The Netherlands is set to be represented at the Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2026. The Dutch participating broadcaster, AVROTROS, organise the national final Junior Songfestival 2026 in order to select its entry for the contest.
| Netherlands in the Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2026 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2026 | ||||
| Participating broadcaster | AVROTROS | |||
| Country |  Netherlands | |||
| Selection process | Junior Songfestival 2026 | |||
| Selection date | 19 September 2026 | |||
| Participation chronology | ||||
| ||||
Background
editPrior to the 2025 contest, the Netherlands had participated in the contest twenty-two times since its first entry in the inaugural 2003 contest. Since then, the country has won the contest on one occasion in 2009 with the song "Click Clack" performed by Ralf Mackenbach. The Netherlands is the only country to have taken part in every edition of the contest.[1] Since 2014, as the result of a merger between the AVRO – which had previously been in charge of the Netherlands' participation in the contest – and TROS into the current AVROTROS, it is the latter who participates representing the Netherlands.[2][3] In 2025, Meadow represented the Netherlands with the song "Freeze" and finished 10th with 93 points.[4]
Before Junior Eurovision
editJunior Songfestival 2026
editJunior Songfestival 2026 is set to be the twenty-third edition of Junior Songfestival, the national final format developed by AVROTROS to select Dutch entries for the Junior Eurovision Song Contest. The event will be held on 19 September 2026 at the RTM Stage in Rotterdam.[5][6][7]
Format
editThe selection took place in four stages: the received applications were first assessed by an expert committee; 45 were selected to be performed at an audition round, excerpts of which were published to the competition's official YouTube channel on 3 and 17 April, and 3 and 15 May;[8][9][10][11] at the workshop, the singers were split into four groups and had the opportunity to work with vocal coaches and choreographers, after which a number of artists advanced to the final audition, where a jury selected the nine finalists,[12][13] who were later grouped into four acts,[14] each of them receiving the lyric sheets to specially-made songs written by well-known songwriters and recording the assigned songs in the studio; at the final, the winner will be determined by a combination of votes from an kids jury (traditionally made up of past Junior Songfestival participants), a professional jury (made up of industry professionals) and an online vote – each awarding sets of 8–10 and 12 points – with the latter taking precedence in the event of a tie.
Competing entries
editThe submission process for interested artists aged between nine and fourteen was open between 21 September 2025 and 25 January 2026.[15] On 29 May 2026, AVROTROS revealed the first line up of finalists, with the other finalists being revealed on 5 June 2026.[12][13] The acts were revealed on 12 June 2026.[14]
| Artist | Song | Songwriter(s) |
|---|---|---|
| The Crossovers A | "Crossovers" | TBA |
| Maria | "Stronger Together"[16] | TBA |
| Nolan | "Crush" | TBA |
| Vajèn | "Here I Am"[17] | TBA |
References
edit- ^A Benjamin, Catelynn, Lay, Noud, Saige & Zoë
- ↑ "Netherlands". Junioreurovision.tv. EBU. Retrieved 21 September 2024.
- ↑ Granger, Anthony (1 December 2013). "The Netherlands: JESC 2014 Participation Confirmed". Eurovoix. Retrieved 21 September 2024.
- ↑ "Sensational sixteen to line up in Malta". junioreurovision.tv. 30 September 2014. Retrieved 21 September 2024.
- ↑ "Results of Tbilisi 2025". Junioreurovision.tv.
- ↑ "Schrijf je in voor het Junior Songfestival 2026" [Sign up for the Junior Songfestival 2026]. NPO Zapp (in Dutch). Nederlandse Publieke Omroep. 20 September 2025. Retrieved 12 February 2026.
- ↑ Granger, Anthony (13 December 2025). "Junior Eurovision 2026: What Do We Know Already?". Eurovoix. Retrieved 26 January 2026.
- ↑ "Finale Junior Songfestival 2026" [Final Junior Songfestival 2026]. AVROTROS (in Dutch). 21 April 2026. Retrieved 21 April 2026.
- ↑ #1 HET NIEUWE SEIZOEN BEGINT: DE AUDITIES | JUNIOR SONGFESTIVAL 2026 🇳🇱. 3 April 2026 – via YouTube.
- ↑ #2 WIE GAAN ER DOOR NAAR DE FINALE AUDITIES? | JUNIOR SONGFESTIVAL 2026 🇳🇱. 17 April 2026 – via YouTube.
- ↑ #3 ZIJ ZIJN DOOR NAAR DE FINALE AUDITIE 🎶 | JUNIOR SONGFESTIVAL 2026 🇳🇱. 1 May 2026 – via YouTube.
- ↑ #4 WAT EEN TALENT IN DE LAATSTE AUDITIERONDE 😍 | JUNIOR SONGFESTIVAL 2026 🇳🇱. 15 May 2026 – via YouTube.
- 1 2 Shepherd, Em (29 May 2026). "Netherlands: First Junior Songfestival 2026 Finalists Announced". Eurovoix. Retrieved 30 May 2026.
- 1 2 "🇳🇱 Netherlands: Complete Junior Songfestival 2026 Line-up Revealed". Eurovoix.com. 5 June 2026. Retrieved 9 June 2026.
- 1 2 Granger, Anthony (12 June 2026). "🇳🇱 Netherlands: Junior Songfestival 2026 Acts Revealed". Eurovoix. Retrieved 14 June 2026.
- ↑ Granger, Anthony (13 January 2026). "Netherlands: Junior Songfestival 2026 Timelines Revealed". Eurovoix. Retrieved 30 May 2026.
- ↑ DIT IS DE TITEL VAN HET LIEDJE VAN MARIA | JSF SHORTS (in Dutch). 30 June 2026. Retrieved 30 June 2026 – via YouTube.
- ↑ DE TITEL VAN HET LIEDJE VAN VAJÈN IS... | JSF SHORTS (in Dutch). 28 June 2026. Retrieved 28 June 2026 – via YouTube.