Poli Genova, Bulgaria’s Eurovision representative in 2011 and 2016, revealed in a television interview that she attempted to enter Bulgaria’s “Natsionalna Selektsiya 2026” but was blocked by senior decision-makers.
While public attention is currently focused on Bulgaria’s Eurovision 2026 representative, DARA, and the controversy surrounding her over the past week, one of Bulgaria’s most beloved Eurovision participants, Poli Genova, revealed in a television interview that she attempted to compete in Bulgaria’s national selection, “Natsionalna Selektsiya 2026,” but was unsuccessful.
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The singer, who brought significant acclaim to Bulgaria with her fourth-place finish in Stockholm and the country’s first qualification to the Eurovision Grand Final in nine years, revealed that she had a strong desire to return to the Eurovision stage for a third time. However, according to her, internal figures within the Bulgarian national broadcaster, BNT, prevented her plans from moving forward.
During a local television broadcast, Poli addressed the situation candidly:
“Yes, I considered taking part in the national selection this year, but there were different rules announced by the national broadcaster, under which I was not eligible to participate. It turned out that the new selection criteria were closely linked to the artists’ current presence on radio airplay. The selection was based on the 40 most-played Bulgarian artists in airplay and similar metrics. I haven’t been played on Bulgarian radio for about a year and a half, and perhaps that is why I didn’t have this opportunity.”
Despite the disappointment, Poli remained calm and optimistic, stating: “It simply wasn’t the right time. I believe that when it is meant to happen it will happen!”
A Chance for a Future Comeback?
Reflecting on memories from her career peak exactly a decade ago, Genova shared that at the time she did not chase statistics or numerical achievements, but simply enjoyed the moment. Today, however, she holds a clearly defined professional ambition:
“For me, it was very important, and to this day I dream of performing three times on the Eurovision stage—one semi-final, where you might qualify, then a performance in the final, and if you win, you sing once again as the winner. That, for me, is the ultimate peak.”
This is not the first time Poli has publicly expressed her desire to return to Europe’s biggest music stage. In December 2024, she gave an interview to the EuroMix website, where she stated unequivocally that she plans to return to the competition in the future. Additionally, in 2022, she shared in a Dutch television program that she had hoped to represent Bulgaria at Eurovision 2023; however, the Bulgarian national broadcaster later announced that Bulgaria would not participate that year due to financial difficulties.
Bulgaria at Eurovision 2022
For Eurovision 2022, Bulgaria sent Intelligent Music Project with their song “Intention”, which interrupted Bulgaria’s streak of successes as they failed to qualify for the final for the first time since Eurovision 2013. The band finished sixteenth out of seventeen countries in the first semi-final held in Turin, Italy, receiving a total of 29 points, split to 11 points from juries and an additional 18 points from public voting. Following this participation, drummer Stoyan Yankoulov became the first artist to represent Bulgaria three times at Eurovision after participating in both Eurovision 2007 and Eurovision 2013.
Eurovision 2026: This will be Bulgaria’s 15th participation in the Eurovision Song Contest. Bulgaria joined the competition in 2005 and achieved its best result in Eurovision 2017 when the singer Kristian Kostov finished in second place with the song “Beautiful Mess”.
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A writer and content creator with a strong specialization in the Eurovision scene, particularly across Eastern Europe and post-Soviet countries. His work highlights the artistry, storytelling, and cultural variety that define the contest, offering readers a deeper look into both established performers and emerging voices.
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