Romania’s national broadcaster TVR confirms participation in Eurovision 2026, to be held in Vienna, Austria. The selection method for Romania’s 2026 representative has yet to be announced.
Romania’s national broadcaster, TVR, has officially announced that Romania will take part in Eurovision 2026, which will be held in Vienna, Austria. Romania becomes the 30th country to express interest in joining Eurovision 2026, following Albania, Australia, Azerbaijan, Croatia, Cyprus, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Israel, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Moldova, Montenegro, Norway, Portugal, San Marino, Serbia, Sweden, Switzerland, Ukraine, the United Kingdom, and the host country, Austria.
Dan Turturică, Head of Romania’s national broadcaster, stated:
“We proposed Romania’s return to the Eurovision Song Contest after two years of absence because we now better understand what went wrong in the relationship between TVR, the music industry, and the artists. We have identified the changes required to ensure a more competitive selection process and performances that match the scale of the event, allowing us to consistently improve the quality of our entries. Since Eurovision is a collective effort, we devoted significant time to aligning the expectations and contributions of everyone involved, ensuring Romania’s best possible representation. Finally, we appreciate the European Broadcasting Union’s understanding and its willingness to adapt the invitation to our broadcaster’s current challenges. It shows genuine interest in Romania’s presence in this global television event”.
In July, it was reported that Romania’s national broadcaster received a formal invitation to take part in the international songwriting camp “Normania”, a program focusing on collaboration between Romanian, Norwegian, and international songwriters. This was widely seen as a clear signal that Romania had been seeking a new path back to the Eurovision stage.
The CEO of TVR explained that the absence from Eurovision 2024 stemmed from declining music quality submitted by record labels, many of which withdrew after changes to the national song selection format. Participation in the songwriting camp likely marked the renewal of ties between the national broadcaster, Romanian producers, and the country’s wider music scene.
How Will Romania Select Its Entry for Eurovision 2026?
Romania has traditionally chosen its Eurovision entries through “Selecția Națională”. However, given the country’s involvement in the songwriting camp, an internal selection of a song from there appears to be the most natural choice for a broadcaster seeking a creative refresh.
At this stage, it is not yet known whether Romania will revive its traditional national selection or opt for an internal process this time.
Romania’s Eurovision Journey
Romania has faced significant challenges in Eurovision over the past decade. On April 22nd, 2016, Romania was disqualified from participating in Eurovision 2016 in Stockholm due to unpaid debts to the EBU. This occurred after Ovidiu Anton was selected with his song “Moment of Silence” and had already been assigned a draw position in the second Semi-Final. Despite this setback, Romania returned to compete six more times. In 2017, Romania achieved one of its best results, finishing seventh, but subsequent years saw struggles. From 2018 to 2021, Romania failed to qualify for the final three times consecutively, those were the first three times in its history which Romania was eliminated during the semi-finals. In 2022, against all odds, Romania reached the final and placed 18th. However, Eurovision 2023 marked a painful farewell: Romania finished last in its semi-final for the first time ever and received zero points alongside San Marino.
For Eurovision 2024, Romania delayed confirming its participation while awaiting budget approvals from the Ministry of Finance. After requesting an extension, it officially announced its withdrawal on January 25th, 2024. Hopes briefly resurfaced for Eurovision 2025 when Montenegro confirmed its return after a two-year absence on August 7th, 2024. However, Romania ultimately remained absent from the participant list, marking its longest hiatus since missing three consecutive contests from 1995 to 1997. Can Romania mend fences and return for Eurovision 2026? Only time will tell…
Though Romania’s participation is not yet officially confirmed, the invitation to Normania is a positive sign of a possible comeback, and could mark a turning point in the national broadcaster’s relationship with the local music industry.
If TVR chooses to take an active part, there is real potential for higher song quality, a message of genuine change in selection policy, and a boost in Romania’s prospects for a competitive European showing.
Romania at Eurovision 2023
“D.G.T (Off and On)” is the name of the song performed by Theodor Andrei, who represented Romania in the second semi-final of Eurovision 2023, held in Liverpool, United Kingdom. The song placed last in its semi-final with zero points, sharing a tie with San Marino. This was the first time Romania finished last and received no points in the competition.
Eurovision 2026: This will be Romania’s 25th participation in Eurovision. Romania joined the contest in 1994 and achieved its best result both in Eurovision 2005 and Eurovision 2010 when Romania finished in third place.
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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.
