🇱🇺 What went wrong 2026: Part 15 – Luxembourg

Now Eurovision 2026 is firmly behind us and we’ve had a chance to properly digest the wild ride of Vienna, it’s now time to discuss What Went Wrong. We’ve all had a chance to mull over the results of the contest. The Eurovision 2026 final saw some very dramatic results, but 10 acts did not get a chance to see that.

In our fifteenth part Tom, Emma, and Molly discuss what went wrong with Luxembourg.

Who is Eva Marija?

Eva Marija Puc is a 20-year-old singer and violinist born in Luxembourg to Slovenian parents. Eva showed promise in music from a young age, going on to study at the well-respected Conservatoire de Luxembourg. She is currently in her final year of studying songwriting in London. She has released songs since 2021, with her Eurovision song “”Mother Nature”” being the first to chart in Luxembourg itself.

Eva’s track for the Contest was written by Eva herself, as well as Julie Aagaard, Maria Broberg and Thomas Stengaard.

What are the issues with the selection?

Tom: This was absolutely pleasant, and lovely, and not at all bad. I would’ve personally chosen Luzac’s “Prison Dorée” over this song, from LSC. But I know that’s not everyone’s choice. I do think this song’s staging package was slightly too child focussed though. And I PRAY Luxembourg get rid of the over the top visual overlays in future. It didn’t work with Tali for me, it doesn’t work here for me. 

Emma: Very few, as far as I’m concerned! “Mother Nature” was my favourite song in LSC this year, so I absolutely think they made the right choice. That said, I’ve loved Luzac since last year and “Prison Dorée” showed just how much he’s grown as an artist, so Luxembourg certainly wasn’t short of strong options. In hindsight, perhaps “Mother Nature” lacked the immediate impact needed to grab televoters on first listen, but I’d still have picked it knowing the eventual result.

Molly: It wasn’t a bad selection; however, I feel it was more down to the main choice of the song. I feel like Luzac’s song may have fit with the direction between more energetic songs this year. With a more energetic song, there could have been a stronger appeal to the televote, whereas “Mother Nature” leaned more into appealing to the jury, which, in the end, misses that balance of trying to appeal to the televote, making Luxembourg miss out on those important points.

Was the song and act good enough to be in Eurovision?

Tom: Look, if there’s any doubt at all about that, Eva recently released an acoustic version of “Mother Nature” which was recorded a few days before the semifinal. And that will answer the question. I do think the Birdy comparisons did not help this entry one bit, because “Keeping Your Head Up” is simply a better song, and comparing the two is unfair. But, Eva is INCREDIBLY talented, likeable, and I cannot fault her or her performance, I simply don’t have the talent to do so. But was this competitive in this semifinal? Not at all. And that is such a shame because I know how badly Eva wished to be in the Grand Final. 

Emma: Absolutely, and I will hear no arguments otherwise! “Mother Nature” remains one of my favourite songs from this year’s contest, and Eva was more than capable of delivering it live. It was distinctive, beautifully produced and deserved its place at Eurovision. Unfortunately, being a song I will happily listen to repeatedly and being a song that can grab enough votes in three minutes are two very different things.

Molly: “Mother Nature” was a beautiful song and the singer did an amazing job in the performance. Sadly, this year was very heavy with songs that appealed to the televote, and it meant that this song was more easily drowned out compared to its competition, especially when it was against other jury-appealed songs such as “Eclipse”. The song was very much a classic Eurovision song which, even though I think it was very well performed and staged, I think compared to other songs within that semi-final “Mother Nature” blended too much into the background.

Did the staging compliment the song and stand out?

Tom: I did not love this staging. Eva looked beautiful, the costuming was amazing. But the graphics and lack of anything particularly wow that wasn’t LED or graphic overlays didn’t make me too happy. I hoped for more for the singer. 

Emma: This is where it fell apart for me. The staging matched the whimsical atmosphere of the song, but it felt far too reliant on graphics and overlays rather than creating a memorable moment on stage. Eva looked fantastic, but the performance needed to build into something much bigger and more dramatic around her – and no, I don’t just mean playing the violin live. For a song I loved this much, I remember being genuinely disappointed by how little the staging added to it.

Molly: The main issue I tend to have with ballads and staging is that it’s either too much that it takes away from the singer or too little staging. I think this staging hits the perfect balance and really shows the fantasy essence of the song. Even when a lot is going on, the focus is always on Eva and her performance. Like the song, the staging is whimsical and really complements the entire performance.

Could this song have qualified if changes were made?

Tom: I’m not sure, it was an incredibly tough year. I’d like to say yes, but I’m not so sure. I’d like to have seen Eva be allowed to play her violin live, like Finland were. I think that could’ve added something, possibly. I think a different song could have seen her qualify. Overall, as a person, Eva deserved to the in the Grand Final. I’m just not sure this song was good enough of a vehicle for her to do so. 

Emma: I think so, yes. It was a competitive semi-final, but I don’t think “Mother Nature” was inherently incapable of qualifying. A bolder staging concept with a stronger visual climax could have made the song much more immediate for viewers and potentially found those missing votes. Would it definitely have qualified? Probably not, but I think there was a finalist hiding in there somewhere.

Molly: No, she was in a very strong semi-final, and it was a very tough year altogether. As much as I would have loved the idea of her passing no matter what, it felt like her semi-final was very televote heavy and a televote-based song I personally think would not fit Eva. I think adding more to “Mother Nature” in regards to staging would have taken away the synergy that it has with the song, and a revamp, in my opinion, would have made the song worse.

What are our outlooks for future contests?

Tom: If the current rumours of LSC participants are true, the national final is going to be SO GOOD next year. So let’s see what happens. Personally, I absolutely beg the Grand Duchy to send Luzac. He is such a star and delivers every year. It is mad to think Luxembourg have only been back in the Contest in recent years for the last 3 editions.

Emma: I’m really excited to see where Luxembourg goes next. Three contests into their return, they’ve already established a strong national final that attracts artists I genuinely want to hear more from, and this year showed there’s plenty of depth beyond whoever ultimately wins. I’d love to see them keep taking risks and developing their own Eurovision identity rather than chasing whatever happens to be successful elsewhere. And if Luzac fancies coming back for a third attempt, I certainly won’t complain.

Molly: Oh definitely, especially on how much Luxembourg has been improving over the years, I do feel that they will do very well, even entering the top 10, if they continue on this trajectory. I feel like someone I am anticipating to come back stronger is Luzac, since every time he seems to improve more and more, so I feel it’s just a matter of when, not if, he will win the LSC. I can’t wait to see what quality LSC will send in the future.

Watch the accompanying discussion video here:

Luxembourg’s Eurovision Journey

Luxembourg first made its debut in the first edition of the Contest in 1956, with their first entries being “Ne crois pas” and “Les Amants de minuit”, both performed by Michèle Arnaud. Since the first Contest, Luxembourg has competed a total of 38 times. Their best result was finishing in 1st place five times – in 1961, 1965, 1972, 1973 and 1983 respectively.

Luxembourg’s latest participation came in Vienna in 2026. Eva Marija represented Luxembourg with the song “Mother Nature”. She participated in the Second Semi-Final but failed to qualify for the final, earning 60 points – 34 points coming from the televote, with the remaining 26 coming from the jury.

What do think about our thoughts? Do you think Luxembourg could have qualified? Let us know in the comments or on social media! Be sure to follow ‘That Eurovision Site’ on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Threads and Bluesky as we prepare for Eurovision 2027!

Source: That Eurovision Site

Image Credit: Vincent Lescaut / L’essentiel

Post navigation