Moldova: The Entry for Eurovision 2026 Will Be Chosen Through “Etapa Nationala”

The Moldovan national broadcaster TRM announced at a press conference that it will hold its traditional national final, “Etapa Nationala”, to select Moldova’s Eurovision 2026 entry.

The Moldovan national broadcaster TRM officially confirmed Moldova’s participation in Eurovision 2026, following its dramatic withdrawal from the contest last year during the late stages of preparation. The broadcaster also confirmed the return of its traditional “Etapa Nationala”, which will determine the Moldovan entry for the Eurovision stage in Vienna, Austria.

Last year, Moldova withdrew from the contest due to disagreements concerning the quality of its national selection and financial considerations. Before withdrawing, the national broadcaster had already held an audition day for the national final, featuring 26 songs, and even set a date and participant list for the final before the withdrawal announcement was made official.

This year, the broadcaster seems determined to avoid past mistakes. The participation confirmation was sent alongside a detailed email to local artists, outlining plans for collaboration with the national broadcaster to produce a high-quality, professionally organized selection process.

The results of a recent internal meeting were published today, confirming that this year’s “Etapa Nationala” will be produced by Serghei Orlov and Roman Burlaca, two highly respected producers in Moldova’s music industry. The network emphasized its goal of raising the technical and artistic standard of the selection process.

The submission window for Moldova’s “Etapa Nationala” will open on November 7th and remain open for 30 days. The judging panel will consist of 20 music professionals — 5 international experts and 15 Moldovan judges. It appears that Moldova is taking its Eurovision comeback seriously and is committed to delivering a more polished and competitive national selection compared to past editions.

Moldova at Eurovision: Distinct Identity and Style

Moldova has participated in Eurovision 19 times without achieving a victory, missing only one contest. In 2020, it planned to compete with Natalia Gordienko and her song “Prison”, but the contest was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and Gordienko returned the following year.

Moldova’s absence from the most recent contest marked the first time the country had ever skipped the event. Its debut came in 2005 with Zdob Si Zdub’s “Boonika bate doba” (in English: “Grandma beats the drum”), finishing in sixth place. Since then, Moldova’s results have fluctuated widely. Its best-ever result came in 2017 when Sunstroke Project placed third with “Hey Mamma”.

Moldova is known for showcasing songs that feature local musical flavors, proudly doing so in 2005, 2009, 2012, 2018, 2022, and 2023, achieving a place in the final each time – many of its best results were tied to songs with ethnic influences.

Aside from missing the top prize, Moldova has experienced nearly every position on the scoreboard – from third to last place. In 19 appearances since 2005, Moldova has qualified for 13 finals, with one notable non-qualification streak between 2014 and 2016, reaching its lowest result in 2014 with a last-place finish. Conversely, the country placed in the top half of the scoreboard in 2005, 2007, 2011–2013, 2017–2018, and 2021–2022. Currently, Moldova’s Eurovision outlook remains pretty underwhelming since its last participation ended its recent qualification streak.

Moldova has never won Eurovision and has reached the Top 5 only once, in 2017. with four additional Top 10 finishes – 6th place in Eurovision 2005, 7th place in Eurovision 2022, and another twice finishing 10th, in Eurovision 2007 and Eurovision 2018.