Israel’s Eurovision choice is coming on 20 January… and it already feels heavy

So yes, the date is confirmed.
Israel will pick its Eurovision 2026 representative on 20 January, during the final of HaKokhav HaBa. Normally, this would be the point where excitement kicks in. Predictions. Fan polls. “Who’s your winner?” tweets.

This year, it feels different.

Not dramatic-different. Just… tense.

Four singers, one decision, no room to breathe

Only four contestants will reach the final. One performance each, then one of them is gone. Immediately. No soft landing. After that, the remaining three sing again and wait.

Voting opens on the app, stays open longer than you’d like, and the results come in slowly. Jury first. Then more jury. Then the public. Everyone pretending they’re calm.

They aren’t.

Same judges, new weight

The judging panel hasn’t changed. Familiar faces. Safe hands. People who know the format inside out. And yet, this year, their decisions feel heavier than usual.

Because they’re not just choosing a voice.
They’re choosing someone who will stand on a Eurovision stage in Vienna at a moment when every move, every lyric, every camera shot will be over-analysed.

No pressure, right?

And no, the song isn’t chosen yet

Here’s the part casual viewers always forget: winning the show doesn’t mean you’ve got your Eurovision song.

That comes later. Submissions. Committees. Meetings. Opinions. Compromises. A lot of them.

So even once the confetti falls on 20 January, the real headache is still waiting backstage.

Why everyone cares so much

Part of the tension comes from numbers. Last year’s final pulled in massive ratings. The kind that turn a TV show into a national talking point. When that happens, Eurovision stops being “just fun”.

It becomes symbolic. Cultural. Political, whether anyone likes it or not.

Recent success doesn’t help

Israel isn’t coming off a quiet year. Quite the opposite. A second place in 2025. A televote win. Another Top 5. Momentum like that raises expectations fast.

Whoever wins this final won’t start from zero. They’ll start from “don’t mess this up”.

The final isn’t the end of the story

20 January will give Israel a name.
It won’t give answers.

The song still has to be found. The narrative still has to be shaped. And Eurovision 2026 hasn’t even begun throwing its surprises yet.

But one thing is clear already:
in Israel, the Eurovision season didn’t wait for spring.
It started early. And it started uneasy.

Source: EuroMix