Poland at Eurovision 2026: Alicja will perform the song “Pray” in the first semi-final on May 12th in Vienna, Austria. Listen to the song.
“Pray” is the song performed by Alicja Szemplińska, who will represent Poland in Eurovision 2026 taking place in Vienna, Austria, in the first semi-final on May 12th. The song was written by the singer together with Sinclair Alan Malcolm and Weronika Gabryelczyk, and it is performed in English.
The Polish national final was held Yesterday at the studios of Poland’s national broadcaster TVP in Warsaw and hosted by Artur Orzech. The winner of the competition was chosen solely by a public vote from viewers at home (100%).
The song deals with an inner journey of struggle, searching for inner strength, and faith during a time of personal conflict. The singer expresses feelings of confusion, pain, and a search for meaning, turning to God for guidance and forgiveness. The repetition of the word “pray” highlights the need for faith and hope in order to keep moving forward even when everything seems to be falling apart. Through prayer and belief, she tries to find the missing piece within herself and overcome the difficulties surrounding her.
Alongside the spiritual aspect, the song also delivers a message of personal empowerment and confidence. The narrator emphasizes that she is taking control of her life, moving forward on her own path, and refusing to let others hold her back. The song blends vulnerability and pain with strength and determination, conveying the central message of continuing to fight, believing in yourself, and creating your own path even when the world around you tries to shake you.
Alicja Szemplińska – Who Are You?
Alicja Szemplińska is a 23-year-old Polish singer returning to the national selection stage in another attempt to complete a historic mission. She first rose to prominence in 2019 when she won first place in the Polish version of The Voice.
Her strong connection to the Eurovision world began shortly afterward in 2020, when she won the Polish national final Szansa na Sukces (“A Chance for Success”) and was set to represent Poland at Eurovision 2020 with the song “Empires”. However, the contest was ultimately canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Alicja made her first comeback attempt in the Polish national final in 2023, when she competed with the song New Home.
Results
| Singer | Song | Vote | Place |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alicja Szemplińska | Pray | 32.01% | 1 |
| Ola Antoniak | Don’t You Try | 18.39% | 2 |
| Basia Giewont | Zimna woda | 14.55% | 3 |
| Piotr Pręgowski | Parawany tango | 11.47% | 4 |
| Stasiek Kukulski | This Too Shall Pass | 9.62% | 5 |
| Karolina Szczurowska | Nie bój się | 6.36% | 6 |
| Anastazja | Wild Child | 4.02% | 7 |
| Jeremi Sikorski | Cienie przeszłości | 3.57% | 8 |
Lyrics – “Pray”
Freedom, just freedom
Won’t you give it all to me?
Lay down all my struggle
And bring back the missing piece, the missing piece of me
Lord, are you giving up on me?
‘Cause I’m not giving up on me
Thought you would forgive my sins
You told me to pray (pray)
So I gotta pray (pray)
I gotta just pray, pray, pray
Pretty girls rock
I’ve been on my shit, now it’s pretty on top
You ain’t my loss, step down, take five, now I’m the boss
I’mma go, move fast
Take this style, take this class
Make that money when you run with me
They told me, go, shake that ass
Take that off, two steps back
Why it always feel the same?
Someone come get me out of here, get me out of here
I guess I gotta fight
Till nobody can hurt ya
In my era, no more errors, so stay outta my way
Dropping all them number ones with white gloves on my hands
Honey, I’m trying to stay
Where the sky ends
Paving my own ways
With one important phrase
Pray (pray)
Pray, yeah (pray, pray)
Pray (pray)
I think you need a sip of holy water, mmm
Don’t want no problems with my mother’s daughter
Scared, scared
Now I guess I’m taking over
Ey, ey
Trickery ain’t nothing new
Front page of your news
There ain’t nothing you can’t do
Nothing you can’t do
In my era, no more errors, so stay outta my way
Dropping all them number ones with white gloves on my hands
Honey, I’m trying to stay
Where the sky ends
Paving my own ways
With one important phraѕe
Pray (pray)
Pray, pray (pray, pray)
Prаy
Eurovision 2026: This will be Poland’s 28th participation in the Eurovision Song Contest. Poland joined the competition in 1994 and achieved its best result that same year when singer Edyta Górniak reached second place with the song “To nie ja!”.
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Aviad Berger – Israeli editor, reporter, and content creator specializing in the Eurovision Song Contest. He has been working with the EuroMix editorial team for about a year and a half. Since 2024, he has provided continuous Eurovision coverage from the host city, delivering live updates, exclusive interviews, and in-depth commentary.
Aviad is also a video editor and filmmaker active in the Israeli media industry.
