After Yuval Raphael’s success at Eurovision 2025, KAN 11 and Keshet 12 will continue their collaboration to select Israel’s representative for Eurovision 2026 in Vienna, Austria through “HaKokhav HaBa LaEurovision”.
Now it’s official: Although Israel’s participation in the upcoming Eurovision remains uncertain following threats by some countries to withdraw if Israel competes, the Israeli Public Broadcasting Corporation and Keshet have agreed to extend their collaboration ahead of Eurovision 2026. The agreement guarantees the continuation of the popular show “HaKokhav HaBa LaEurovision”, which will select Israel’s representative for the competition in Vienna, Austria.
Filming is expected to begin at the end of October, with the season scheduled to air in mid-November.
Continued Success
The decision to continue this partnership for the ninth consecutive year comes in light of the remarkable achievement of Yuval Raphael, Israel’s Eurovision 2025 representative, who finished in second place with her song “New Day Will Rise”. Raphael, chosen through the previous season of “HaKokhav HaBa LaEurovision”, managed to reach the grand final and bring significant pride to Israel during a particularly challenging year.
Since the collaboration between KAN 11 and Keshet 12 began in 2015, every Israeli representative chosen through the show has made it to the Eurovision final. The greatest triumph came in 2018 when Netta Barzilai won first place with her song “Toy”, bringing Eurovision to Israel. Moreover, in the past three years, Israel has consistently finished in the top five: Noa Kirel placed third, Eden Golan finished fifth, and Yuval Raphael came second last year.
Impressive Ratings
The success of “HaKokhav HaBa LaEurovision” is also reflected in its ratings performance. The most recent season was the most successful yet, achieving an average viewership rating of 20%, surpassing the 18% of the previous 2024 season. This momentum was apparent from the premiere episode of the 2025 season, which already recorded 20.3% compared to 19.1% ahead of Eurovision 2024.
The steady ratings growth signals increasing public interest in Eurovision among Israeli audiences. Notably, the last Eurovision final, broadcast on May 17th on KAN 11, along with Yuval Raphael’s second-place victory, garnered nearly 1.5 million views on KAN’s digital platforms and 31.4% (933,000 viewers) on television. Peak viewership occurred during Raphael’s performance, hitting an impressive 51.3% (over 1.5 million viewers).
Challenges and Expectations
Despite the success, last year’s Eurovision was not without challenges. Political and security tensions linked to the Gaza conflict were strongly felt backstage during the competition. Nevertheless, the broadcaster hopes that the upcoming year will be calmer. The decision to continue collaborating with Keshet also stems from financial considerations. This agreement significantly reduces the broadcaster’s expenses related to preparing for the contest, including delegation security, travel, video clip production, and stage performance. These savings allow more resources to be invested in new and original content outside of Eurovision.
“HaKokhav HaBa LaEurovision”, broadcast on Keshet 12, remains Israel’s leading music reality competition. Auditions for the upcoming season have already begun, with the show expected to premiere after the Jewish High Holidays. Eurovision semifinals and the grand final are scheduled for broadcast in May 12th, 14th and 16th, 2026 on KAN 11, KAN BOX, the KAN’s app, and its radio networks. The hope now is that Israel’s representative will be able to compete safely and continue the country’s remarkable Eurovision success story.
הצגת פוסט זה באינסטגרם
Israel at Eurovision 2025
“New Day Will Rise” is the song performed by Yuval Raphael, who was chosen to represent Israel after winning the 11th season of “HaKokhav HaBa”. Israel advanced to the final after winning the second semi-final with 203 points and finished second overall with 357 points in the grand final. Israel ranked first in the public vote but only 14th with the jury. This marks the third consecutive year that Israel has reached the top five – an unprecedented achievement.
Eurovision 2026: This will be Israel’s 48th participation in Eurovision. Israel joined the contest in 1973 and has won four times. Its most recent victory was at Eurovision 2018 with the song “Toy”, performed by singer Netta Barzilai.
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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.
