Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2026
International song competition
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The Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2026 is set to be the 24th edition of the Junior Eurovision Song Contest, held on 24 October 2026 at the Malta Fairs & Conventions Centre in Ta' Qali, Attard, Malta. It will be organised by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) and host broadcaster Public Broadcasting Services (PBS).
- 24 October 2026
Ta' Qali, Attard, Malta
| Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2026 | |
|---|---|
| United by Music[1] | |
| |
| Date and venue | |
| Final |
|
| Venue | Malta Fairs & Conventions Centre Ta' Qali, Attard, Malta |
| Organisation | |
| Organiser | European Broadcasting Union (EBU) |
| Executive supervisor | Gert Kark[2] |
| Host broadcaster | Public Broadcasting Services (PBS) |
| Participants (provisional; as of July 2026[update]) | |
| Intend on participating | 13 |
| Non-returning countries |  Azerbaijan |
| |
Location
The 2026 contest will take place in Ta' Qali, Attard, Malta. It will be the third time that Malta has hosted the contest, having previously done so in 2014 and 2016,[3] as well as the first time the contest is being held in October for "logistical reasons".[4] The selected venue for the contest is the 10,268-seat Malta Fairs & Conventions Centre, which will be transformed into a "Eurovision Festa Village", inspired by Malta's patronal festival tradition, for the event.[3]
Bidding phase and host city selection
Unlike the Eurovision Song Contest, the winning broadcaster of the previous year's Junior Eurovision Song Contest does not automatically receive the right to host the next edition. However, since 2011 (with the exceptions of 2012, 2015, 2018 and 2024) it has become customary for winners to take on hosting duties, and since 2019, the winning broadcaster has had the right of first refusal on hosting the following competition. On 18 December 2025, French broadcaster France Télévisions, which won the 2025 contest, announced that it had opted not to host in 2026, citing a plan to reduce the costs of national programming;[5] this marked its second refusal to stage the event in a three-year span, having also done so in 2024.[6]
A bidding phase was reportedly held for the first time since 2018 in order to identify the host country.[7] In December 2025, Sammarinese broadcaster SMRTV announced that it would submit a bid to host the event;[8] however, on 7 March 2026, its director Roberto Sergio stated that the application had not been chosen and that the contest would be held in North Macedonia,[9] with Macedonian media outlets reporting Skopje as the host city.[10] On 15 May 2026, the EBU announced Malta had been selected to host the 2026 contest instead, with the Malta Fairs & Conventions Centre in Ta' Qali as the selected venue.[3]
Provisional list of participants
Eligibility for participation in the Junior Eurovision Song Contest requires a national broadcaster with active EBU membership capable of receiving the contest via the Eurovision network and broadcasting the contest live nationwide. The EBU issues an invitation to participate in the contest to all active members.
As of July 2026[update], broadcasters from the following countries have publicly confirmed their intention to participate in the 2026 contest. Azerbaijan has opted not to compete after a one-off appearance the previous year.[11]
| Country | Broadcaster | Artist | Song | Language | Songwriter(s) | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Albania |
RTSH | Eslin Kurti | "Kërce me mua" | Albanian |
|
[12] |
 Armenia |
AMPTV | [13] | ||||
 Cyprus |
CyBC | [14] | ||||
 France |
France Télévisions | Alec | [15][16] | |||
 Georgia |
GPB | Davit Lomidze | [17] | |||
 Ireland |
TG4 | [18][19] | ||||
 Italy |
RAI | [20][21] | ||||
 Malta |
PBS | [22] | ||||
 Netherlands |
AVROTROS | TBD 19 September 2026 | [23][24][25] | |||
 North Macedonia |
MRT | Ana Stojanoska | "Idnata jas" (Идната јас) | TBA |
|
[26][27] |
 Poland |
TVP | Wiktor Sas | [28][29] | |||
 Portugal |
RTP | Salvador Rio | [30][31] | |||
 Ukraine |
Suspilne | TBD September 2026 | [32] | |||
Provisionally confirmed countries
As of June 2026[update], broadcasters from the following countries have publicly confirmed their intention to participate in the 2026 contest:
Albania – Following the final of the 64th Festivali Mbarëkombëtar i Këngës për Fëmijë, its winner Eslin Kurti is set to represent the country in 2026.[12]
Armenia – AMPTV has confirmed that it will continue to participate in 2026.[13]
Cyprus – CyBC has confirmed that it will continue to participate in 2026.[14]
France – Alexandra Redde-Amiel, France's head of delegation, has confirmed to La Chaîne 12 points that France Télévisions will compete in the 2026 edition. Alec is set to represent the country in 2026.[15][16]
Georgia – Following the final of the ninth season of Ranina, its winner Davit Lomidze is set to represent the country in 2026.[17]
Ireland – TG4 has confirmed that it will continue to use its traditional national selection, Junior Eurovision Éire, to select its artist for 2026.[18][19]
Italy – RAI has confirmed that it will continue to participate in 2026.[20]
Malta – After France Télévisions declined to do so,[5] it has been revealed by the EBU that PBS will host the 2026 edition.[33] PBS later confirmed that the upcoming series of The Voice Kids would be used to select its artist for 2026.[34]
Netherlands – AVROTROS has confirmed that it will continue to use its traditional national selection, Junior Songfestival, to select its entry for 2026 on 19 September.[23][24][25]
North Macedonia – Following the auditions held by MRT, Ana Stojanoska is set to represent the country in 2026 with the song "Idnata jas".[26][27]
Poland – Following the final of the ninth season of The Voice Kids, its winner Wiktor Sas is set to represent the country in 2026.[28][29]
Portugal – Following the final of the seventh season of The Voice Kids, its winner Salvador Rio is set to represent the country in 2026.[30][31]
Ukraine – Suspilne has confirmed that it will host a national selection to select its entry for 2026 in September.[32]
Other countries
EBU members
The following countries' broadcasters or other figures have released statements regarding the 2026 contest without confirming participation:
Croatia – Following their return to the contest in 2025, Croatian broadcaster HRT is currently examining whether or not it will participate in 2026,[35] pending an official announcement.
San Marino – Sammarinese broadcaster SMRTV had placed a bid to host the event,[8] which was not selected.[9] An official statement on participation is pending.
Spain – In February 2026, Benidorm councilor for events Jesús Carrobles announced that the municipality had proposed the creation of a new selection format for the contest based on Benidorm Fest to RTVE.[36] An official confirmation of participation on RTVE's part is pending.
Active EBU member broadcasters in Austria,[37] Azerbaijan,[38] Belgium (VRT),[39] Canada,[40] Czechia,[41] Denmark,[42] Estonia,[43] Finland,[44] Germany (Kika),[45][46] Iceland,[47] Israel,[48] Latvia,[49] Lithuania,[50] Luxembourg,[51] Norway (NRK),[52] Slovenia,[53] Sweden,[54] the United Kingdom (BBC)[55] and Wales,[56] alongside associate member Australia (SBS),[57] have confirmed non-participation prior to the announcement of the participants list by the EBU.
Non-EBU members
The following countries' broadcasters have released statements pushing for EBU membership to functionally participate in the 2026 contest.
Kosovo – Kosovar broadcaster RTK is actively pursuing EBU membership to enable the country's debut in the contest, a move fully supported by the Kosovar Ministry of Culture. RTK officials are scheduled to meet with the EBU during the General Assembly in Prague on 25 and 26 June 2026. Additionally, the broadcaster is reviving the Akordet e Kosovës festival to serve as the national selection for both Eurovision and Junior Eurovision.[58]
Broadcasts
All participating broadcasters may choose to have on-site or remote commentators providing insight and voting information to their local audience. Although they are required to broadcast the show in which their country votes, most broadcasters air the contest. Some non-participating broadcasters also air the contest. The Junior Eurovision Song Contest YouTube channel provides international live streams with no commentary of all shows.
The following are the broadcasters that have confirmed in whole or in part their broadcasting plans and/or commentators:
