Igor Kyrylenko, a Ukrainian composer and sound producer, has been named the music director for Luxembourg’s national selection for the Eurovision Song Contest 2026. He announced this development through a video on Instagram.
In the video, Kyrylenko detailed the collaborative process involved in creating the opening number with the directing team Tri Direction. He noted, “There were an incredible number of revisions. We finalized the intro on the 21st attempt.”
The event featured performances by the winner of Eurovision 2025, Austrian artist JJ, who sang his song “Wasted Love,” as well as Laura Thorn, who represented Luxembourg in last year’s competition.
For Eurovision 2026, Luxembourg will be represented by singer Eva Maria with her song “Mother Nature.” Following the announcement of the results, the artist faced a wave of accusations regarding plagiarism.
About Eurovision 2026
The 70th edition of the Eurovision Song Contest will take place in Vienna, Austria, following JJ’s victory with “Wasted Love” in 2025. The grand final is scheduled for May 16, 2026, with the semi-finals set for May 12 and 14. The event will be hosted at the Wiener Stadthalle, the largest indoor arena in Austria.
A total of 35 countries will participate in this year’s competition, with 30 competing in the semi-finals. Ukraine is slated to perform in the second semi-final, and up to 20 winners from these rounds will advance to the final.
Additionally, representatives from the “Big Five” countries—United Kingdom, France, Germany, and Italy—will automatically qualify for the final, with Spain notably opting out of this year’s contest for the first time in history. Austria, the previous year’s winner, will also advance directly to the final.
Besides Spain, Ireland and the Netherlands have also withdrawn from this year’s competition in protest against Israel’s participation. Conversely, Germany has expressed solidarity with the situation, suggesting it may withdraw if Israel is excluded from the contest.
Ukraine will be represented by singer Leléka, performing her song “Ridnym.”
Igor Kyrylenko has been appointed as the music director for Luxembourg's Eurovision 2026 selection, where Eva Maria will represent the country. The upcoming contest will take place in Vienna, featuring 35 participating nations, amidst notable withdrawals and controversies.