|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
Despite operating in liquidation, Telewizja Polska (TVP) has published detailed regulations for Poland’s national selection for the 70th Eurovision Song Contest.
The process — titled Krajowe Preselekcje do Konkursu Piosenki Eurowizji 2026 — introduces a tighter structure and an emphasis on transparency, professionalism and live performance standards.
Artists may submit entries between 3 and 24 November 2025 by email, including an MP3 of the song, its lyrics, a biography, and a live-performance video. They’re strangely specific and yet entirely vague about language preferences. Entries may be performed in Polish, regional languages, minority tongues, or in English, French or Italian. Breaking with rules imposed by many other broadcasters, TVP explicitly permits AI-assisted songs, provided “human creative control” remains clear. Autotune though is banned. And you need to politically neutral and any pops need to be in and out of any stage within 30 seconds.
The 2026 preselection will comprise two stages. A jury of 9–15 members, drawn from the Polish music, media and production industries, will assess all entries anonymously, awarding points to form a shortlist of up to 20 acts. By 10 December 2025, those selected will be invited to live auditions in Warsaw on 18 December.
From those sessions, ten finalists (plus two reserves) will be chosen and announced by 14 January 2026, alongside the reveal of the jury panel itself. TVP may also issue up to three “participation cards” to artists of recognised standing, allowing direct access to the final.
The televised final is scheduled for 14 February 2026 — Valentine’s Day — in Warsaw or another Polish venue. For all their detailed regulations, they don’t appear to have given thought to booking anywhere, yet.
The result will rest entirely with the public SMS vote, capped at 20 votes per number. In the event of a tie or technical issue, a five-person reserve jury from the main panel will decide the winner.
