Azernews.Az

Laman Ismayilova

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Azerbaijan's search for its representative at the Eurovision Song Contest 2026 is progressing according to plan, with strong interest from performers and songwriters, Azernews reports.

The scale of participation this year highlights both local creativity and international collaboration, as the country moves closer to choosing an act capable of shining on Europe’s biggest music stage.

A total of 100 applications were submitted during the selection period, featuring 186 songs in total. Of these entries, 107 songs were submitted by local authors and performers, while 79 songs came from international contributors. This means approximately 57.5 percent of the submissions were local, with the remaining 42.5 percent representing international participation.

During the initial evaluation stage, all applications were thoroughly reviewed by a professional panel. As a result of this assessment,18 candidates were invited to advance to the next round of the competition.

The shortlisted participants took part in live auditions and individual interviews, where their vocal abilities, stage presence, potential appeal to an international audience, and overall compatibility with the Eurovision format were assessed. Evaluations were carried out not only by the professional selection committee but also by a specially formed focus group, ensuring a well-rounded and objective review process.

Following these assessments, a final shortlist of three candidates has now been formed for the next stage of the competition. The selection process is ongoing, and the final decision will be announced after additional creative and strategic discussions.

The Azerbaijani delegation continues its work to determine the artist and song that will represent the country at the highest possible level on the Eurovision stage.

The 70th Eurovision Song Contest will be held in Vienna, Austria, in May 2026 after Austria's victory at last year's contest in Basel with JJ's song "Wasted Love."

Vienna is hosting Eurovision for the third time, having previously hosted in 1967 and 2015, and this year's live shows will take place at the Wiener Stadthalle arena with the first semi‑final on May 12, the second semi‑final on May 14, and the grand final on May 16.

It is noteworthy that Azerbaijan reached the Top 5 in five consecutive contests - 3rd in 2009, 5th in 2010, 1st in 2011, 4th in 2012, and 2nd in 2013.

On 4 February 2025, ITV announced that Mamagama was internally chosen to represent Azerbaijan in the Eurovision Song Contest 2025 in Basel, Switzerland, with the song "Run with U".

Mamagama performed in the first semifinal on 13 May 2025, where they failed to qualify for the grand final.

Azerbaijan has confirmed that it will take part in the Eurovision Song Contest 2026, which will be held in Vienna, Austria. The country's public broadcaster İctimai Television (İTV) has officially stated participation in the event.

According to the official draw results, Azerbaijan's representative will perform in the first half of the second semi-final on May 14, 2026, at the festival venue in Vienna's Wiener Stadthalle. However, the name of the artist and the song has not yet been officially announced by İTV.