Kazakhstan Debuts? The EBU has announced the date on which a decision will be made regarding the Central Asian country’s participation in the Eurovision Song Contest.
Kazakhstan stands on the brink of a new chapter in its cultural history: will the Central Asian country finally join the Eurovision Song Contest? In recent years, the nation has repeatedly sought to enter the European music competition, though its request has remained unresolved. According to the Ministry of Culture in Kazakhstan, the EBU will reconsider the matter only at the beginning of 2026, possibly giving a decisive answer – whether Kazakhstan will become the first Central Asian country to compete in Eurovision.
In 2022, the national broadcaster Khabar Agency expressed interest in joining Eurovision, but the request was denied. This time, discussions with the EBU continue, though a final decision is still pending. During the EBU’s annual conference in July, the head of Kazakhstan’s national broadcaster announced that he “wishes to bring the issue of participation back to the table”. One of the main barriers, however, remains financial – each participating country must allocate a significant budget, and Kazakhstan has yet to confirm the necessary funding through its national broadcaster.
If Kazakhstan’s participation is approved, its anticipated debut would likely occur at Eurovision 2027, rather than the upcoming 2026 edition.
Since 2016, Khabar Agency has been classified as an “associate member” of the EBU rather than a full member. This means it must receive a formal invitation from the Union to take part in Eurovision. The only other broadcaster holding similar status and later invited was the Australian broadcaster SBS, initially for the 2015 contest as a one-time guest. Following its strong reception, Australia became a regular Eurovision participant through an extended agreement with the EBU.
Kazakhstan has participated in the Junior Eurovision Song Contest since 2018, following a direct invitation from the EBU. The country regularly broadcast the main Eurovision contest from 2010 to 2021, but in 2022, it chose not to air the event due to consistently low ratings – largely because the live broadcast begins at 02:00 AM local time. Additionally, as Kazakhstan is not an official participant, the high broadcasting costs have not justified the limited viewership.
Watch Kazakhstan’s song at Junior Eurovision 2019 – second place
Eurovision 2026: The 70th Eurovision Song Contest will be held in Austria, following the country’s third historic win with the song “Wasted Love” performed by JJ. This will be the third time the contest is hosted in Austria, after 1967 and 2015.
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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.
