San Marino at Eurovision 2026: After missing the national final stage, Senhit reveals whether Boy George is expected to appear with her on the big stage in Vienna, Austria.
Italian singer Senhit, who will represent San Marino for the third time at the Eurovision 2026, which will be held in Vienna, Austria, with the song “Superstar”, has addressed for the first time the speculation surrounding the participation of British singer Boy George in the Eurovision performance. The discussion emerged after he was absent from the Sammarinese national selection and is currently not listed as a performing artist on Eurovision’s official artist list. The latest drama closely mirrors the singer’s previous participation in the contest. Will history repeat itself?
A week has passed since Senhit won the San Marino national selection with the song “Superstar”, yet one question continues to occupy Eurovision fans: will the iconic British singer Boy George actually appear alongside her on the Eurovision 2026 stage in Vienna?
Although the song was initially announced as an official collaboration between the two, Boy George was not present during the Sammarinese final and appeared only as a projected image on the screen. At the moment, he is also not listed as a performing artist on the official Eurovision website or in the streaming versions of the song. The gap between the official credit and his absence from the stage sparked a wave of speculation among fans, and now Senhit is addressing the big question for the first time.
“he didn’t expect that we would win”
In an interview ahead of the Eurovision SKG party set to take place in Thessaloniki, Senhit was asked whether Boy George is expected to appear with her on stage at Eurovision. Her response was decisive and left little room for doubt: “Absolutely. Absolutely. Yes. Absolutely,” said Senhit.
“This is something that was discussed with Boy George, I will go to him next week just to start to talk about staging and all the things.”
In the same interview, Senhit explained that the collaboration with Boy George came about after she had already developed the song and decided to invite him to join the project. According to her, the British singer was initially surprised when the topic of Eurovision came up, but he became intrigued by the idea and agreed to take part.
“ He gets shock when I was talking about Eurovision. he’s from England and he knows Eurovision, but he didn’t expect that we would win.”
Even if they may not have initially planned for the song to win the national selection, the British star is certainly familiar with the world’s biggest music event and took the possibility into account. Senhit revealed that “he knew there was a possibility to go to Vienna”, and about that possibility he said:
“ I will be involved with you, and I will be on stage with you. So yeah absolutely you will see him for sure. For sure.”
The performance that won the Sammarinese selection raised not only questions but also some mockery. One reaction to the staging, in which Boy George’s part consisted of only a few seconds of his voice accompanied by an animated image of his face on the screen behind Senhit, jokingly described it as “Senhit and a Boy George WhatsApp voice note.”
Watch the full performance.
Not the First Time
The latest development is remarkably similar to the last time Senhit represented San Marino at Eurovision. It is worth noting that this is not the first time a collaboration involving Senhit has raised doubts about whether the featured artist would appear live on stage.
At the Eurovision Song Contest 2021, the singer performed the song “Adrenalina”, which featured American rapper Flo Rida.
At the time, the rapper did not appear during the rehearsal period, even though it was clear from the original version of the song that he was an integral part of it. For a long time it remained unclear whether he would actually appear in the contest, and he was initially replaced by another performer during rehearsals.
Ultimately, the American rapper did travel to Rotterdam and performed alongside Senhit in both the semi-final and the Grand Final, where they finished 22nd.
Nevertheless, despite Senhit’s statements, some fans remain cautious — especially as long as Boy George is not officially listed as a performing artist in the contest. While the singer insists that the plans are clear and that he is expected to join her on stage in Vienna, fans will likely get a clearer picture only once rehearsals for Eurovision 2026 begin and the final staging of “Superstar” starts to take shape.
Senhit – Who Are You?
Senhit Zadik Zadik is a 46-year-old Italian singer born in Bologna to Eritrean parents.
At the beginning of her career, she performed in numerous musicals such as “Fame”, “The Lion King”, and “Hair” in Switzerland and Germany. In 2002, she returned to Italy, seeking recognition in the Italian music industry. She released her debut album in 2006, followed by another in 2007. In 2009, she released her third album in English.
Senhit was chosen to represent San Marino, a small enclave within Italy, at Eurovision 2011 with the song “Stand By“, which placed 16th in the semi-final. Following Eurovision, she released several English-language singles and became a regular guest on an Italian television show.
In 2014, she changed the spelling of her stage name from Senit to Senhit to mark a fresh new chapter in her life. In 2020, she was selected once again to represent San Marino with the song “Freaky!“, but her participation was cancelled due to the Covis-19 pandemic. A year later, in 2021, she returned to the Eurovision stage alongside American rapper Flo Rida, finishing 22nd in the final with 50 points.
San Marino at Eurovision 2026
“Superstar” is the title of the song that will be performed bySenhit, who will represent San Marino at theEurovision 2026competition, set to take place inVienna,Austriaon May 12th, 14th, and 16th. This marks the third timeSenhitwill compete in Eurovision, following her previous representations for San Marino in2011and 2021. In 2020, she was also selected to perform for San Marino, but her participation was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The song was written and composed by Senhit and Boy George, whose participation alongside Senhit in the contest is still surrounded by some uncertainty, together with several songwriters who have previously written Eurovision hits: Anderz Wrethov, Thomas Stengaard, Kill J, John Emil Johansson, and Jonathan Bellini. The song is performed entirely in English.
The song “Superstar” is a pop-dance track with a message of empowerment and self-confidence. It centers on self-acceptance and the courage to express one’s true identity without fear or apology. With its vibrant rhythm reminiscent of club music, the song encourages listeners to embrace their strengths and uniqueness, celebrating the “superstar” within each person. The collaboration with Boy George, known throughout his career as an artist advocating for freedom of expression and personal identity, reinforces the song’s message of authenticity and self-pride.
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”.
Email: [email protected]
Phone: +972-50-9441919
Writer and content creator specializing in the Eurovision field. Her writing emphasizes professional analysis and a wide range of opinions.
