Daniel Žižka
Czech musical artist (born 2003)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Daniel Žižka (born 20 January 2003)[1] is a Czech singer-songwriter and actor. He represented the Czech Republic in the Eurovision Song Contest 2026 with the song "Crossroads"[2] after the Czech participating broadcaster, Czech Television, internally selected it for the contest.[3][4]
Early life
Žižka was born in 2003[5] in Prague.[4] Since the age of 10 has been writing songs and he has commented that "I decided I wanted to pursue music professionally when I was about fifteen, after I wrote my first song — once I was satisfied enough with it to have it professionally recorded... I've been writing songs since I was 10, though. I've always known I wanted to be an artist, and around sixth grade, I decided I wanted to study at the Jaroslav Ježek Conservatory. But I was also drawn to theater, and I wondered how I would manage it. In the end, I decided to combine the two and study musical theatre."[5][6][7]
Since the age of 15 he has been undergoing vocal training and he participates in daily lessons to maintain his voice[8] and in January 2026 he was "...studying popular singing and composition at the J. Ježek Conservatory" in Prague.[7][9]
Career
Žižka's indie pop and pop/soul debut EP is due to be released towards the end of August 2026[10][11] with singles to be released in the lead up to the EP being released.[10] The EP was also performed live for the first time in Prague, in January 2026.[12][9]
Žižka has also acted in various roles on television[7] and has worked as a vocal coach.[12]
Eurovision
On 11 March 2026, Žižka was announced as the Czech representative for the Eurovision Song Contest 2026 with the song "Crossroads"[2] and the song was released along with a music video.[13] The selection of Žižka and the song, written together with Viliam Béreš, was determined by the combination of votes from an international jury of music professionals from three countries following an audition round at the Czech Television studios.[3][13] The songwriting process for "Crossroads" took approximately a year and a half and after this period it took a further six months to produce the song.[14]
"Crossroads" explores the idea of what happens when a person is standing "...at an imaginary crossroads and must choose a further path";[13] this theme is reflected in the stage performance which builds on ideas of reflection, illusion, and fragmentation.[10][15] The staging is directed by Ruy Okamura, who also directed the music video for "Crossroads", and it includes four large movable mirror panels which create constantly changing perspectives on stage, symbolising the different paths and possible outcomes of one's decisions.[10][13] The repeated reflections of the singer further emphasise the song's introspective atmosphere and the uncertainty tied to moments of choice.[10][16] When asked "What are you seeing in these mirrors?" Žižka responded, "a lot of... choices, many possible realities, maybe something that can feel overwhelming. You don't know which way to go, many options in life".[15]
After participating in the second semi-final on 14 May 2026, he qualified for the final on 16 May.[17] He placed 16th with 113 points.[18]
Discography
Singles
Credits taken from Apple Music.[19]
| Title | Year | Album |
|---|---|---|
| "Pierrot" (with Barbora Mochowa) |
2023 | Non-album singles |
| "Talk" | 2024 | |
| "23:23" | 2025 | |
| "Never Felt Like Less" | ||
| "Crossroads" | 2026 |
