland at Eurovision, calling it a truly unique opportunity to share her music on such an incredible stage watched by people around the world, she said.

Fusaro's debut album, 'All the Colors of the Sky,' came out in 2023 and reached fifth place on the Swiss charts.

Noam Bettan, Israel

Noam Bettan won the show 'Hakohav Haba,' earning the chance to represent the country at Eurovision.

Noam is a singer and songwriter fluent in French. He released his debut album in 2023, along with a string of singles.

This year, some Eurovision participants are protesting Israel's inclusion in the contest. Spain, Ireland, and the Netherlands withdrew from the competition, while Germany and Austria simply spoke out against disqualifying Israel.

Eva Maria, Luxembourg

Eva Maria's song 'Mother Nature' earned 222 points total, winning the national selection.

Eva Maria explained that 'Mother Nature' uses nature as a symbol of hope, freedom, and a sense of being grounded, and that it encourages listeners to reconnect with their inner child and let go of their fears, she said.

After the winner was announced, online discussion erupted over accusations of possible plagiarism from Birdy's song 'Keep Your Head Up,' as well as similarities to the visual style of Ukraine's own entries.

DARA, Bulgaria

DARA performed her song 'Thunder' and won both the public and jury votes. On February 28, the singer will perform three songs, and the national broadcaster will hold a live vote to select the entry.

The artist has had number-one hits on Bulgaria's Airplay chart and has appeared on 'New Music Friday' playlists across Europe. DARA's repertoire includes songs like 'Thunder,' 'Call Me,' and 'Mr. Rover.' She was a coach on The Voice of Bulgaria in 2021 and 2022.

LELÉKA, Ukraine

LELÉKA performed the song 'Ridnym' and won the national selection, earning maximum points from both the jury and the public.

LELÉKA is the musical project of Viktoriia Leleka. The artist graduated from the Kyiv National I. K. Karpenko-Kary Theatre University and went on to earn a master's degree at Babelsberg Film University. Viktoriia has released five albums and created the soundtrack for the series 'I Budut Liudy.'

Vanilla Ninja, Estonia

The band Vanilla Ninja won the national selection with the song 'Too Epic To Be True.'

The band's first international album, 'Traces of Sadness,' reached third place on the German album charts and fourth in Austria. In 2005, Vanilla Ninja represented Switzerland at Eurovision, finishing eighth in the grand final with the song 'Cool Vibes.'

Søren Torpegaard Lund, Denmark

Søren Torpegaard Lund's song 'Før Vi Går Hjem' earned 39 points total, winning both the jury and public vote.

Søren described the song as having no pauses, since it's meant to feel like one long, unending movement — a night that never ends — comparing the track to a candy that's both sour and sweet at once, he said.

The artist graduated from the Danish National School of Performing Arts, and in 2022 played the role of Tony in the Copenhagen Opera's production of West Side Story.

Atvara, Latvia

On February 14, Atvara won the national contest with the song 'Ēnā.'

The singer's debut single, 'Pie Manis Tveries,' was streamed two million times on TikTok, and she later landed a role in the TV series 'Nelūgtie Viesi.' In summer 2025, Atvara played nine sold-out solo concerts. She also co-hosted the GAMMA music awards ceremony.

Akylas, Greece

After earning the highest scores across all three categories, Akylas, with the song 'Ferto,' won the national selection. Points were tallied as follows: jury vote (25%), international judges (25%), and public vote (50%).

Akylas stood out thanks to his covers on TikTok. In 2024, the artist released the song 'Atelié.'

In total, 35 countries will take part in Eurovision 2026. The semifinals are set for May 12 and 14, with the grand final on May 16.