San Marino’s national broadcaster, SMRTV, has revealed the 240 participants competing in San Marino Song Contest 2026, featuring several well-known artists.
SMRTV has published the full lineup of artists set to compete in “San Marino Song Contest 2026” – the selection that will determine the country’s representative for Eurovision 2026 in Vienna, Austria. This year’s selection includes an impressive 240 participants from 27 different countries, among them numerous names that recognizable to the Eurovision fans. How will the selection process work? Who are the familiar names returning to the competition scene? All the details are below.
How Will the Selection’s Format Work?
All 240 participants were divided into eight heats, each featuring 30 contestants. From each heat, five artists will advance to the semi-finals – narrowing the list to just 40 acts.
Out of these, ten semi-finalists will qualify for the Grand Final. Ten additional “established” artists will join the finalists, who will be announced during a press conference held in Sanremo, Italy, on February 26th.
The winner of San Marino Song Contest 2026 will be chosen solely by a professional jury, as in previous years. The 2026 panel will feature five judges (one more than last year) including notable figures from the European music and radio industries.
Familiar Faces Returning to the Eurovision Stage
A number of recognizable Eurovision and national selection veterans appear on this year’s contestant list:
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Heat 1:
PolarAce – Competed in last year’s Slovenian selection, placing tenth with “Kind”.
Magdalena Tul – Represented Poland at Eurovision 2011 with “Jestem”, but failed to qualify for the final.
Zeleno – Participated in Moldova’s Selecția Națională 2026 auditions but did not reach the final; also attempted to enter Ukraine’s selection without success.
Xannova Xan – Submitted a song to Sing For Greece 2026 featuring Israeli collaborators Keren Peles and Tomer Biran, but the entry was ultimately disqualified due to internal disputes. -
Heat 2:
Elysa – Frequent participant in Estonia’s Eesti Laul, competing in 2015, 2022, 2023, and 2025. -
Heat 4:
Maraaya – Represented Slovenia in Eurovision 2015, finishing 14th in the Grand Final with “Here For You.”
Viola Gjyzeli – Represented Albania in Junior Eurovision 2023 with “Bota Ime”, placing eighth. -
Heat 7:
Sheila – Finished third in Albania’s Festivali i Këngës 64 with “Zemra e Tokës”.
With such a diverse and competitive lineup, San Marino’s 2026 pre-selection is shaping up to be one of the most intriguing national contests of the Eurovision season.
“San Marino Song Contest” Key Dates:
- Semi-final 1 – Monday, March 2nd, 2026.
- Semi-final 2 – Tuesday, March 3rd, 2026.
- Grand Final – Friday, March 6th, 2026.
San Marino at Eurovision 2025
“Tutta L’Italia” (in English: “All of Italy”) is the song that Gabry Ponte has performed to represent San Marino at Eurovision 2025 in Basel, Switzerland. He finished 10th in the semi-final and qualified with 46 points, for the fourth time ever for San Marino. In the final, Ponte came 26th and last with 27 points only.
Eurovision 2026: This will be San Marino’s 16th participation in the Eurovision Song Contest. San Marino joined the competition in 2008 and achieved its best result in Eurovision 2019 when the singer Serhat finished in 19th place with the song “Say Na Na Na”.
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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.
