Category: Belgium

(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Belgium at Eurovision 2026: The Belgian-Walloon national broadcaster RTBF has unveiled the country’s entry for Eurovision 2026 in Vienna, Austria. Essyla will perform “Dancing on the Ice”. Listen to the song. The Belgian-Walloon national broadcaster, RTBF, has officially announced that "Dancing on the Ice" is the title of the song to be performed by singer Essyla, who will represent Belgium at Eurovision 2026,set to take place in Vienna, Austria, on May 12th, 14th and 16th. The song was written by Essyla herself, alongside songwriter Barbara Petitjean. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Belgium follows a distinctive Eurovision participation model, under which responsibility for artist selection and representation alternates between the country’s two public national broadcasters – the French-speaking RTBF and the Flemish VRT. Following the 2025 edition managed by VRT, responsibility for 2026 returns to RTBF, in accordance with the established rotation mechanism between the broadcasters. This year’s selection process differed from the previous one. While last year...

(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Escalation in protest: Workers’ unions at Belgium’s national broadcasters VRT and RTBF launch coordinated action, demanding Belgium’s immediate withdrawal from Eurovision 2026 due to Israel’s partcipation. The pressure on European national broadcasters is escalating — and this time, it comes from within. On Tuesday morning, in a joint and dramatic announcement, the workers’ unions of Belgium’s two public national broadcasters, VRT (Flemish) and RTBF (Walloon), officially called for a boycott of Eurovision 2026 in protest of Israel’s participation. This follows our December report on a group of 170 Belgian artists and cultural figures who had issued a strongly worded public letter urging the broadcasters to withdraw from Eurovision 2026 as long as Israel remains a participant. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); “Mannequins Instead of Workers”: Protest Installation at Headquarters In an unusual act of inter‑union solidarity, members of the ACOD (by VRT) and CGSP (by RTBF) unions took over the shared lobby of the broadcasting headquarters in Brussels earlier today....

(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); The Belgian-Walloon national broadcaster RTBF will unveil its internally selected Eurovision 2026 entry live on February 19th! The Belgian-Walloon national broadcaster RTBF, which confirmed its participation in Eurovision 2026 back in December, has announced today (Thursday) that a special broadcast revealing the country’s internally selected representative and song will air on next Thursday, February 19th, 2026, at 18:20 CET. The information appeared on RTBF’s official website, listed in the programming schedule for “La Une”, the broadcaster’s main channel. However, no formal statement has yet been issued on the matter. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Belgium has displayed a fluctuating stance regarding its participation in the upcoming contest, following boycotts announced by several nations due to Israel’s involvement. Initially, Belgium confirmed its participation shortly after Eurovision 2025 but later reversed course, stating that it was reconsidering its participation. The shift came amid criticism of Israel’s inclusion and calls for the EBU to re-examine the issue. After a democratic decision by the EBU...

(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Following the Geneva conference: Belgian-Walloon national broadcaster RTBF confirmed participation in Eurovision 2026 in Vienna, Austria, while issuing a controversial statement regarding the situation in the Gaza Strip. Belgian-Walloon national broadcaster, RTBF has confirmed that the country will participate in Eurovision 2026, to be held in Vienna, Austria. Belgium becomes the 33rd country to express interest in joining Eurovision 2026, following following Albania, Australia, Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Israel, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Moldova, Montenegro, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, San Marino, Serbia, Sweden, Switzerland, Ukraine, the United Kingdom, and the host country, Austria. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Belgium Before the Conference Until now, Belgium’s position appeared very inconsistent. The country confirmed its participation on July 8th but withdrew the statement only few days later. In August, reports even suggested that Belgium had already chosen its representative for Vienna, though the broadcaster quickly denied the rumors even when another familiar name associated with representing Belgium. On September...

(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Belgium’s French and Dutch-language national broadcasters will jointly decide the country’s stance on Israel ahead of Eurovision 2026, raising concerns that Belgium may back calls for Israel’s exclusion. Belgium, a country divided into two main language regions, also operates with two national broadcasters: a French-speaking (Walloon) broadcaster and a Dutch-speaking (Flemish) broadcaster. This year, the French-speaking national broadcaster, RTBF, is responsible for selecting Belgium’s representative. In September, the broadcaster announced that it would make an official decision on whether to take part in Eurovision 2026 after the European Broadcasting Union’s General Assembly, scheduled for today. Now the Flemish national broadcaster, VRT, which was responsible last year and will be again next year, has declared that Belgium’s position in today’s discussion will not be determined by the Walloons alone but will be decided jointly by both national broadcasters. This development raises concerns regarding Israel’s position in the contest, as the Flemish broadcaster is known for its harsher stance toward Israel,...

(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); The Belgian-Walloon national broadcaster RTBF confirmed it will decide in December on its Eurovision 2026 participation, following the vote on Israel’s eligibility. The Belgian-Walloon national broadcaster RTBF, responsible this year for selecting Belgium’s Eurovision act, announced it will formally decide in December whether to participate in Eurovision 2026, following the vote on Israel’s eligibility. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Israel at the Center: Will Belgium Withdraw? For now, the Belgian-Walloon national broadcaster aligns itself with Spain and Iceland, though not as firmly as Ireland, Slovenia, and the Netherlands. The broadcaster is postponing its official decision on participation until after December’s discussion. In contrast, the Belgian-Flemish national broadcaster VRT, which selected last year’s Belgian act, has already declared its support for Ireland, Slovenia, and the Netherlands. In a statement, the channel even threatened to boycott the broadcast of this year’s contest if “The message issued by the European Broadcasting Union is not strong enough”. VRT is regarded as one of the most anti-Israeli broadcasters...

(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Turkish-Belgian Eurovision singer Hadise revealed that Belgium approaches her annually with an invitation to represent the country at Eurovision. Despite the ongoing offers, she admits to feeling conflicted about accepting. The Belgian-born Turkish singer Hadise, who represented Turkey at Eurovision 2009 with the song “Düm Tek Tek”, revealed that Belgium invites her every year to represent the country at Eurovision. The star admitted that although the offers keep coming, she has mixed feelings about performing for Belgium at the contest. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); In an interview with Turkish journalist Fatih Altaylı, he praised the idea, saying: “A Turkish girl representing Belgium – that would be great”. Hadise, however, reminded him that after she represented Turkey in 2009, many Belgians opposed her as a candidate. She explained that this hesitation makes her cautious about how Turkish fans might react if she were to return to Eurovision under the Belgian flag. Altaylı countered, arguing that since Turkey no longer competes in the contest,...

(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Despite reports of Loïc Nottet returning for Eurovision 2026, the national broadcaster says Belgium's participation remains undecided amid ongoing debate. In recent days, European media reported that singer Loïc Nottet, Belgium's representative in Eurovision 2015, held in Vienna, Austria, has been chosen to once again represent Belgium at the Eurovision 2026, which will also take place in Austria. Nevertheless, sources at Belgian national broadcaster RTBF stated that no final decision has been made, and Belgium’s participation for the upcoming contest remains uncertain. “Our production teams are in contact with artists to select our representative for 2026,” a broadcaster source explained. “We must make it to the summer in case we choose to participate. The official announcement will be made at the appropriate time.” (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Belgium's Dilemma: Will They Withdraw Over the Israel Dispute? The source—who denied the reports to nieuwsblad.be—was open about the broadcaster’s hesitation: “There have been several discussions since Eurovision this year.” The comment refers to the ongoing controversy...

(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Report: Belgium has chosen its representative for Eurovision 2026! Loïc Nottet, who previously achieved fourth place for his country, will return to Austria to represent Belgium. Will he replicate his success? The singer Loïc Nottet, Belgium's representative in Eurovision 2015, held in Vienna, Austria, has been chosen to once again represent Belgium at the Eurovision 2026, which will also take place in Austria. The announcement of Belgium’s representative this year is happening earlier than usual, even for Belgium, which typically reveals its internally selected artist at the end of August or the beginning of September. The Belgian national broadcaster RTBF has yet to confirm the details and has not issued a response. According to journalist Clément Garin, Loïc Nottet was chosen from a shortlist of about forty candidates who submitted a song to represent Belgium at Eurovision. Among the candidates who submitted songs for consideration were the singer Mentissa, the singer Henri PFR, and the singer Essyla. Essyla was nominated for the...

(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); After previously confirming its participation, Belgium is reconsidering its involvement in Eurovision 2026, citing Israel’s participation and demands for changes to the contest’s rules. Is Belgium Participating in Eurovision 2026? As of now, the answer remains unclear. The Belgian-Walloon national broadcaster RTBF, expected to select Belgium’s representative for Eurovision 2026, has announced that a decision regarding participation has not yet been made. This announcement comes despite RTBF previously confirming Belgium’s entry in the upcoming contest. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Belgium’s Withdrawal Threats? The uncertainty regarding Belgium’s participation in Eurovision 2026 stems from the stance of local national broadcasters towards Israel’s involvement in the contest. Over the past year, Israel’s participation has sparked controversy, particularly concerning the public voting—where Israel ranked first—and allegations of political bias. Several countries, including Belgium, are now reconsidering their participation. In recent months, public criticism of Israel’s participation has intensified. Notably, before the broadcast of the first semi-final, the socialist public sector union of VRT, ACOD,...