Cyberyouth, bouzouki beats and zero chill: Cyprus picks Antigoni for Eurovision 2026
Cyprus has decided it’s not here to waste anyone’s time this season: before most countries have even opened their submissions, CyBC has already announced its act for Eurovision 2026 — British-Cypriot singer Antigoni. And just like that, the island keeps its unofficial title as the earliest and most prepared student in the class, a tradition it started in 2023 and clearly enjoys upholding.
Antigoni Buxton, raised in North London to Greek-Cypriot parents, is already a familiar face to the UK public thanks to a certain reality show best known for sunburn-induced flirting and people saying “I’ve got a text.” Yes, that Love Island. But reducing her to “ex-Love Island contestant” would be lazy, and frankly, offensive to the number of well-produced singles she has dropped since, including Sleeping Alone, Habibi and the increasingly viral You Can Have Him.
What makes Antigoni a clever pick is her sound — that hybrid of Mediterranean instrumentation and contemporary pop production that says: “I grew up on both laïko and Spotify editorial playlists, deal with it.” She already proved the formula works live when she opened for Eurovision icon Eleni Foureira in London last week, delivering a set that blended her catalogue with covers and the kind of stage presence that tells you she’s not flying to Vienna to be polite.
Cyprus, of course, has history in the “Mediterranean-meets-modern-pop” lane. Ever since Fuego set the scoreboard on fire in 2018, the island has been chasing the win that keeps slipping through its fingers. Forty-plus years in the contest, three fifth-place finishes, one silver medal, and still no trophy — which means Cyprus now holds the unflattering but iconic record for most Eurovision participations without a victory. At some point, that goes from “tragic” to “character development.”
But for 2026 — the 70th Eurovision, no less — picking an artist with both UK industry access and Cypriot identity feels like the most logical move they’ve made in years. The question now is whether Antigoni will lean into the ethnopop battlefield or pull a surprise genre pivot. Ballad? Bop? Bouzouki-driven deep house? Nobody knows, and CyBC isn’t saying a word.
What is clear is this: Cyprus has started the season with confidence, timing and a singer who actively wants the gig — not one who was dragged in from last year’s talent show contracts. For a country still chasing that first win, that’s not a bad place to start.
Source: Cybc (Instagram)
