According to Greek media, “Sing For Greece 2026”, originally set for February 3rd, 5th, and 7th, has been postponed by a week. Will Greece join the four shows held on Valentine’s Day?
According to Greek media, “Sing For Greece 2026” – originally planned for February 3rd, 5th, and 7th – has been rescheduled to the following week. The national final will feature two semi-finals and a grand final, with the winner representing Greece at Eurovision 2026 in Vienna, Austria.
Greek media reported that the national broadcaster decided to delay the “Sing For Greece 2026” shows, which were originally scheduled for February 3rd, 5th, and 7th. According to the reports, organizers wanted to avoid holding the event on February 14th – Valentine’s Day – which already features four other national finals (Poland, Denmark, Latvia and Estonia), and to steer clear of the Greek holiday Tsiknopempti, which falls on that Thursday, February 12th. As a result, it is likely that the grand final will be held on Friday or Sunday, while the semi-finals are expected to take place on Monday or Wednesday (first semi-final) and Wednesday or Friday (second semi-final).
It was also recently revealed that the 28 songs competing in “Sing For Greece 2026” will be unveiled in two stages. On Saturday, January 17th, 14 songs from the first semi-final will be released, followed by the remaining 14 entries from the second semi-final on Sunday, January 18th. The songs will premiere on the television program EurovisionGR, broadcast by the Greek national broadcaster ERT.
“Sing for Greece 2026”: Semi-Final Allocation
First Semi-Final:
- Alexandra Sieti – The Other Side
- THE Astrolabe – Drop It
- Desi G – Aphrodite
- Akylas – Ferto
- Evangelia – Paréa
- Panagiotis Tsakalakos – 2nd Chance
- Niya – Slipping Away
- Marseaux – Khánomai
- Rosanna Mailan – Alma
- STEFI – Europa
- Revery – The Songwriter
- Dinamiss – Chaos
- STYLIANOS – You & I
- Spheyiaa – Khília kommátia (1000 pieces)
Second Semi-Final:
- Rikki – AGAPI
- Garvin – Back in the Game
- Mikay – Labyrinth
- Marika – Daughters of the Sun (A, E, I, O, U)
- D3lta – Mad About It
- ZAF – Asteio
- Kianna – No More Drama
- Stella Kay – You Are The Fire
- Tianora – Antello
- Victoria Anastasia – Whatcha Doin To Me
- Basilica – Set Everything on Fire
- Good Job Nicky – Dark Side of the Moon
- Koza Mostra – Bulletproof
- leroybroughtflowers – SABOTAGE!
Among the Finalists – Many Familiar Names:
Koza Mostra – represented Greece at the Eurovision Song Contest 2013 together with Agathonas Iakovidis with the song “Alcohol Is Free”, finishing in sixth place.- Evangelia – competed in the Greek national selection last year with the song “Vále” and finished in second place.
- Dinamiss – took part in the Greek national selection last year with the song “Odyssey” and finished in fourth place.
- Rikki – took part in the Greek national selection last year with the song “Elevator (Up and Down)” and finished in seventh place.
- Good Job Nicky – competed in the Greek internal selection for Eurovision 2022.
How Were the Songs for “Sing for Greece 2026” Chosen?
All the songs submitted for a chance to represent Greece in the upcoming contest were reviewed by a seven-member committee. Of these, only two members are representatives of the national broadcaster ERT, a decision made to ensure transparency and diversity of opinions. However, the names of the committee members will be published only after the song reveals, in order to maintain objectivity in the selection process.
During the national selection, the Greek representative who will perform on the main stage in Vienna, Austria will be chosen. As a reminder, the song submission window was open between September 17th and November 2nd. It was also revealed that on the final day of the submission window alone, no fewer than 100 songs were sent. Moreover, 200 songs were submitted during just the last five days of the submission period!
This year saw a significant surge in the number of songs submitted to represent Greece at Eurovision. A total of 264 songs were received – compared to 187 last year – marking an increase of 77 songs. This upward trend highlights the growing public interest in Eurovision, most likely fueled by Greece’s success in the previous contest with Klavdia and her song “Asteromáta” (in English: “Starry Eyes”), which secured sixth place. It was Greece’s best result since 2013, when Koza Mostra and Agathonas Iakovidis also finished in sixth place.
Expanded Format: Major Changes in “Ethnikos Telikos”
Last year’s “Ethnikos Telikos” was a massive success within Greece and beyond, with the January 30th, 2025 broadcast achieving the highest TV ratings in Greece for 15 years. The contest’s winner, Klavdia, brought Greece an impressive sixth place at Eurovision 2025, matching the country’s 2013 achievement – one not matched until this year.
According to information we got from Eurovisionfun, the “Ethnikos Telikos” expands this year to include two Semi-Finals in addition to the Final. 28 songs will compete: 14 in each Semi-Final. The outcome in the Semi-Finals will be determined solely by the public, who will select seven qualifiers from each Semi-Final for the Final. In the Final, 14 entries will compete, with voting once again split 50-50 between juries – equally divided between a domestic and an international panel – and the public. According to the broadcaster:
“Through an upgraded and open-to-all process, including two Semi-Finals and one Final, ERT moves forward with selecting the song and artist that will represent our country in the 70th Eurovision Song Contest. This follows the successful organization of last January’s national final and Greece’s excellent 6th place at Eurovision 2025, which achieved record ratings of the last 15 years. Specifically, up to 28 songs will compete across two Semi-Finals, from which 14 will qualify for the National Final, decided exclusively by the public. In the National Final, the winning song will be determined by both the audience and the juries, granting the performer the ticket to Vienna, where the 70th Eurovision Song Contest will take place in May 2026”.
Greece at Eurovision 2025
“Asteromáta” (in English: “Eyes of Stars”) is the song performed by Klavdia, who represented Greece in the grand final of Eurovision 2025. Greece qualified to the grand final after finishing fourth in the second semi-final, with 112 points. In the grand final, Greece finished sixth in the grand final with 231 points, finishing eighth in both jury’s & public’s votes.
The sixth place that Greece achieved is considered the country’s best result since 2013 — when it ranked sixth as well.
Eurovision 2026: This will be Greece’s 46th participation in Eurovision. Greece joined the competition in 1974 and achieved its best result in Eurovision 2005 when singer Helena Paparizou won first place with the song “My Number One”.
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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.
