Ilay Gaist, Author at EuroMix

Montenegro: “Montesong 2025” Entries to Be Revealed on November 27th

November 24, 2025January 12, 2026 by Ilay Gaist Comment Closed

(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Vladana Vučinić, the chief producer of “Montesong 2025”, announced the reveal that the competing songs for Eurovision 2026, in Vienna, Austria will be revealed on November 27th. The second edition of “Montesong”, will take place on Sunday, December 21st, featuring 15 competing artists. The event will be broadcast live on the “Montesong” YouTube channel. Earlier today, the Spanish Eurovision portal "EL EuroRinconn" revealed new details regarding the upcoming competition, including the date of the song release. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Vladana Vučinić, producer of “Montesong” and Montenegro’s representative at Eurovision 2022, confirmed in an interview with EL EuroRinconn that the selected entries will be revealed on November 27th - this Thursday - via the official “Montesong” YouTube channel, nearly a month before the live contest. Vučinić added that this year’s lineup will feature a wider variety of musical styles than last year’s event. “This time, there will be a broader mix of genres - ethno, alternative rock, plenty...

HaKokhav HaBa – Episode 6: Five Contestants Advance to the Next Round

November 23, 2025January 12, 2026 by Ilay Gaist Comment Closed

(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); "HaKokhav HaBa" - Episode 6: Five contestants passed to the next round. The advancing contestants are Mecy Kashty, Achia Edri, Mentamer Taganya, Amy Lensson and Ido Maurer. Tonight, the sixth episode of the reality show “HaKokhav HaBa" aired, through which Israel’s representative for Eurovision 2026 will be chosen. This evening featured six auditions, with five contestants succeeding and moving on to the next round thanks to the support of the judges and the studio audience. One of them might go on to represent Israel in Eurovision this coming May. The panel once again included Assaf Amdursky, Keren Peles, Shiri Maimon, Eden Hasson, and Itay Levi, with Netta Barzilai, winner of Eurovision 2018l joining as guest judge. Each contestant must receive at least 70% of the votes to advance, and every judge contributes 12% to the total voting score. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Mecy Kashty Mecy Kashty, 27 years old, originally from Tel Aviv. Mecy comes from the well-known Kashty family and has eight siblings. She is...

HaKokhav HaBa – Episode 5: Five Contestants Advance to the Next Round

November 22, 2025January 12, 2026 by Ilay Gaist Comment Closed

(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); "HaKokhav HaBa" - Episode 5: Five contestants passed to the next round. The advancing contestants are Itay Evron, Bar Nir, David Ossona, Stav Vaknin and Portrait Band. Tonight, the fifth episode of the reality show “HaKokhav HaBa" aired, through which Israel’s representative for Eurovision 2026 will be chosen. This evening featured six auditions, with five contestants succeeding and moving on to the next round thanks to the support of the judges and the studio audience. One of them might go on to represent Israel in Eurovision this coming May. The panel once again included Assaf Amdursky, Keren Peles, Shiri Maimon, Eden Hasson, and Itay Levi, with Dana International joining as guest judges. Each contestant must receive at least 70% of the votes to advance, and every judge contributes 12% to the total voting score. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Itay Evron Itay Evron, 23 years old from Ziona, plays the piano and is a student at the Rimon School, where he met Keren Peles and performed with her...

Preparing for 2026: Which Are the Best Eurovision National Selections Around Europe?

November 22, 2025January 12, 2026 by Ilay Gaist Comment Closed

(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); What can we expect from a national final for Eurovision 2026? In the second article in the “Preparing for 2026” series, we compare between the different Eurovision selections, and examine them in different criteria. Article by Ilay Gaist and Adiel Shtainmetz. Every year, with the revival of the Eurovision season, thousands of fans across Europe fall in love with certain songs and hope they will finish high in their national finals and go on to represent their country at Eurovision. In the second article of the series, "Preparing for 2026", we dive into the most captivating topics around Europe’s Eurovision national finals, and focus on the key statistics underlying the most notable national finals across Europe. Join us as we explore, in detail, the legacy and numbers behind these shows: Which national finals are the oldest? Which are deeply rooted traditions within their countries? Which have produced the best results? Which national finals stand out as the most exciting...

Italy: “Festival Di Sanremo” Contestants to be Revealed on November 30th

November 22, 2025January 12, 2026 by Ilay Gaist Comment Closed

(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); The Italian national broadcaster RAI announced today that it will reveal the participants in the "Festival Di Sanremo 2026" on November 30th. The Italian national broadcaster, RAI, announced that the list of contestants for the 76th edition of "Festival Di Sanremo" will be disclosed on November 30th during the "Tg1" television program airing at 13:30 CET. The contestants will be revealed by the artistic director and festival host, Carlo Conti. The festival will take place from February 24th to 28th, featuring 24 artists competing, with the winner earning the opportunity to represent Italy at Eurovision 2026. In case the winner declines to represent Italy, the broadcaster will select its representative from among the Sanremo competitors. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Although the official Sanremo Festival participant list has not yet been published, recent leaks suggest several former Italian representatives are likely to return. The most frequently mentioned names by industry sources include: Angelina Mango –...

Sweden: Three More Artists Expected to Participate in Melodifestivalen 2026!

November 22, 2025January 12, 2026 by Ilay Gaist Comment Closed

(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Swedish media continues to report on additional artists expected to participate in Melodifestivalen 2026. And now, just before the list closes, three new artists revealed. Melodifestivalen 2026, Sweden’s national final for Eurovision 2026, is already generating buzz across Europe as Swedish media reveal some of the artists expected to compete. Following reports of possible returns from familiar names such as Robin Bengtsson, Fröken Snusk, and Medina, Swedish media reports that additional artists are expected to participate in the competition — a returning female artist, a guitarist of a well-known musician, and a singer with a name especially similar to a beloved former contestant. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); The Swedish newspaper Aftonbladet disclosed that the national broadcaster SVT has finalized the selection of 30 artists to perform in Melodifestivalen 2026, with their songs approved for next year’s competition. Three of the latest names disclosed are: Timo Räisänen Timo Räisänen, 46, guitarist in the backing band for Swedish musician Håkan Hellström, who began...

Iceland Backtracks? Signs of a Lift on the Boycott of Israel at Eurovision 2026

November 21, 2025January 12, 2026 by Ilay Gaist Comment Closed

(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Iceland nears a decision on Eurovision 2026 participation as sweeping voting reforms might lead its national broadcaster to withdraw its boycott pledge if Israel remains part of the competition. The Icelandic national broadcaster RÚV released a statement from its Director General, Stefán Eiríksson, regarding the Eurovision law reform: “This is clearly a step in the right direction”. Eiríksson appears to welcome the changes, viewing them as a constructive response to criticism surrounding last year’s contest—mainly regarding Israel’s participation. He expressed optimism about the new rules, while hinting that RÚV is still carefully assessing the overall situation. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Iceland Slowly Returns, Politics Still Hold the Stage This position marks a stark contrast to that of countries opposing Israel’s participation, which expressed strong dissatisfaction with the EBU’s announcement of a major Eurovision 2026 voting system reform. The turnaround - intended to rebuild public trust by strengthening the influence of professional juries who withheld votes from Israel over the...

The Netherlands Celebrates: Eurovision Stars of All Time Reunite on Het Grote’s Stage

November 21, 2025January 12, 2026 by Ilay Gaist Comment Closed

(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Amsterdam hosted the fifth annual "Het Grote Songfestivalfeest 2025", where 24 beloved Eurovision artists from across Europe took the stage for one festive night of music and nostalgia. The Dutch Eurovision show "Het Grote Songfestivalfeest" (in English: "The Big Song Festival Party") took place at Amsterdam’s Ziggo Dome, a venue with a 17,000-seat capacity in the Dutch capital. The show was first launched at the end of 2019 in honor of the Netherlands’ victory at Eurovision 2019, held in Tel Aviv, featuring the song "Arcade", as well as to celebrate the Eurovision contest that was supposed to take place in Rotterdam in 2020 but was, as is known, postponed to 2021. The event offers fans the chance to see all their favorite artists united on one stage with a variety of musical styles. The event was once again hosted by Edsilia Rombley (Netherlands’ representative in 1998 and 2007 and host of Eurovision 2021), television presenter Cornald Maas, joined by Rylan...

Countries Opposing Israel’s Participation in Eurovision React to the EBU Statement

November 21, 2025January 12, 2026 by Ilay Gaist Comment Closed

(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); A day of drama: TV networks opposing Israel's participation in Eurovision respond critically to the EBU’s statement, expressing strong dissatisfaction and signaling growing tension ahead of the December assembly. The Norwegian national broadcaster NRK reported today that the discussion regarding Israel’s participation in Eurovision 2026, scheduled for December 4th as part of the organization’s general assembly, has been entirely canceled. According to the report, the EBU decided that Israel will be allowed to participate in Eurovision as usual. The countries opposing Israel’s participation - Ireland, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Slovenia - issued statements, some defiant in tone, expressing clear dissatisfaction with the decision. It should be noted that the EBU has not confirmed the report, and the discussion and potential vote on Israel’s participation remain on the agenda as long as no official confirmation has been received. Therefore, Israel’s participation in Eurovision 2026 is still not guaranteed. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); This morning, the European...

Eurovision 2026: Will the Semi-Final Allocation Draw Take Place on January 12th?

November 20, 2025January 12, 2026 by Ilay Gaist Comment Closed

(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); According to a report on an Italian website, the semi-final draw for Eurovision 2026 may take place on January 12th! During the draw, it will be determined who will perform in the first semi-final and who will perform in the second. The semi-final allocation draw and key handover ceremony is the first official Eurovision event of the year, organized by the national broadcaster of the host country, which this year is the Austrian ORF. According to an exclusive report on the Italian Eurovision website “Eurofestival news”, this year’s draw is expected to be held on January 12th, a relatively early date. During this event, the participating countries will be assigned to two semi-finals. The first semi-final will take place on May 12th, and the second on May 14th. Additionally, it will be decided for each artist whether they will appear in the first or second half of the evening. Israel’s participation in Eurovision 2026 is not yet confirmed, and...