Report: Belgium has chosen its representative for Eurovision 2026! Loïc Nottet, who previously achieved fourth place for his country, will return to Austria to represent Belgium. Will he replicate his success?
The singer Loïc Nottet, Belgium’s representative in Eurovision 2015, held in Vienna, Austria, has been chosen to once again represent Belgium at the Eurovision 2026, which will also take place in Austria.
The announcement of Belgium’s representative this year is happening earlier than usual, even for Belgium, which typically reveals its internally selected artist at the end of August or the beginning of September. The Belgian national broadcaster RTBF has yet to confirm the details and has not issued a response.
According to journalist Clément Garin, Loïc Nottet was chosen from a shortlist of about forty candidates who submitted a song to represent Belgium at Eurovision. Among the candidates who submitted songs for consideration were the singer Mentissa, the singer Henri PFR, and the singer Essyla. Essyla was nominated for the prestigious NRJ Music Awards as Belgium’s Breakthrough of the Year and finished second in the committee selection for Belgium’s Eurovision 2026 representative.
Loïc Nottet – Who Are You?
Loïc Nottet, 29, first gained fame with his participation in the third season of “The Voice Belgique”, where he was part of singer BJ Scott‘s team. He finished in second place. He was then chosen internally to represent Belgium at the 2015 Eurovision in Vienna, Austria, with his song “Rhythm Inside”, finishing fourth.
After the contest, Loïc Nottet competed in season six of “Danse avec les stars” (“Dancing with the Stars”) in Belgium and took first place. He is considered one of Belgium’s most celebrated artists, with a discography including three albums: the album “Million Eyes”, released in 2016, his debut album “Selfocracy”, released in 2017, and “Sillygomania”, which came out in 2020. His debut album reached platinum status in both Belgium and France. In 2020, he returned for the ninth season of “The Voice Belgique”, this time as a mentor.
Despite Withdrawal Threats – Belgium Selects a Eurovision 2026 Representative?
After expressing interest in participating in Eurovision 2026 and later expressing reservations when demanding Israel’s exclusion, this announcement concerning the Belgian representative has raised further questions about Belgium’s plans for the upcoming contest.
It is important to note that the announcement has not yet been officially confirmed by the national broadcaster RTBF. Belgium has yet to disclose its method for selecting the Eurovision 2026 representative, whether by a national final or internal selection.
Despite being one of the seven founding countries of the contest, Belgium is seen as a country that has rarely achieved top results at Eurovision. Out of 66 appearances, Belgium has won only once, and this year marks 40 years since the historic victory of Sandra Kim with the song “J’aime La Vie”.
Over the years, Belgium has managed to reach the top five on only eight occasions: one first place, two second places, four fourth places, and one fifth place. Additionally, Belgium has finished in the 6th to 10th positions sixteen times.
POV: Comeback – Coincidence or Strategic Move?
Was the choice of Loïc Nottet this year spontaneous? I’m not quite sure, as I suspect Belgium is orchestrating specific milestones to attract attention. Various parallels can be drawn between Belgium in 2014–2015 and Belgium in 2025–2026:
- Venue: Loïc Nottet was chosen to represent Belgium at the 2015 Eurovision held in Vienna, Austria, and now returns for Eurovision 2026, also in Austria – possibly in the same arena as 11 years ago, and potentially on the very same dates.
- Bouncing Back After Failure: In Eurovision 2014, Axel Hirsoux finished 14th in the semi-final, and the following year Loïc Nottet brought Belgium to fourth place. In Eurovision 2025, Red Sebastian finished 14th in the semi-final – will Belgium return to the top of the scoreboard this year with Loïc Nottet?
- Symbolic Dates: Could the selection be related to the fact that the singer is set to represent Belgium at two milestone editions? Loïc Nottet represented Belgium at Eurovision 2015, the contest’s 60th edition, and now is set to represent his country again at Eurovision 2026, the 70th edition.
In summary, the quick selection of Loïc Nottet piques my curiosity in a symbolic way, since the current circumstances mirror those of 11 years ago in a unique fashion. Is he seeking the exact same conditions? Austria, a milestone edition, restoring Belgium’s status after disappointing results – this seems to be a strategic plan rather than a coincidence.
Belgium at Eurovision 2025:
“Strobe Lights” is the name of the song performed by Red Sebastian, who represented Belgium in the first semi-final of Eurovision 2025 in Basel, Switzerland. Belgium did not qualify for the grand final, finishing 14th out of 15 with only 23 points.
This marks the second consecutive year that Belgium has failed to reach the final. In the past ten years, Belgium has qualified for the final only five times.
Eurovision 2026: This will be Belgium’s 67th participation in the contest. Belgium joined Eurovision in 1956 as one of its seven founding nations. The country’s best result came in 1986, when Sandra Kim won first place with “J’aime la vie”.
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Ilay Gaist is a leading Israeli content creator and writer specializing in the Eurovision Song Contest. He is a well-known commentator with extensive expertise in the contest’s history, rules, and dynamics. His passion for Eurovision drives him to deliver rich, professional, and innovative content to his audience.
Ilay holds a bachelor’s degree in Arabic and has a multilingual background. He also engages in cultural research, with a particular focus on global culinary traditions and the evolution of local cuisines around the world.
