Netherlands Confirms Eurovision 2026 Participation with August Submission Launch

Dutch broadcaster AVROTROS has officially confirmed that the Netherlands will participate in the Eurovision Song Contest 2026. The broadcaster will once again opt for an internal selection process, with the song submission window for prospective entries opening on 1 August 2025.

The announcement signals continued commitment from AVROTROS to maintain the Netherlands’ consistent presence at the contest—one that in recent years has been marked by strong performances and an ongoing focus on artist-led, contemporary entries.

While the full details of the 2026 selection process are yet to be published, AVROTROS has indicated that it welcomes submissions across all genres and languages. In the run-up to Eurovision 2025 in Basel, the broadcaster received 331 songs, encompassing styles from acoustic ballads to hard rock, with lyrics in Dutch, English (and French, of course).

A dedicated selection committee will again be tasked with reviewing the submissions. In previous years, this committee has included both music industry professionals and broadcasters with Eurovision experience, working behind closed doors to find a song and artist combination capable of impressing on the international stage.

The Netherlands last won the contest in 2019 with Duncan Laurence’s Arcade, and in 2025 placed in the top five with Claude’s C’est la vie. The success of recent entries has reinforced AVROTROS’s reputation for careful curation and artist development, favouring quality and originality over gimmicks.

More information about the submission process, entry requirements, and timelines is expected in the coming weeks via AVROTROS and the official Dutch Eurovision channels.