Austrian-Mexican singer Tamara Flores has announced her sudden withdrawal from “Vienna Calling 2026”. What are the reasons for her surprising withdrawal, and who will replace her? The full story below.
About two months before “Vienna Calling – Wer singt für Österreich” airs in Austria, Latin pop singer Tamara Flores has abruptly decided to withdraw from the race for representing Austria at Eurovision 2026. Tamara was supposed to participate with the song “Chingona” (in English: “Tough Girl”), but she decided to step down from the competition due to unspecified personal reasons.
As confirmed, Tamara’s withdrawal stems from personal matters that have not been detailed. She will be replaced by 35-year-old Austrian singer Sidrit Vokshi, who will perform his emotional pop ballad “Wenn ich rauche” (in English: “When I Smoke”). The song tells the story of heartbreak — a man who spends night after night alone in bars, reopening old wounds from the past. Will he succeed in earning the right to represent Austria at the upcoming competition? Only time will tell.
This isn’t the first withdrawal this year. Another contestant pulled out of Moldova’s national selection “Selecția Națională 2026”. It was revealed that two singers were set to compete with nearly identical songs. One of these performers, the singer Dana Marchitan, announced two days ago her withdrawal from the national selection due to the unexpected development. Marchitan shared on social media that she is not prepared to participate this year following the incident.
“Vienna Calling 2026” Contestants
- Anna-Sophie – “Superhuman”
- Bamlak Werner – “We Are Not Just One Thing”
- Cosmó – “Tanzschein”
- David Kurt – “Pockets Full of Snow”
- Frevd – “Riddle”
- Julia Steen – “Julia”
- Kayla Krystin – “I brenn”
- Lena Schaur – “Painted Reality”
- Nikotin – “Unsterblich”
- Philip Piller – “Das Leben ist Kunst”
- Reverend Stomp – “Mescalero Ranger”
- Sidrit Vokshi – “Wenn ich rauche”
“Vienna Calling 2026” Contestants – Who Are You?
Anna-Sophie: One of the most prominent voices on the list, the 25-year-old already boasts over two million Spotify streams with songs like “Attack Without Warning” and “Breathe”. Her debut album “Farewell” was released in October 2023, and she hopes to win the national final with her song “Superhuman”.
Bamlak Werner: The 24-year-old multi-talented artist with Ethiopian roots easily moves between jazz, pop, and rock. The charismatic vocalist, known online as Cloudhead, is also a dance competition winner and vocal coach. With his pop song “We Are Not Just One Thing”, he aims for the grand stage in May.
Cosmo: A 19-year-old Viennese talent who wants to represent Austria this year alongside his “friend” Sandro. Their song “Tanzschein” humorously addresses the fatigue of endless club dancing — though it remains to be seen whether it will get the crowd moving.
David Kurt: Taking a softer approach, David Kurt focuses on folk rock and catchy pop melodies. He sometimes tours with his backing band The Stonelake Substance, but now tries his luck solo with the heartfelt ballad “Pockets Full of Snow” and his distinctive tone.
Frevd Band: Five masked men with no social media presence other than their logo — the mysterious Viennese heavy rock band Frevd, named after Sigmund Freud. His influence reportedly appears within their song “Riddle”. The use of a “v” instead of a “u” in their name might distinguish them from another long-running Viennese band called Freud.
Julia Steen: At 23, Julia is already familiar to Austrian audiences. She participated in “Starmania 21” and reached the finals. Since then, she’s built a large fan base through her German pop music. Her new single “Julia” is expected to boost her popularity even further.
Kayla Krystin: Bringing country-pop vibes from Tyrol, she has already enjoyed considerable success in Australia and the U.S. with English-language songs. Now, she hopes to win the local final with “I brenn”.
Lena Schaur: The 22-year-old is considered one of the most promising names in Austrian pop. In July, she impressively won the Soundcheck talent competition hosted by César Sampson. For “Vienna Calling”, she intends to win over the audience on an even grander stage with her song “Painted Reality”.
Nikotin: Some might recall Austrian legend Falco — a clear influence on the Viennese singer Nikotin, who often draws inspiration from him. His entry “Unsterblich” explores “the duality of heaven and hell”.
Philip Piller: Considered a long-shot favorite for Eurovision, Philip has been associated with the contest for years. Like Steen and last year’s winner Johannes Pietsch (JJ), he was part of the “Starmania 2021” generation, known for his powerful voice. With “Life is Art”, he strives to win “Vienna Calling” and represent Austria.
Reverend Stomp: The Viennese performer brings something completely different. His song “Mescalero Ranger” blends country blues with surf rock. “Performing on the big stage will be a real challenge — and something completely new”, the band noted.
Sidrit Vokshi: Sidrit is the singer who will replace Latin artist Tamara Flores. He is an Austrian singer living in Vienna. His song is a heartfelt pop ballad about heartbreak.
“Vienna Calling”: The Audience Votes Again
So what does the selection process look like in the coming months? After more than 460 songs were submitted, the broadcaster’s team held intensive listening sessions. Together with the three talent scouts (Sampson, Forcher and Schreiber), they compiled a shortlist of the 30 strongest entries.
These 30 artists were invited to internal live auditions at ORF’s facilities at the end of November, where they had to demonstrate both their vocal abilities and stage presence. From this group, 12 artists will be chosen to compete in the “Vienna Calling” grand final.
In the most significant change since 2016, Austria is returning to a national final format in which viewers at home will once again have a vote and real influence on the outcome, alongside a professional jury.
The grand final of “Vienna Calling – Wer singt für Österreich?” will be broadcast live on ORF 1 on Friday, February 20th, 2026, at 20:15 CET.
Austria at Eurovision 2025
JJ, a 23-year-old opera singer, represented Austria at Eurovision 2025 with the song “Wasted Love“, after being internally selected by the national broadcaster ORF. JJ won Eurovision, finishing in first place with 436 points: 258 from the juries, ranking first, and 178 from the public, ranking fourth. Among these were 8 points from the Israeli public and 6 points from the Israeli jury.
JJ’s victory marks Austria’s third win in Eurovision history, following Udo Jürgens in 1966 with “Merci, Cherie” and Conchita Wurst in 2014 with “Rise Like a Phoenix”.
Eurovision 2026: This will be Austria’s 58th participation in Eurovision. Austria joined the competition in 1957 and has won three times over the years. Austria’s last victory was in Eurovision 2025 with the song “Wasted Love” performed by singer JJ.
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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.
