Romania: Here are the finalists for Selecția Națională 2026
The 10 artists competing at the Final of Selecția Națională 2026 have been revealed by the Romanian broadcaster. Additionally, a wildcard round will select an 11th finalist
UPDATE 16 FEBRUARY 2026
Two wildcard finalists selected
Romanian broadcaster TVR had first planned to grant a single wildcard spot in the Selecția Națională 2026 Final. However, it has now confirmed that two performers will advance instead.
From a shortlist of five contenders, Antonio Pican and WRS secured places in the Final, with the decision based on the number of views each competing song accumulated on YouTube.
Romanian broadcaster TVR has revealed the finalists for Selecția Națională 2026. Selecția Națională 2026 will select the Romanian artist and song for the Eurovision Song Contest 2026 in Vienna.
A total of 101 songs were submitted, and the broadcaster chose 67 acts to advance to the audition phase. The auditions took place from 9 to 11 February 2026. From these performances, TVR’s jury selected 10 finalists for the Final on 4 March.
In addition, five acts have been selected for a wildcard round, where the entry with the most views on YouTube by Sunday will secure the 11th place in the Final.
Wildcard entries
The entry with the most views on YouTube by Sunday will secure the 11th place in the Final:
- Alexa & Aria Moon – iELE
- Antonio Pican – Humans
- Bogdan Medvedi – Broken Heart
- Impact – Bengalo
- WRS – All the Way
Selecția Națională 2026
Selecția Națională 2026 takes place on Wednesday 4 March 2026 in TVR Studio 3, Bucharest.
The Final of Selecția Națională 2026 is planned for Wednesday 4 March 2026 at TVR Studio 3 in Bucharest. The winner will be selected by a 100% jury vote, and will represent Romania at the Eurovision Song Contest 2026 in Vienna.
TVR President-Director General Dan-Cristian Turturică said the broadcaster used the break from Eurovision to identify what must change in the selection process:
– We proposed Romania’s return to the Eurovision Song Contest because, during the two years of absence, we had the time to better understand what did not work in the relationship between TVR, the music industry, and creators. We learned what we must change on our side to have a more competitive selection process, and a show that matches the scale of the contest so we can consistently improve the quality of our presence in the final stage, says Turturică.
Romania in the Eurovision Song Contest
Romania had its debut in 1994, and has participated 23 times since. They have never won the contest, but came in 3rd in 2005 (Luminita Anghel & Sistem - "Let Me Try") and 2010 (Paula Seling & Ovi - "Playing With Fire"). Their worst result was in 2023 where they finished with zero points in their Semi-final.
Since the introduction of the Semi-finals in 2004, Romania has qualified for the Grand Final 14 out of 18 times.
