The Luxembourgish national broadcaster RTL confirmed that 83 songs were submitted for the “Luxembourg Song Contest 2026”, which will determine Luxembourg’s representative at Eurovision 2026 in Vienna, Austria.
The national broadcaster RTL has confirmed today (Friday), that 83 songs, representing 58 artists, were submitted for “Luxembourg Song Contest 2026”. Last year, around 60 artists applied, marking a decline of two participants compared to the previous year – continuing a downward trend seen since 2024. Out of thr 83 songs, the list of official contestants who will compete for the ticket to Eurovision 2026, to be held in Vienna, Austria, will be revealed next Thursday, October 30th.
What Should We Know About the Luxembourg Song Contest?
The Luxembourgish national broadcaster RTL confirmed its participation in Eurovision 2026 on June 10th, 2025, and only two days ago (Wednesday) announced that it would not support Israel’s disqualification from the upcoming contest.
Registration for the national selection opened on July 4th and closed on September 21st. Final auditions for the national final are scheduled for October 24th–26th, after which a professional jury of five members will select the official contenders. The jury panel will include Norwegian singer-songwriter Elsie Bay, Icelandic executive producer Gisli Berg, Swedish Eurovision 2024 producer Karin Gunnarsson, French songwriter and musical theatre-writer Ludovic-Alexandre Vidal, and British Eurovision commentator Paul Jordan. The committee will publish its results on Thursday, October 30th.
The final of “Luxembourg Song Contest 2026” will take place on Saturday, January 24th, at the Rockhal Concert Hall in Esch-Sur-Alzette, Luxembourg. The same venue that hosted the 2024 and 2025 editions. The third edition will maintain its established format: live performances before a public audience, with results determined equally by jury (50%) and audience (50%) votes to decide who will represent Luxembourg at Eurovision.
Luxembourg at Eurovision: Eurovision’s Longest Comeback
Luxembourg has participated in Eurovision 39 times, being one of the seven founding countries that took part in the first contest in 1956. The country competed regularly until 1993, missing only Eurovision 1959. Luxembourg boasts five victories – in 1961, 1965, 1972, 1973, and 1983 – none by a native-born artist. Notably, Vicky Leandros was born in Greece, while the other four winners were born in France.
Luxembourg holds the record for the longest absence in Eurovision history – 31 years – surpassing Monaco’s 25-year absence before returning in 2004, when their last participation was in Eurovision 1979 in Jerusalem.
Luxembourg’s last participation before its 31-year break was in 1993, represented by the band Modern Times with the song “Donne-moi une chance” (in English: “Give Me a Chance”), sung both in French and Luxembourgish languages, and placed 20th with 11 points. Following that disappointing result, Luxembourg withdrew from the EBU and left the contest for over three decades.
Luxembourg announced its return to the contest on May 12th, 2023, rejoining Eurovision 2024 in Malmö, Sweden. The entry was selected through “Luxembourg Song Contest”, where Tali Golergant won with the song “Fighter”, which finished 13th with 103 points. After this success, Luxembourg continued with another edition for Eurovision 2025 in Basel, Switzerland, where Laura Thorn triumphed with the song “La poupée monte le son”, finishing 22nd with 47 points.
Luxembourg in Eurovision 2025
“La poupée monte le son” (in English: “The Doll Turns Up the Sound”) is the title of the song performed by Laura Thorn, who represented Luxembourg at Eurovision 2025 in Basel, Switzerland. Luxembourg qualified for the final from seventh place in the semi-final with 62 points and finished 22nd in the final with 47 points – 23 from the jury and 24 from the public.
Eurovision 2026: This will be Luxembourg’s 40th participation in Eurovision. Luxembourg joined the competition in 1956, was one of the seven founding countries, and has won it five times over the years. Luxembourg’s last victory was at Eurovision 1983 with the song “Si la vie est cadeau” performed by singer Corinne Hermès. In 2024, Luxembourg returned to the competition after a 31-year absence.
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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.
