Norway in Eurovision: The Norwegian national broadcaster NRK, which confirmed last night its participation in Eurovision 2026, has officially opened the song submission window for its national selection, Melodi Grand Prix.
Norway has confirmed its participation in the Eurovision Song Contest 2026, set to take place in Austria. The national broadcaster announced the opening of the submission window for Melodi Grand Prix 2026—the national selection that will determine Norway’s representative for Eurovision 2026 in Austria. Submissions are open from today until September 1, 2025, with an emphasis on originality, quality, and uniqueness—qualities that could captivate audiences across Europe.
The decision to open submissions earlier than usual, along with statements from Tarjei Strøm, the musical director of MGP, highlight a shift in strategy: Norway is aiming not just to participate, but to win Eurovision this year. stressed that the goal is to find a unique song that will be remembered and become a hit that people want to hear again and again—not just in Norway, but throughout Europe. He also hinted at surprises and innovations in the national selection format, to be revealed later this year—a move that signals Norway’s desire to set trends at Eurovision and attract top-tier creators from across the country.
Song submissions are open to all creators, but several rules must be followed: the song must be original, up to three minutes long, not performed or published before September 1, 2025, and at least one of the writers must be Norwegian. Each creator may submit up to three songs, and artists must be at least 16 years old at the start of 2026. Melodi Grand Prix, now in its 64th edition, is considered one of Europe’s oldest and most influential national selections—many international hits have emerged from it. Last year, Norway was represented by Kyle Alessandro with “Lighter,” which placed 18th in the Eurovision final—a result that disappointed Norwegians for the second year in a row.
Norway is expected to change the national selection format once again this year, after last year’s changes failed to deliver the desired results—a point also hinted at by Strøm.
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.
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.
