Cyprus’ Representative opens up about representing her homeland at Eurovision 2026, her cultural roots, and her wish for a vibrant song with Cypriot lyrics
Antigoni, Cyprus’ representative at the Eurovision 2026 Song Contest, was officially announced on Thursday, becoming the first confirmed participant for the competition to be held in Vienna, Austria.
In her first interview since the announcement, she shared her feelings about the surprising decision, her connection to Cyprus, and her expectations for the song she will perform at the contest.
“Now I’ll have even more reasons to visit Cyprus!”
“You can’t imagine how happy and proud I am to represent Cyprus”, Antigoni told the Cypriot national broadcaster CyBC news edition on Friday. “It’s something I’ve dreamed of since I was very young, and I still can’t believe it’s happening”.
Antigoni spoke about her strong ties to her homeland. “I visit Cyprus often, as much as I can, to see my grandparents – but now I’ll have even more reasons to come!”
How Will the Cypriot Song Sound?
The song Antigoni will perform in Vienna has not yet been revealed. In the interview, she expressed her hopes for it: “I’d really love to have Cypriot words in the song, something danceable, something that suits me and reflects our culture. That’s what I want to show at Eurovision. My goal is to make Cyprus proud”. The song is expected to be released in early 2026.
Who Is Antigoni?
Antigoni, originally from Cyprus, recently joined the international tour of Marina Satti, Greece’s Eurovision 2024 representative. In various interviews and social media posts, she has often voiced her wish to represent her home country at Eurovision.
She began writing songs as a teenager and studied at London’s BRIT School, which has produced artists such as Adele and Amy Winehouse. In her early twenties, she signed with Island Records and began developing her unique sound—a mix of pop and R&B infused with Mediterranean influences and Greek instruments.
Her music often features bilingual lyrics in Greek and English, reflecting her dual British and Cypriot identity.
Antigoni became widely recognized after participating in the eighth season of the British reality show Love Island in 2022, which boosted her visibility across both the UK and Cyprus. Despite her television fame, she continues to focus primarily on her musical career.
Cyprus in Eurovision 2025
“Shh” is the song performed by Theo Evan, who represented Cyprus at Eurovision 2025 in Basel, Switzerland. The song, performed in English, finished 11th in the first semi-final with 44 points and did not qualify for the final – marking the first non-qualification for Cyprus since Eurovision 2022.
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Maor Heumann has been writing about the Eurovision Song Contest and following it for over three decades. He has attended five contests and has found something to appreciate in almost every possible musical genre — from the sugary pop entries that finish last in the semi-finals to the quirky avant-garde pieces that even the competition’s juries struggled to connect with. He usually prefers original languages and songs with depth over Swedish-produced English clones — though he doesn’t promise to stick to that rule.
He grew up on the kibbutz of Sara’le Sharon, who instilled in him a love for music and created his first connection to the contest back in 1993 — before most of the current editorial team was even born.
