Poland: Alicja to Eurovision 2026 with "Pray"

Yesterday evening, Polish broadcaster TVP held Finał Krajowych Kwalifikacji 2026 to select their artist and song for the Eurovision Song Contest 2026.

We saw eight acts perform their songs, all with the hope of going to Vienna. And today, TVP has announced the result: Alicja is the winner of Finał Krajowych Kwalifikacji 2026 and will represent Poland at the Eurovision Song Contest 2026 with the song "Pray."

"Pray" was written by Alicja Szemplińska, Sinclair Alan Malcolm, and Weronika Gabryelczyk.

Alicja

Alicja Szemplińska is a 23-year-old singer from Ciechanów, Poland.

She gained national recognition in 2019 when she won the Polish talent show The Voice of Poland. During the competition she was part of the team led by singer Tomson and Baron from the band Afromental.

In February 2020, Alicja Szemplińska won the Polish national selection program Szansa na Sukces 2020 with the song "Empires." With this victory she was selected to represent Poland in the Eurovision Song Contest 2020. The contest was later canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and Poland did not internally reselect her for the following year.

After the cancellation of Eurovision 2020, she continued releasing music and performing in Poland. Her releases include singles such as "Gdzieś" and "Pusto."

In addition to her solo career, Alicja Szemplińska has performed at various televised music events and festivals in Poland and has taken part in songwriting and recording projects with Polish producers and musicians.

Finał Krajowych Kwalifikacji 2026

Finał Krajowych Kwalifikacji 2026 was broadcast on Saturday 7 March 2026 from TVP Studio 5, Warsaw and was hosted by Artur Orzech.

The voting was 100% in the hands of the Polish public. People could vote for their favorite song in the TVP VOD app from 28 February to 7 March, and via SMS after all the songs had been performed. The SMS voting closed at midnight.

Poland in Eurovision

Poland has participated 27 times since 1994, when we saw them in the Eurovision Song Contest for the first time. Their debut year was also their most successful, finishing 2nd. They have finished in the top 10 in three out of their 27 appearances. Their worst result was in 2011, when they finished last in their Semi-final.

Since the introduction of the Semi-finals in 2004, Poland has qualified for the Grand Final 9 out of 19 times.