Eurovision 2026 in Vienna: Moldova will compete in the first semi-final alongside 13 other countries
The Republic of Moldova will participate, along with 14 other countries, in the first semi-final of the Eurovision 2026 music contest. The list was made public on the event's official platform.
The first semi-final will be held on May 12, featuring the representative of the Republic of Moldova alongside competitors from 14 other countries: Georgia, Portugal, Croatia, Sweden, Finland, Greece, Montenegro, Estonia, San Marino, Poland, Belgium, Lithuania, Serbia, and Israel.
The second semi-final is scheduled for May 14, where 15 additional countries will perform: Armenia, Romania, Switzerland, Azerbaijan, Luxembourg, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Albania, Denmark, Cyprus, Norway, Malta, Australia, Ukraine, and Latvia.
The top 10 countries from each semi-final will qualify for the Grand Final of the 70th Eurovision Song Contest, which will be held on May 16, 2026. The selection will be determined by both public votes and jury votes.
The Republic of Moldova will choose its representative for Eurovision 2026 during a special show on Saturday, January 17, at the Chișinău Arena. Sixteen participants will compete in the National Final for the opportunity to represent Moldova on the stage in Vienna.
Zdob și Zdub, Sunstroke Project, and DoReDos, along with performers like Nelly Ciobanu, Natalia Barbu, Cristina Scarlat, and Aliona Moon, will take the stage at the Chișinău Arena.
Special guests for the event will include Paula Seling from Romania and Jamala from Ukraine, both of whom have previously performed at Eurovision.
This year, the Republic of Moldova is participating in the Eurovision Song Contest for the 20th time, a music event that will celebrate its 70th anniversary in 2026. The first edition of the contest took place in 1956 in Switzerland. Over the past seven decades, Eurovision has grown into one of the most-watched music events in the world, with hundreds of millions of viewers each year.
The Republic of Moldova made its debut in the competition in 2005 and impressively qualified for the final in its very first participation.
Moldova's best result at Eurovision came in 2017 when the group SunStroke Project secured third place with the song "Hey Mamma." Throughout the years, notable performances by artists such as Zdob și Zdub, Nelly Ciobanu, and Pasha Parfeni have helped to solidify the country's identity on the European stage.
Another significant aspect is Moldova's consistent qualification for the finals. It is among the countries with one of the highest rates of advancement to the final compared to the number of entries, especially in the last decade.
At the international level, Eurovision has transformed from a solely musical competition into a major cultural platform, where national identity, social messages, and innovative staging play increasingly important roles. In recent years, the contest has also become a barometer for the European music industry, launching artists who later achieve international success.
This year's edition is particularly symbolic not only for the 70th anniversary of the contest but also for Moldova's return to the competition after a break, amid growing interest from fans and the international media.
Author: Nicoleta Borodin
