Latest News About Eurovision 2026

Here’s the latest Eurovision 2026 news I can share based on recent public updates.

• Event basics: Eurovision 2026 is set to take place in Vienna, Austria, in May 2026, with two semi-finals (likely May 12 and 14) and a final (May 16) at Wiener Stadthalle. Host broadcasters and the EBU have confirmed Vienna as the venue following Austria’s 2025 win [source: Wikipedia Eurovision Song Contest 2026 page, which compiles official announcements].

• National selections underway across Europe:

  • Sweden: Melodifestivalen 2026 is underway with a multi-city tour and a record submission pool for songs; the final is slated for March 7 in Stockholm [source: Eurovision Universe weekly update].
  • Germany: ARD will run a public national final in February 2026 to select Germany’s act, with SWR handling Eurovision duties; there’s no Raab/RTL collaboration planned for 2026 [source: Eurovision Universe summary].
  • Luxembourg: Luxembourg Song Contest 2026 has closed submissions; an international jury will select finalists for a televised final [source: Eurovision Universe summary].
  • Spain: Benidorm Fest 2026 attracted a large number of submissions (over 900); a panel will shortlist semi-finalists for early 2026 [source: Eurovision Universe summary].
  • Greece: Ethnikós Telikós 2026 will feature two semifinals and a grand final, with a 50% televote, 25% Greek jury, 25% international jury in the final [source: Eurovision Universe summary].
  • Albania: Festivali i Këngës 64 in Tirana has closed submissions; a real-time public voting app will accompany jury voting in FiK 64; Albania’s entry is secured after a debt dispute was resolved [source: Eurovision Universe summary].
  • Portugal: Festival da Canção 2026 introduces new paths, including a “Prova de Acesso” for music-school talents via online vote; last year’s winners can invite one artist to compete; 16 entries total [source: Eurovision Universe summary].
  • Croatia: Dora 2026 submissions open; Dora 2026 will be broadcast in February [source: Eurovision Universe summary].
  • France: France Télévisions reaffirmed participation in Vienna 2026, with selection details to be announced; France has often used internal selections in recent years [source: Eurovision Universe summary and related notes].

• Notable developments and context:

  • Several countries have signaled continued participation but some have discussed or signaled potential withdrawals or adjustments, reflecting ongoing negotiations and financial considerations within national broadcasters and the EBU. Examples cited include Belgium, San Marino, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Denmark, Poland discussing withdrawal or participation status across late 2025 to early 2026 discussions [source: multiple Eurovision news digests summarized in the collection].

• What to expect next:

  • More national finals announcements, including exact formats and dates, as broadcasters finalize their selection plans for 2026.
  • Details on the running order, host selection for Vienna, and any changes to the voting format or stage design as the 70th edition approaches.

If you’d like, I can pull the most recent official statements from each country’s broadcaster or compile a concise country-by-country snapshot with dates and formats once you confirm which regions you care about most. I can also create a quick visual timeline or a country-by-country table to track key dates. Would you like that?

Citations:

• Eurovision 2026 overview and Vienna venue details are compiled from the Eurovision 2026 page and recent coverage.[2]
• National selection updates and formats for Sweden, Germany, Luxembourg, Spain, Greece, Albania, Portugal, Croatia, and France are summarized from contemporary Eurovision news roundups and national broadcaster announcements.[1]