Simon, Armenia’s Eurovision 2026 representative, performed his song live for the first time. Watch the first live of “Paloma Rumba”
Last night, the Armenian Music Awards “KHAZER” took place, during which Simon, the Armenian representative, gave his first live performance of his song “Paloma Rumba”,Which will comptet in Eurovision 2026, to be held in Vienna, Austria. In addition to his guest appearance, where he delivered an impressive and highly professional performance, Simon also took the stage once more after winning the “Breakthrough of the Year” award. Watch the live performance below:
The Debut Performance
In the live performance, Simon wears the same gray suit covered in yellow notes that he also wore in the music video for the song. The act begins with him standing with his back to the audience, pushing aside what looks like gray office drawers. As the camera zooms out, dozens of dancers appear beside him on stage, all dressed in gray suits that blend into the background, leaving Simon standing out in yellow.
The show is filled with energetic and powerful movements as Simon and the dancers’ choreography grows gradually more intense throughout the song. The dynamic dance symbolizes the song’s theme — Simon’s desire to escape the monotony of office life and break free from daily worries. At the end, the screens display the office drawers going up in flames, representing his final liberation from routine.
Despite the demanding choreography, Simon delivers a vocally flawless performance. His voice remains stable and consistent with what we hear in the studio version, although it is unclear if the performance at the award ceremony featured live vocals.
The staging bears a noticeable resemblance to the official music video, both in costumes and choreography. This similarity raises the question: will the Armenian delegation present something similar in Vienna, or are they planning to completely reshuffle the concept at the last moment?
Simon – Who Are You?
Simon is an emerging Armenian singer who competed in Armenia’s 2025 national selection with the song “Ay paparey bye,” where he finished second overall after winning the jury vote. He has now been chosen to represent the country at Eurovision 2026.
Armenia at Eurovision 2026
“Paloma Rumba” is the title of the track to be performed by Simon, who has been selected to represent Armenia at Eurovision 2026 in Vienna, Austria this coming May. The singer will perform the song for the first time in the first half of the second semi‑final, which will take place on May 14th.
Simon’s entry was written by Llilit Navasardyan, Armenia’s Eurovision 2022 representative Rosa Linn, David Tserunyan, and Eva Voskanyan. Simon and his song were chosen internally by the Armenian national broadcaster ARMPTV.
Currently, Armenia is ranked 22nd in the betting tables ahead of Eurovision 2026.
Eurovision 2026: This will be Armenia’s 18th participation in the Eurovision Song Contest. Armenia joined the competition in 2006 and achieved its best result in Eurovision 2008 and Eurovision 2014 by finishing in Fourth place.
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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.
