Norway in Eurovision 2026: The Norwegian national broadcaster confirms Norway will compete in Austria, choosing its representative via “Melodi Grand Prix,” the country’s Eurovision national selection.
The Norwegian national broadcaster NRK has officially confirmed: Norway will take part in the Eurovision Song Contest 2026, to be held in Austria. As is customary, the country’s representative and song will be chosen through the traditional “Melodi Grand Prix” festival, expected to take place in early 2026. With this announcement, Norway joins the list of countries that have already secured their place at Europe’s biggest musical event.
A High-Quality Norwegian Selection – But What About Moral Responsibility?
Since its inception in 1960, “Melodi Grand Prix” has been considered one of Europe’s most high-quality Eurovision national finals – with investment in production, high musical standards, and exceptionally high viewership in Norway. At its peak, the 2025 final attracted over one million viewers – an impressive figure in a country with about five million residents.
Still, when examining the role of the national final – not only as a filter for songs but also as a tool for shaping cultural policy – it is hard to ignore the flaw: The past year has shown that this is not just a singing competition, but also a stage where European solidarity is put to the test.
Over the years, as I have watched and covered dozens of Eurovision national finals, I have been struck by how easily Eurovision fans spot hypocrisy and double standards – especially from countries using the contest as a means for political pressure while claiming to “preserve the spirit of the competition”.
What Should You Know About “Melodi Grand Prix”?
“Melodi Grand Prix”, or “MGP”, is Norway’s veteran national final for selecting its Eurovision song, held continuously since 1960. Since the early 2000s, the format has undergone significant modernization – with preliminary rounds, semi-finals, audience voting, and live broadcasts from advanced studios.
In recent years, there has been a growing emphasis on stylistic diversity and representation from different regions of Norway, while NRK retains significant control over the selection of participants. Although the audience has a significant impact on the results, ongoing discussions question to what extent the vote reflects the taste of Europe – or just local preferences.
Norway at Eurovision 2025
“Lighter” was the song performed by Kyle Alessandro, who represented Norway in the Eurovision 2025 grand final. Norway finished in 18th place overall with 89 points – 67 points from the audience and 22 points from the juries. In the televote, Norway ranked 12th, while in the jury vote, it reached 23rd place.
Eurovision 2025: This was Norway’s 63rd participation in Eurovision. Norway joined the competition in 1960 and has won three times over the years. Their last win was in Eurovision 2009 with the song “Fairytale” performed by Alexander Rybak.
