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With the national finals over, it’s been a week for broadcasters to show their hand where they’ve removed the ‘public’ element of song selection. Acts are dropping their ‘Eurovision Edits’. And as you might expect, there’s tittle and tattle to be had.
NEW
Let’s start with those ‘big reveals’ – songs picked by ‘expert’ panels and repurposed for the Song Contest that is Eurovision.
Just as we thought they’d forgotten all about the BIG SHOW, Public Television of Armenia, also known as AMPTV or ARMTV made a quick call to the geezer who finished second in 2025’s Armenia national final. They promised SIMÓN the help of low-scoring but chart-busting Rosa Linn, and the world was blessed with “Paloma Rumba”.
Azerbaijan kept everyone waiting for JIVA to unveil ‘Just Go’. She’s a former talent show winner who (I have it on authority) is known for pop, dance and R&B. Shame then that we got this.
Daniel Zizka will represent Czechia at Eurovision 2026 with the song ‘Crossroads’ – which is disappointingly not an updated take on the UK TV soap theme song. If you liked Arcade but felt it just needed a bit more overwrought shouting, this will very much be your bag.
Kiddie-ESC to Grown-up ESC became a thing in Georgia as Bzikebi released their Eurovision 2026 song -“On Replay”.
Kudos for hiding a Eurovision 2026 song in plain sight. Veronica Fusaro released the song she’ll sing for Switzerland back in October 2025. ‘Alice’ features on her most recent album. It’s been spruced up for Vienna.
BACKSTAGE
Tittle tattle corner time. ORF’s director general Roland Weißmann has resigned, following allegations of sexual harassment. Weißmann – who denies the claims – is the man who lobbied hard to keep Israel in the 2026 contest – at one point flying to Israel to show support for broadcaster KAN. In the same sort of subject area, an on-site protest against Israel’s Eurovision 2026 participation is scheduled to take place on 16 May (the day of the final). Palästina Solidarität Österreichwill gather between 14:00 and 17:00 CET and head from Christian-Broda-Platz to Vogelweidpark/Wiener Stadthalle.
Eurovision Director Martin Green has contacted Swedish broadcaster SVT to bring attention to the “rules and responsibilities” that apply after an artist has been selected for Eurovision. This comes after Sweden’s 2026 artist Felicia let it be known she didn’t feel Israel should be allowed to take part in the 2026 Eurovision Song Contest.
In not-Israel news, Vienna 2026 will use a fully LED and laser-based lighting system, with more than 2,100 LED and laser units, over 8,500 individually controllable LEDs, and 80 high-speed cable winches for movable light effects. ORF is presenting this as both a creative and sustainability push for the 70th contest.
UPDATES
And now for updated versions of songs you likely already have an opinion on.
The pre-Christmas selection of Alis for Albania might feel a world away. Here’s his song in new clothes
The official music video of “Tanzschein” by COSMÓ, Austria’s Eurovision 2026 entry, has been released.
Croatia is sending LELEK and ‘Andromedia’ has been revised and given a shiny new video.
The official music video of the Greek entry “Ferto” by Akylas is now online.
Moldova gets a new version of ‘Viva Moldova’ with Sartoshi revised some of the lyric.
RTCG in Montenegro has premiered the final version and music video of Tamara Živković’s Eurovision entry “Nova zora” on MNE Play.
Alexandra Căpitănescu’s ever-so-slightly problematic ‘Choke me’ which will fly the flag for Romania got its revised version premier just yesterday.
The Eurovision version of Ukrainian entry “Ridnym” by LELÉKA went public last Monday.
