Cyprus already has its representative for the Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2026. Harry Georgiou, 13, will represent the Mediterranean island at the 24th edition of the European contest after being selected by an internal committee of the Cyprus Broadcasting Corporation (CyBC).
The announcement was made this Monday, July 13, during the evening news programme ‘Kentrikó Deltío Eidíseon’ on RIK 1, broadcast from 19:00 CEST (20:00 local time in Cyprus).
It is worth recalling that applications for artists could be submitted until Tuesday, June 30, at 12:00 local time in Cyprus (11:00 CEST). Afterwards, a panel of experts was responsible for selecting the country’s representative for Junior Eurovision 2026. A total of 209 applications were received. Of those, 145 met the established requirements to continue in the selection process. From that group, 45 children advanced to the final auditions, where they showcased their talent.
As last year, the public broadcaster opted for in-person auditions (which concluded on Friday, July 10) to choose the performer, while the song will be selected separately in a parallel process. Therefore, it will still be some time before the Cypriot entry is revealed.
This will be Cyprus’ 12th participation in the Junior Eurovision Song Contest. In 2026, the European competition will take place at the Malta Fairs & Conventions Centre (MFCC) in Ta’ Qali, Malta, on Saturday, October 24.
Who is Harry Georgiou? Get to know Cyprus’ representative at the Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2026
Harry is 13 years old and lives in Enfield, North London. The young talent is currently learning his craft at the award-winning Platinum Performing Arts. He recently won a Best Vocal award in a national competition.
Harry has performed in Les Misérables at the Sondheim Theatre in London’s West End, playing the role of Gavroche between 2024 and 2025. Since then, he’s played the role of Michael Hobbs in Elf: The Musical at the Aldwych Theatre, also in London’s glittering West End.
From a young age, Harry had a huge passion for singing and performing and now that the next chapter in his career is taking him to an international stage, he says he is very excited and looking forward to what the future holds.
How does Cyprus’ selection process for the Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2026 work?
For the Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2026, Cyprus has once again opted for an internal selection process with two parallel calls, choosing the artist and the original entry for Ta’ Qali separately.
Call I: Selection of the Representative [Completed]
In this first stage, the Cypriot broadcaster internally selected its representative for the Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2026 following an open call for all young talents across the country. Applications could only be submitted through an online form until Tuesday, June 30, at 12:00 local time in Cyprus (11:00 CEST).
During this process, applicants were required to perform a cover version of a song of their choice so that CyBC’s internal committee could assess their vocal abilities, stage presence, and performance skills.
The selection process consisted of several stages. Once the application period had ended, the panel of experts reviewed the submitted performances and invited those candidates who met the requirements to attend the in-person auditions.
The in-person auditions then brought together the artists selected by the committee. There, they performed a song of their choice with pre-recorded music and live vocals.
Each member of the internal jury scored the performances using the Eurovision voting system of 1 to 8, 10, and 12 points. The scores awarded to each participant were then added together to produce a ranking, with the highest-scoring young talent being selected as Cyprus’ representative at the Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2026.
Call II: Selection of the Entry [Ongoing]
At the same time, the Cypriot broadcaster launched a call for original song submissions for the Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2026. Also conducted online, composers were able to submit their songs through the web application form until Wednesday, July 8, at 12:00 local time in Cyprus (11:00 CEST).
The internal selection process follows the same system used to select the artist. The committee will evaluate the songs and award 1 to 8, 10, and 12 points. The votes will be added together, and the highest-scoring song will be selected to represent Cyprus at the Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2026.
In the event of a tie, the song that received the highest number of 12-point scores will take precedence, followed by the same procedure with the remaining scores if necessary. If the tie still remains, the selection will be decided by a draw. If, for any reason, the selected song is disqualified or withdrawn, the Cypriot broadcaster may choose the second-ranked entry instead.
Afterwards, CyBC will retain full control over the Junior Eurovision 2026 performance, including the orchestration, choreography, vocal performance, wardrobe, appearance, and stage presentation.