“HaKokhav HaBa” – Episode 1: The new season of “HaKokhav HaBa” for Eurovision 2026 began tonight. Five contestants passed to the next round. The advancing contestants are Alona Erez, Daniel Shevtsov, Gili Tsanaani, Tzahala Gazit, and Agam Hazan.
“HaKokhav HaBa” for Eurovision 2026 – Here we start!!! The new season of “HaKokhav HaBa” officially kicked off tonight, bringing a wave of excitement both in the studio and among viewers at home. The season premiere promises once again to deliver the perfect blend of music, talent, and hope – to find Israel’s next Eurovision star, who might finally bring the long-awaited victory.
The episode opened with a touching look back at Yuval Raphael’s journey to last year’s Eurovision Song Contest. Raphael then took the stage to perform a short segment from her song, which captivated the international audience and secured Israel an impressive second place in Basel.
This season’s well-known judges returned to the panel: Assaf Amdursky, Keren Peles, Shiri Maimon, Eden Hasson, and Itay Levi. As before – each contestant must surpass the 70% vote threshold to move forward, with each judge holding 12% of the overall vote.
During the premiere episode, six auditions were presented. Out of them, five contestants successfully advanced to the next round thanks to the combined support of the judges and the studio audience. One of these contestants might ultimately become the artist to represent Israel proudly at Eurovision 2026, in Vienna, Austria.
Agam Hazan
17 year-old Agam Hazan from Ashkelon has dreamed of becoming a singer since childhood, when she began taking vocal lessons. Often compared to Roni Dalumi’s younger double, she can clearly imagine herself performing on the Eurovision stage. For her first audition, Hazan chose to sing the ballad “Never Enough” (originally by Loren Allred). Her voice is precise, warm, and soothing, effortlessly gliding between low and high notes in an exceptionally challenging song. A wonderful start to the season – keep an eye on Agam, as she has a bright future in the competition.
Itay commented:
“Perfect. Precise, modest, simply beautiful – and you’re beautiful too! I think you’re going to the finals!”
Shiri told:
“I recognized tremendous potential. It wasn’t perfect at all. I heard notes and moments where you could do a thousand times better. I’m so glad you came, but there’s vocal work here that can take you to crazy heights. You’re very young, but you’re going to be a powerhouse”.
All five judges voted in her favor. Agam received 94% of the votes and advanced to the next stage.
Uriya Cohen and Itamar Ohana
17 year-old high school seniors Uriya Cohen from Kfar Haruv and Itamar Ohana from Puriya Illit began singing and creating music together three years ago. For their audition, they chose to perform “Ze Ma SheNish’ar” (originally by Israel’s representative for Eurovision 1975, Shlomo Artzi). They opened the song with confidence, pleasant harmonies, a guitar solo, and surprising charisma – but their slight lack of polish ultimately worked against them. Is this the style Israel should send to Eurovision? Probably not. They have significant talent but lack the necessary experience.
Keren told the duo:
“I think there’s something about you that tells our story (as Israelis) from a different angle. You’re two young guys. Everything here is about brotherhood, camaraderie, and friendship. And what could represent that better than you on a stage like Eurovision?”
Assaf voted against them but added:
“Your desire to work together – keep it up. Show people that there are young people your age who make music together, and it’s good, fun, and a great example”.
Assaf and Shiri voted against them. Uriya and Itamar received 60% of the votes and did not advance to the next round.
Tzahala Gazit
23 year-old Tzahala Gazit from Kfar Kedar Farm near Ma’ale Adumim is a shepherdess, musician, DJ, singer, and café manager. Coming from a religious background, she received her mother’s support to perform in front of men, viewing it as her personal mission to bring her art to the world. For her audition, she arrived with a traditional string instrument called a kamancheh and chose to perform “Al Kol Eleh” (originally by Naomi Shemer). Gazit brings world music to The Next Star stage with a unique and beautiful arrangement. Her voice is precise and pure. It was an impressive audition, leaving viewers curious to see what she will present later in the season.
Eden commented:
“There was a very, very nice flow of energy here. I’d really love for you to bring something with a beat next time – something that moves”.
Assaf noted:
“You’re very special. It’s not just your tone – it’s the whole atmosphere of what you bring and represent. Technically it wasn’t perfect. I’m very curious to see what you’ll do on this stage and how you’ll navigate your way into what’s called Eurovision. It’s going to be interesting”.
All five judges voted in her favor. Tzahala received 90% of the votes and advanced to the next round.
Gili Tsanaani
17.5 year-old Gili Tsanaani from Rehovot once struggled with social anxiety and low self-confidence, which is why she chose to perform the song “All I Want” (originally by Olivia Rodrigo) for her audition. “Music is the cure”, she says. Gili clarified that she has no relation to the singer Margol (originally named: Margalit Tsanaani). The moment she opened her mouth – wow! Her unique voice, flawless R&B vocal runs, and impeccable control were absolutely stunning. What a performance! It’s safe to say this is when the season truly kicked off.
Dana International joined as a guest judge for this performance, and said:
“You have the voice of a nightingale. You still have so much to show us. If you came to this first audition lacking confidence while holding this kind of power, then you have a long way to go – and you’re going to surprise us”.
Assaf added:
“You sing beautifully. You photograph wonderfully and look amazing – a gorgeous girl who will become a beautiful woman. The name Gili Tsanaani is amazing – it’s a star’s name”.
All five judges voted in her favor. Gili received 93% of the votes and advanced to the next round.
Daniel Shevtsov
28 year-old Daniel Shevtsov, originally from Netanya and now living in Tel Aviv, serves as a military lawyer in the IDF. His mother is an opera singer, his father is a musician, and his parents met while performing in a Ukrainian folk band. Daniel decided to audition after seeing Marina Maximilian perform with a piano and xylophone during her audition in the fifth season of “Kokhav Nolad”. He believes that shows like The Next Star provide a meaningful platform for unique individuals. For his audition, Daniel chose to perform “Make You Feel My Love” (originally by Adele) while playing the piano. He is very talented and charismatic, displaying a virtuosity reminiscent of Elton John. It was a solid performance.
Itay remarked:
“You’re a rascal. You’re a wonderful musician. I tried to find your voice – it was hard to locate within everything that was going on. It was good, but I feel you could do even better if you detached from the piano and just stood with the microphone”.
Shiri added:
“There were moments of magic in your performance. Some parts I didn’t love, because as a viewer, you don’t always enjoy seeing the effort. But overall, it was a full-house performance. You surprised me”.
All five judges voted in his favor. Daniel received 88% of the votes and advanced to the next stage.
Alona Erez
17 year-old Alona Erez from Tel Aviv studies jazz at the Ironi Aleph High School. She is the daughter of Israel Erez, the vocalist and founder of the Tel Aviv indie-rock band MONOTALK, which was active in the 1990s. In the past, she performed live with Miri Mesika. For her audition, Alona chose to sing “At Last” (originally by Etta James) and dedicated the song to the hostages who have returned home. She captivated the audience with her distinctive vocal abilities, power, and charisma. A star was born? Time will tell.
Shiri told Alona:
“I loved something about your calm. We talk so much here about performance and Eurovision – but there’s something noble about your quiet. When you sang ‘When you smiled,’ you smiled from within – and it was heard! Delivering a text like that is thrilling!”
Keren added:
“You truly moved me. You’re 17, and it’s not just that you’re mature – you’ve been through so much, your whole generation has. When you sang, it deeply touched me”.
All five judges voted in her favor. Alona received 96% of the votes and advanced to the next round.
“HaKokhav HaBa” for Eurovision
Ahead of Eurovision 2026, the Israeli national broadcaster decided to continue its collaboration with Keshet 12 in selecting the next Israeli representative for the contest. This partnership between the broadcaster and Keshet has brought Israel seven consecutive qualifications to the Grand Final, highlighted by Netta Barzilai’s victory with the song “Toy”, which brought Eurovision to Israel.
We’ll be here throughout the entire season, reporting on all the latest news, updates, and predictions – stay tuned!
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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.
