The European Broadcasting Union (EBU) has finally made public the official list of participating countries for the Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2026, confirmed on Friday 24 July by Maltese host broadcaster PBS.
A total of 16 countries have signed up for this 24th edition, which will take place at the Malta Fairs & Conventions Centre (MFCC) in Ta’ Qali (Malta) on Saturday 24 October, from 21:00 CEST.
Their representatives will compete for the crystal microphone and the chance to succeed Lou Deleuze, the French singer who won last year’s contest in Tbilisi (Georgia) with her song “Ce Monde”.
Since the 2025 edition in Georgia came to a close, the European public broadcasters have been confirming their plans for Ta’ Qali 2026. Many of them opened calls for entries, announced the dates of their national selections or opted for an internal selection. Today all 16 representatives and their songs are known: Ireland was the last country to complete the line-up, choosing Caleb Kirwan and Naomi Gribben in the final of Junior Eurovision Éire 2026 on Sunday 4 October.
This is the official line-up of Junior Eurovision 2026, which will travel to Malta for the show on Saturday 24 October:
- 🇦🇱 Albania (RTSH): Eslin Kurti – “Kërce Me Mua”
- 🇦🇲 Armenia (AMPTV): Naré – “BOO!”
- 🇨🇾 Cyprus (CyBC): Harry Georgiou – “Who I Can Be”
- 🇫🇷 France (France Télévisions): Alec – “Comment Tu Vas ?”
- 🇬🇪 Georgia (GPB): Davit Lomidze – “Sun on the Rooftops”
- 🇮🇪 Ireland (TG4): Caleb Kirwan & Naomi Gribben – “Níos Láidre”
- 🇮🇹 Italy (RAI): Matteo Trullu – “Che Cos’è l’Amore?”
- 🇲🇹 Malta (PBS) – host broadcaster: Beppe – “Blue Bird”
- 🇲🇪 Montenegro (RTCG): Mija Vujović – “Muzika Nas Spaja”
- 🇳🇱 Netherlands (AVROTROS): Maria – “Stronger Together”
- 🇲🇰 North Macedonia (MRT): Ana Stojanoska – “Idnata Jas”
- 🇵🇱 Poland (TVP): Wiktor Sas – “Gravity”
- 🇵🇹 Portugal (RTP): Salvador Rio – “Alma”
- 🇸🇲 San Marino (SMRTV): Violamarie – “Ruota Panoramica”
- 🇪🇸 Spain (RTVE): Lucas Paulano – “Cuore Bello (Te Quiero, Te Quiero)”
- 🇺🇦 Ukraine (Suspilne): Erika Kolesnichenko – “NOT A LULLABY”
With 16 participating countries, Junior Eurovision 2026 matches the number of entries of its inaugural edition in 2003, as well as those of 2022 and 2023. Compared with last year, the contest will have two countries fewer than Tbilisi 2025, which brought together 18 entries.
Two withdrawals and no returns to make up for them
After two years in which the contest had been recovering ground and adding countries, this year it takes a step back with the loss of two broadcasters that competed last year. Azerbaijan and Croatia, two of the big returns of 2025, have withdrawn after just one edition.
Azerbaijan is leaving the contest for the fourth time, having taken part in a total of five editions, on and off, since its debut in 2012. The country has had an uneven record.
It debuted in 2012, the year Baku hosted the Eurovision Song Contest, and stayed on in 2013. After a few years away, it returned briefly in 2018. Results were modest until its comeback in Paris 2021, when it reached the Top 5 for the first time with Sona Azizova and “One Of Those Days”. However, that edition was won by Armenia, a country with which Azerbaijan has historically had a difficult relationship, and it stepped away once again. It gave the contest another chance in 2025, without satisfactory results, and has now decided to leave again.
Croatia is the other withdrawal from Junior Eurovision 2026. The first winner of the contest, at the inaugural 2003 edition, is leaving again after a brief return in 2025. Croatia won the first edition in 2003 with Dino Jelušić and “Ti Si Moja Prva Ljubav” and took bronze the following year. It kept participating until 2006 and withdrew in 2007. It then gave the contest a second chance in 2014, but luck was not on its side: it finished last, and did not continue.
Croatia returned in 2025 after launching the Croatian version of ‘The Voice Kids’ on its channel, whose first winner, Marino Vrgoč, flew the country’s flag in Tbilisi. The broadcaster HRT has not given any reasons for its withdrawal from the 2026 contest.