The BBC has confirmed that they will not be competing in the Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2026 in Malta.
The BBC is the latest broadcaster to confirm that they will not be competing in the 24th edition of the Junior Eurovision Song Contest. The BBC confirmed to ESC Spot that they will not be participating in the contest this October in Malta. Henry Graham, Marketing Assistant at BBC Childrenโs and Education, told the outlet that:
โWe would like to inform you that we will not be taking part in this yearโs Junior Eurovision Song Contest; we have not been taking part from 2024 onwards.โ
The United Kingdom participated in Junior Eurovision from its start in 2003 to 2005, before being absent for 17 years. They did not return until 2022 when Freya Skye represented the country in Yerevan, Armenia with her song โLose My Headโ, finishing fifth. The United Kingdom participated the following year in 2023 when STAND UNIQU3 finished fourth in Nice, France with the song โBack To Lifeโ.
Junior Eurovision 2026
Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2026 will take place October 24 in the Malta Fairs & Conventions Centre in Taโ Qali. This will be the third time that Malta will host the Junior Eurovision Song Contest, having done so previously in 2014 and 2016.
To date, the following countries have confirmed their intention to compete in the 2026 contest:
๐ฆ๐ฑ Albania: Eslin Kurti โ โKรซrce me muaโ
๐ซ๐ท France
๐ฌ๐ช Georgia: Davit Lomidze
๐ฎ๐ช Ireland
๐ฎ๐น Italy
๐ฒ๐น Malta
๐ณ๐ฑ Netherlands
๐ฒ๐ฐ North Macedonia
๐ต๐ฑ Poland: Wiktor Sas
๐ต๐น Portugal: Salvador Rio
๐บ๐ฆ Ukraine
The following countries, who have previously participated, have declined returning to the contest:
๐ฆ๐บ Australia: Last participated in 2016
๐ง๐ช Belgium: Last competed in 2012
๐ฉ๐ฐ Denmark: Last participated in 2005
๐ช๐ช Estonia: Last participated in 2024
๐ฉ๐ช Germany: Last participated in 2024
๐ณ๐ด Norway: Last participated in 2005
๐ธ๐ฎ Slovenia: Last participated in 2015
๐ธ๐ช Sweden: Last participated in 2014
๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ท๓ ฌWales: Last participated in 2019
The following countries have ruled out debuting in the contest:
๐จ๐ฟ Czechia: Never broadcast the contest
๐ซ๐ฎ Finland: Last broadcast the contest in 2003
๐ฎ๐ธ Iceland: Last broadcast the contest in 2021
Source: ESC Spot
United Kingdom in the Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2026+
The United Kingdom was one of sixteen countries to take part in the first edition of the Junior Eurovision Song Contest in 2003. Tom Morley finished 3rd in Copenhagen with โMy Song for The Worldโ. This was bettered by Cory Spedding a year later, who finished second with โThe Best is Yet to Comeโ in Lillehammer. In 2022, the country returned to the contest after a 17-year break and competed in two editions of the contest before withdrawing in 2024.