Austria and Belgium have officially named their participants for the upcoming 70th Eurovision Song Contest, scheduled for May 2026 in Vienna. The Austrian band COSMÓ will perform their song “Tanzschein,” while Belgian artist ESSYLA will take the stage with her track “Dancing on the Ice.”
On February 20, Austria held its national selection, where COSMÓ triumphed among 12 competing songs. The winner was determined through a combination of public voting and a jury of 43 music experts, each contributing 50% to the final decision. COSMÓ garnered all 12 points from the public and an additional 10 from the jury, leading to a decisive victory.
The frontman of COSMÓ, who has Hungarian roots and grew up in Burgenland, currently resides in Vienna. His stage name reflects his passion for the universe and openness to the world. He plays both guitar and piano and is taking vocal lessons from an opera singer in Graz. COSMÓ reached the finals of The Voice Kids in 2022 and has been collaborating with his producer and drummer, Markus Pömer, since summer 2025. He also founded the band The Thumbs for live performances and studio recordings.
With his entry for Eurovision, COSMÓ aims to inspire audiences to dance. He expressed his desire to spread love through music, sharing, “I once had an experience in a club where I was so excited to perform, but suddenly no one was dancing. My song is about clubs coming alive again. Competing in Eurovision is a dream come true for me. I watched Conchita Wurst win on TV as a child, and last year’s victory by JJ was filled with adrenaline and pure joy for me.”
On February 19, Belgium’s broadcaster RTBF announced that ESSYLA would represent the country with her song “Dancing on the Ice.” The announcement was made during a program on the channel La Une, with the music video premiering on the Eurovision YouTube channel.
ESSYLA co-wrote the song with Nicolas d’Avelin and Emil Stengèle, while the lyrics were crafted by ESSYLA and Barbara Petitjean. The song conveys a message of hope and resilience, encouraging the youth to continue dreaming and dancing despite challenges in today’s world. ESSYLA, hailing from Perwez, gained recognition as a finalist in the ninth season of “The Voice Belgium.” At a young age, she formed her first band and has since honed her vocal skills at IMEP in Namur, developing her artistic identity.
The 70th Eurovision Song Contest will take place in Vienna following JJ’s victory with “Wasted Love” at Eurovision 2025. The grand final is set for May 16, 2026, with semi-finals scheduled for May 12 and 14. The event will be hosted at the Wiener Stadthalle, Austria’s largest indoor arena.
A total of 35 countries will participate in the contest, with 30 competing in the semi-finals. Ukraine has drawn to perform in the second semi-final. Up to 20 winners from the semi-finals will advance to the final, alongside automatic qualifiers from the “Big Five” (the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy) and the previous year’s winner, Austria. Notably, Spain will not participate this year, marking a first in the contest’s history, while Ireland and the Netherlands have also opted out in protest of Israel’s involvement. Germany has indicated solidarity with the situation, hinting at a possible withdrawal if Israel is excluded.
Austria and Belgium have selected their representatives for Eurovision 2026, with COSMÓ and ESSYLA set to perform in Vienna. Both artists aim to convey messages of hope and joy through their music as the contest approaches.