Bulgaria opens its Eurovision 2026 journey… and it already feels quietly promising

Some countries start their Eurovision season with fireworks.
Bulgaria starts with a deep breath.

Last night, Natsionalnata Selektsiya 2026 officially began on BNT 1, and instead of throwing songs at us, Bulgaria did something almost rebellious in 2026 Eurovision culture: it introduced people first.

Fifteen artists walked onto the stage, not with Eurovision entries, but with songs from their own repertoires. No LED overload. No key-change Olympics. Just voices, personalities and “this is who I am” energy.

And honestly? It felt kind of nice.

The eight artists who made it through

By the end of the night, eight names survived the first cut:

• DARA
• Innerglow
• Kerana and Kosmonavtite
• Mihaela Marinova
• Molets
• Mona
• Preyah
• Roksana

Fun little footnote: Innerglow and Roksana tied, which is why we’re getting eight qualifiers instead of seven. Eurovision loves a spreadsheet plot twist.

It wasn’t about perfection. It was about presence.

Some performances were polished. Some were rough around the edges. Some probably sounded better in the shower than on TV.

And that’s fine.

Because this show wasn’t about finding “the Eurovision song”. It was about spotting artists who could become Eurovision.

You could already feel who understands the camera. Who owns the stage. Who connects without trying too hard.

That matters more than hitting every note.

A little Bulgarian Eurovision family reunion

Seeing Krisia, Kristian Kostov and Victoria pop up as guest performers felt less like stunt casting and more like Bulgaria quietly saying:

“We’ve done this before. We can do it again.”

Kristian’s 2017 silver medal still hurts in a “we were so close” way.
Victoria remains the last Bulgarian finalist.

Their presence wasn’t nostalgia bait. It was a reminder of what’s possible.

How Bulgaria is playing this

Jury + online public vote decided last night’s results. Calm. Straightforward. No weird multipliers, no hidden levers.

And the bigger picture?

• Show 1 & Show 2 → pick the artist
• Final show → that artist performs three brand-new Eurovision songs
• Bulgaria chooses the song

Slow? Yes.
Careful? Definitely.
Pointless? Not at all.

It says: “Let’s choose a human first. Then build the song around them.”

That alone feels like growth.

Next stop: the Artist Final.