The Waiting Is Over: Romania’s Eurovision Finalists Step Forward
Finally TVR has put us out of our misery. They’ve whittled down 68 hopefuls—bless their hearts—into a final ten that actually feels like a proper, modern reflection of what’s happening in the Romanian charts right now. No more «fillers» or «how did that get there?» moments; this is a high-stakes, high-glamour list of finalists for Selecția Națională 2026 that has me genuinely excited for Vienna. The jury clearly went into those live auditions with a «no mercy» policy, and the result is a lineup that’s got everything from heavy-hitting EDM legends to indie-pop darlings who are ready to cause some serious trouble on the big stage.
Heavyweights, Crocodiles, and a bit of «Choke Me»
Let’s just take a breath and look at these names, shall we? We’ve got the icon himself Edward Maya teaming up with LavBbe and Costi for “Everybody Needs Somebody”, which feels like a guaranteed floor-filler that could wake up the entire continent. But then, you’ve got Olivia Addams—who I’ve been obsessed with for ages—bringing something called “Croco”, and if it’s half as catchy as her usual stuff, we’re all in trouble. The jury also showed a bit of a rebellious streak by putting through Alexandra Căpitănescu with “Choke Me” (yes, you read that right), alongside the club-ready energy of Alejandro Zandes & Emil Rengle. The full list of those who made the cut is: Alejandro Zandes & Emil Rengle, Alexandra Căpitănescu, Edward Maya x LavBbe x Costi, Emy Alupei, HVNDS, Monica Odagiu, Olivia Addams, Vanu, and Yguana. It’s a proper mixed bag, but the quality is undeniably there, and I’m already placing my imaginary bets on who’s going to serve the most outrageous staging come March 4.
The Wildcard Scramble: Is WRS the comeback king?
Now, this is where it gets properly spicy. TVR decided that ten acts simply weren’t enough for the drama they have planned, so they’ve opened up a Wildcard round that is essentially a digital hunger games. Five acts are currently battling for the 11th spot, and the winner is whoever gets the most views by Sunday night. The headline here? Our 2022 king, WRS, is back with “All the Way” and he’s fighting for his life against the likes of Antonio Pican and Bogdan Medvedi. It’s a bit of a cheek making a former winner scrap for a wildcard, but that’s the Eurovision world we live in, isn’t it? The acts you need to be streaming if you want to save them are: Alexa & Aria Moon, Antonio Pican, Bogdan Medvedi, Impact, and WRS. Get those YouTube tabs open, people!
The Long Walk to March 4
The countdown to the national final is officially on, and the buzz in the fan community is already hitting fever pitch. Romania has a bit of a «boom or bust» reputation at Eurovision, but looking at this group, it feels like we’re leaning heavily towards the «boom» side of things for 2026. Whether it’s the dark, moody sorrow of HVNDS or the pop perfection of Olivia Addams, whoever gets that ticket to Vienna is going to have to survive a brutal night of live singing and jury scrutiny first. I’ll be here with my scorecard and a very large glass of wine, ready to see if WRS can pull off the ultimate comeback or if a new star is about to be born. It’s going to be a proper scrap, and I wouldn’t have it any other way!
Source: TVR
