Tonight begins Israel’s search for its Eurovision 2026 representative. The first episode of the auditions of “HaKokhav HaBa” airs at 20:30 CET, hosted by Assi Azar and Rotem Sela.
The official journey to select Israel’s Eurovision 2026 artist starts tonight. While the EBU has not yet finalized Israel’s participation, the twelfth season of “HaKokhav HaBa” launches with a premiere episode immediately following the evening news. Filming began a month ago with audition stages that will be broadcast in the coming weeks. The show airs on Keshet 12 and Mako LIVE.
Hosts and Judges
Assi Azar and Rotem Sela will continue hosting the twelfth season, expected to conclude in early February. Joining them on the judges’ panel are Assaf Amdursky, Shiri Maimon, Keren Peles, Itay Levi, and Eden Hasson, who previously served as judges when Yuval Raphael was chosen as Israel’s Eurovision representative. This season, Israel’s representative will open the show.
Throughout the season, “guest judges” will be featured. Each episode includes guest appearances by stars such as Dana International, Netta Barzilai, and others.
Enduring Success of “HaKokhav HaBa”
“HaKokhav HaBa” returns to television after Keshet and the Israeli Public Broadcasting Corporation reached an agreement to continue collaborating. This marks the ninth time both entities have worked together to select Israel’s Eurovision entry. The decision to persist with this joint format follows the remarkable achievements of Eden Golan and Yuval Raphael, Israel’s Eurovision representatives in 2024 and 2025. Raphael, last season’s winner, achieved a phenomenal second place at Eurovision 2025, capturing the top spot in the audience vote. Golan, winner in 2024, remains one of Israel’s standout Eurovision participants.
Since the collaboration between KAN and Keshet began in 2015, every Israeli representative chosen on the show has reached the Eurovision final. Highlights include Netta Barzilai’s 2018 win with “Toy”, which brought the contest back to Israel.
Economic and Creative Impacts
The continued partnership between KAN and Keshet stems in part from economic considerations, allowing significant cost savings in preparations for the contest, such as music video production, travel, delegation security, and stage performance. These savings are redirected towards creating new, original content for KAN 11.
Ratings Milestones
The program’s success is evident in viewership data. The last season was the most-watched since 2019, with an average audience rating of 20%. The grand final achieved a 27.7% rating, representing around 774,000 viewers — the highest numbers in the show’s history.
Eurovision 2025’s final in Israel achieved a 32% TV rating with 939,000-993,000 viewers, slightly below 2024’s numbers. Additionally, there were half a million accesses via Kan’s digital platforms.
Challenges and Expectations
Despite the success, the last Eurovision was not without challenges. Political and security tensions due to the war in Gaza were keenly felt behind the scenes. Nevertheless, the broadcaster hopes that next year’s contest will go more smoothly. The decision to continue the collaboration with Keshet was also motivated by economic considerations. Working together allows the broadcaster to save the significant costs associated with preparing for the contest, securing and sending the delegation, producing the music video, and organizing the live performance. These savings allow the broadcaster to invest in new, high-quality, original content not related to Eurovision.
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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A writer and content creator in the field of Eurovision, a commentator with extensive expertise in the modern era of the contest. Adiel’s vast knowledge and familiarity with Eurovision are reflected in every article, ensuring professional and up-to-date content. He closely follows song releases and various Eurovision pre-events. Adiel has a fondness for cultures and new languages, which he discovered through his love of Eurovision. In his writing, he places great emphasis on professional commentary and a diversity of opinions.
