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. It will be organised by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) and the Maltese national broadcaster PBS, and will be held at the Malta Fairs & Conventions Centre in Ta' Qali on 24 October 2026.[3] This will be the third time that Malta has hosted the contest, having previously done so in 2014 and 2016.
| 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 May 2026[update]) | |
| Intend on participating | 8 |
| |
Location
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;[4] this marked its second refusal to stage the event in a three-year span, having also done so in 2024.[5]
A bidding phase was reportedly held for the first time since 2018 in order to identify the host country.[6] In December 2025, Sammarinese broadcaster SMRTV announced that it would submit a bid to host the event;[7] however, on 7 March 2026, its director Roberto Sergio stated that the application had not been selected and that the contest would be held in North Macedonia,[8] with Macedonian media outlets reporting Skopje as the host city.[9] On 15 May 2026, the EBU announced Malta had been selected to host the 2026 contest, instead.[10]
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 May 2026[update], broadcasters from the following countries have publicly confirmed their intention to participate in the 2026 contest:
| Country | Broadcaster | Artist | Song | Language | Songwriter(s) | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 France |
France Télévisions | [11] | ||||
 Georgia |
GPB | [12][13] | ||||
 Ireland |
TG4 | [14][15] | ||||
 Malta |
PBS | [10] | ||||
 Netherlands |
AVROTROS | TBD 19 September 2026 | [16][17][18] | |||
 North Macedonia |
MRT | [19][20] | ||||
 Poland |
TVP | Wiktor Sas | [21][22] | |||
 Portugal |
RTP | TBD 24 May 2026 | [23][24] | |||
Other countries
Croatia – Following their return to the contest in 2025, Croatian broadcaster HRT is currently examining whether or not it will participate in 2026,[25] pending an official announcement.
San Marino – Sammarinese broadcaster SMRTV had placed a bid to host the event,[7] which was not selected.[8] 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.[26] An official confirmation of participation on RTVE's part is pending.
Active EBU member broadcasters in Austria,[27] Belgium (VRT),[28] Czechia,[29] Denmark,[30] Estonia,[31] Finland,[32] Germany,[33][34] Iceland,[35] Israel,[36] Luxembourg,[37] Norway,[38] Slovenia,[39] Sweden,[40] and Wales,[41] alongside associate member Australia (SBS),[42] have confirmed non-participation prior to the announcement of the participants list by the EBU.
