Eurovision Song Contest fans can rejoice, as the 70th edition of the festival, to be held in Vienna, will mark the return of three beloved countries: Bulgaria, Romania and Moldova.
Although we are still early in the journey towards ‘Eurovision 2026’, we already have some official details: the host city (Vienna), the dates of the three final nights (May 12, 14 and 16), the venue (Wiener Stadthalle) and, most recently, three television stations that have confirmed that they will return to the competition after several years of absence, writes eurovision.tv.
Bulgaria with BNT (last participation: Turin 2022), Romania with TVR (last participation: Liverpool 2023) and Moldova with TRM (which only took a one-year break after Malmö 2024) will join the 2026 major edition.
Eurovision Song Contest Director Martin Green CBE said: “It’s fantastic to welcome BNT, TVR and TRM back to Eurovision. Their return is testament to the enduring power of this festival, the strength of our community and what it truly means to be united through music.”
As we await the jubilee edition in May next year, we recall the most iconic moments that these countries have brought over the years.
Bulgaria – strong comebacks and hits that last
Photo: Thomas Hansen / EBU
BNT debuted at Eurovision in 2005, and made its grand final appearance for the first time in Helsinki 2007, where Elitsa Todorova & Stoyan Yankoulov secured an impressive Top 5 with the song Water.
The biggest Bulgarian success came in Kiev 2017 with Kristian Kostov and the song beautiful mess, which came in second with 615 points – one of the highest scores in the festival’s history.
Even some of the songs that did not reach the final have remained beloved by fans, such as Love Unlimited (2012) and DJ, Take Me Away (2008). Meanwhile, Poli Genova, after a failed attempt in 2011, came back strong in 2016 with If Love Was A Crime, giving Bulgaria fourth place.
Romania – fun, energy and two third place finishes
Photo: Thomas Hansen / EBU
Romania first joined in Dublin 1994. After a modest result, the country improved significantly in the following years, securing six Top 10 rankings.
The two biggest successes are the third places achieved in 2005 (Let Me Try) and 2010 (Playing With Fire).
Romania is known for unforgettable performances – from the festival of Balkan Girls (2009), to the yodel of 2017, to the upbeat hit Zaleilah (2012). No Eurovision celebration seems complete without Turner (2006) or Giving me a call (2022)
Moldova – successful returns and a historic third country
Photo: Corinne Cumming / EBU
Eurovision 2026 will mark Moldova’s 20th participation.
The country’s debut took place at Kiev 2005, where Zdob și Zdub secured sixth place with Boonika Bate TobaTheir great popularity led the group to return twice more: in 2011 and in 2022 with The little train, which reached seventh place.
Moldova is also known for returning artists: Natalia Barbu (2024, 2007), Pasha Parfeni (2023, 2012) and Natalia Gordienko (2021, 2006). While Sunstroke Project returned after the viral success of Run Away (2010), to achieve the country’s best result to date – third place with Hey Mom in 2017.
TRM has announced that the national selection for Eurovision 2026 will be held on January 17 at the Chișinău Arena. /Telegraph/