Time is ticking: the grand final of “HaKokhav HaBa”, which will determine the identity of Israel’s representative for Eurovision 2026, will take place on January 20th. The final will be held alongside a tense season of the Eurovision Song Contest.
The date of the grand finale of “HaKokhav HaBa” for Eurovision 2026 has been revealed: Tuesday, January 20th, live on air. In the final, Israel’s representative for Eurovision 2026 will be selected as part of the Eurovision Song Contest, winning a ticket to Vienna, Austria.
Only four contestants will reach the final, and by the end of the evening, one of them will be announced as the official Israeli representative for Eurovision 2026 — decided through a combination of audience and judges’ votes.
The Battle for Vienna
As Eurovision 2026 nears, the tension in the competition reaches its peak. In The final of “HaKokhav HaBa”, the four finalists will perform first-round songs — one each — after which one contestant will be eliminated.
The remaining three performers will then sing another song before viewers can cast their votes via the 12+ app. Voting will remain open until the final moments of the show.
At the end of the voting phase, results will be revealed step-by-step: the judges’ points, the additional judges’ scores, and finally audience votes — following the exact Eurovision scoring format. Only after this process will the name of Israel’s Eurovision 2026 representative in Vienna be revealed.
The panel of five judges, who have accompanied the season throughout, will also judge the finale: Shiri Maimon, Keren Peles, Eden Hasson, Assaf Amdursky, and Itay Levi. Each will have a significant influence on who will represent Israel on the Eurovision stage.
Israel’s Song: Full Selection Process
Meanwhile, the national broadcaster officially launched the process for selecting Israel’s Eurovision song on December 21st. According to the contest’s regulations, any Israeli songwriter registered with ACUM may submit an entry until January 26th, 2026.
Songs may be in any language but must include at least two sentences in Hebrew. Each songwriter may submit up to two songs, and one non-Israeli citizen may be credited as a composer — provided they are not one of the lyricists.
How Will Israel Choose Its Song for Eurovision 2026?
After submissions close, a professional committee will review all entries and shortlist about 40 songs for the first stage. The selection committee will include five members:
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Committee chair – the director of the broadcaster’s music stations or a delegate appointed by them
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Two music editors from the radio field
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Two representatives from television – including the head of the entertainment and culture department and another delegate
In the second phase, a representative delegation from Keshet, which airs “HaKokhav HaBa” for Eurovision 2026, will join the committee to select the final song to represent Israel at the contest.
The final on January 20th marks the end of the artist selection phase — but the battle for the chosen Eurovision song is just beginning.
HaKokhav HaBa: A Season of Record-Breaking Viewership
The previous season’s final, “HaKokhav HaBa” for Eurovision 2025, achieved exceptionally high viewership ratings — 27.7% — ranking third among Israel’s most-watched broadcasts of 2025. Only the Eurovision Grand Final (32.5%) and Channel 12’s primetime news broadcast during the hostages’ release (28.5%) surpassed it. Given these figures, expectations for the final of “HaKokhav HaBa” for Eurovision 2026 are especially high.
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.
