🇦🇹 Eurovision 2026 in a Cultural Context: Languages

Over its 70 year history, the Eurovision Song Contest has become a major platform for many competing countries to embrace their own culture, tradition, and languages on an international stage, watched by hundreds of millions of viewers.

From an initial seven participating countries in 1956, the Eurovision Song Contest has welcomed 52 countries that have participated during the contest’s 69-years; being watched by an average of 160 to 180 million viewers each year, making Eurovision a perfect platform to showcase a country’s own culture, as well as, national languages to an international audience.

Annually, a significant proportion of countries utilise different elements of their cultures in their entries and performances, whether that be through the songs, language and staging. This year, 24 languages will grace the stage at the Wiener Stadthalle from across 35 competing countries – the highest number of languages since 1998, and a jump of an additional from 20 in 2025 languages at last year’s contest in Basel.

Over the course of the next few weeks, Eurovoix will take a deep dive into the array of cultural and ethnic elements showcased at Eurovision 2025, through the languages, songs and staging.

Today’s article takes an in-depth look at the 24 languages that will be sung throughout Eurovision week. During Eurovision’s 70-year history, 57 languages have been sung from a collection of 52 participating nations, from Arabic and Macedonian to Polish and Yankunytjatjara – there has been a diverse amount of national and other foreign languages sung at the Eurovision Song Contest.

🇦🇱 Albanian

Albania has quite commonly opted to embrace their cultural identity at the Eurovision Song Contest is Representing the West Balkan nation this year will be Alis and his powerfully dramatic entry “Nân (Mother)”.

While out of their 22 years at the song contest, only 12 of their songs have been sang in or featured Albanian. The country is also known to revamp their songs most years, which many entries undergoing added lines in English or changing completely in English. However, similarly to Shkodra Elektronike last year with their entry “Zjerm”, Alis has continued to keep “Nân” wholly in Albanian whilst undergoing a minor instrumental revamp.

🇦🇿 Azerbaijani

Since debuting for the first time in 2008, Azerbaijan has sent only 3 entries featuring Azerbaijani, with this year’s Azeri representative, JIVA, singing the final third of her song “Just Go” in Azerbaijani. While singing mostly in English, the country has mainly aimed in shifting to send entries that feature the national language – correlating with there Azerbaijani language song in Junior Eurovision. The previous two entries of Azerbaijan that featured Azerbaijani were Mamagama with “Run With U” in 2024 and in 2021 with Efendi’s “Mata Hari” through traditional chanting elements.

🇭🇷 Croatian

Since joining the Eurovision Song Contest, Croatia has sang in Croatian 23 out of 30 times since their debut in 1993, with Lelek continuing in representing their language through their ethereal yet seismic folk-pop entry “Andromeda”. Croatia has mostly chosen to sing in Croatian or English or a mix of both, with only one of their entries featuring Italian through their 2017 entry. Since the start of this current decade, Croatian has featured in 5 out of 7 entries with only “Poison Cake” and “Rim Tim Tagi Dim” being sang wholly in English.

🇩🇰 Danish

For the first time since, 2021, Denmark will represented by a song completely sang in Danish, fronted by Søren Torpegaard Lund and his pop banger “Før vi går hjem”. Over 53 years of participation, Lund’s entry will the 31st song to sang wholly in Danish and is the one of only three entries of Denmark to have featured Danish since 1997. Usually, Denmark has mostly opted to sing in English since 1997, though Lund has been vocal in keeping his entry “Før vi går hjem” in Danish since winning DMGP.

🇬🇧 English

Once again, the United Kingdom sends an entry in its national language, however for the first time ever since 1957, their entry will also feature another language. English is of course the most common language to be performed at the Eurovision Song Contest. At the 2026 contest, 23 entries will be performed in English or at least will also feature as secondary language in their song.

Between 1977 to 1998 there was a rule that countries must send songs in their national language only – which meant Malta, Ireland and the United Kingdom were the only countries who could send songs in English, during this time, as the language was their or one of their national languages. From 1999 onwards, any country could send songs in English due to the growing international audiences.

🇫🇮 Finnish

Finnish is once again being sang at the Eurovision Song Contest through Linda Lampenius’ & Pete Parkkonen’s entry “Liekinheitin”, continuing on from Erika Vikman. “Ich Komme” will be the 36th song for Finland to feature Finnish. Through 58 years of participating, 36 songs from Finland featured the national language, while the country has mainly chosen to send entries in English since the start of the 21st century. “Liekinkeitin” is one of the significant frontrunners to win this year’s Eurovision Song Contest, with Finland currently 1st in the betting odds – this could be the first Eurovision win to feature Finnish.

🇫🇷 French

For France, this is the 66th time their entry will be sung in their national language, being fronted by 17 year old Monroe and her pop-opera entry “Regarde!”. Along with English, French is one of the most common languages at the contest and is one of the languages which Eurovision is presented in. While Monroe sings completely in French, the language also features in “Michelle”, as well as the odd phrases in both Moldova and Lithuania’s entry.

France has always sent songs in French and have continued to do so whether completely or mixed with English. The country has also sent entries featuring other languages of France, including Breton.

🇩🇪 German

Germany has once again opted to sing their entry in English. Two other entries at this year’s Eurovision Song Contest feature German; completely and partially. Host nation, Austria, are being represented by Cosmó and his club banger “Tanzschein” which is sung wholly in German.

However, surprisingly for the first time since their debut participation, the United Kingdom’s entry “Eins, Zwei, Drei” fronted by Look Mum No Computer (Sam Battle), will feature German. This will be the first time ever that the UK will be sending an entry that features a non-english language, though the majority of the song is still performed in English.

🇬🇷 Greek

Continuing the pattern of representing cultural identity, Greece will be sending an entry in Greek, fronted by singer Akylas and his techno-pop anthem “Ferto”. This will be the 31st time at the Eurovision Song Contest that Greece sends an entry in Greek, and while in the last three decades English has become the dominant language for Greece’s Eurovision entries, it does seem that with Marina Satti’s success in 2024 and Klavdia last year, Greece will want to continue a streak of sending songs in their native language.

As well as Greece, Cyprus will also be represented by a song that is partially sung in Greek, though the Cypriot dialect of Greek. The Mediterranean island nation are represented by British-Cypriot singer, Antigoni and her traditional ethnic-pop song “JALLA” – translating to more or again in Cypriot Greek. This will be the first time since 2022 that Cyprus are being represented with a song in Greek.

🇮🇱 Hebrew

Once again Hebrew will feature in the Israeli entry at the Eurovision Song Contest, through “Michelle” fronted by singer Noam Bettam. Israel has mostly often sent entries that are sung in both English and Hebrew, as well as a mix of both during their participation history.

🇮🇹 Italian

Italy is one of several countries that consistently send their Eurovision entries in their native tongue and 2026 is, of course, no different. This year, they are represented by Sal Da Vinci and his song “Per Sempre Si”. Ever since their first participation in 1956 up until 2026, all of Italy’s entries have been sung in Italian, with only a small handful featuring English. Italian also is featured in a few phrases in both Moldova and Lithuania’s entry this year.

🇯🇲 Jamaican Patois

For the first time in Eurovision’s 70 year history, Jamaican Patois will debut at the song contest in Vienna, through Bulgaria’s ethnic-pop banger “Bangaranga” represented by DARA. “Bangaranga” is a Jamaican slang word meaning chaos or riot on the Caribbean island and amongst the Jamaican community. “DARA sings about being the “bangarang” and welcoming you into a riot. “Bangaranga” mixes both English and Jamaican Patois through the repeated lyrics of “Bangaranga” and the line “I’m the Bangarang” – referring to herself as a riot.

🇱🇻 Latvia

After Tautumeitas’ success in Basel last year, Latvian will once again feature at the contest – represented through Atvara and her ballad “Ēnā”, translating to ‘in the shade’ . However, this will be the second time since 2004 that a song representing Latvia will be sung completely in Latvian following Tautumeitas and the partial inclusion of Latvian in “Aijā” by Sudden Lights in 2023.

🇱🇹 Lithuanian

In the last few years, Lithuania has found a formula for finishing in the top 15 – sending entries in their national language: Lithuanian. For the fifth year in a row since 2022, Lithuania has sent a song in Lithuanian –  and this year they are represented by the band Lion Ceccah and his entry “Sólo quiero más”. Even though the title of the song is in Spanish, the song is sang in Lithuanian and English, as well as bits in Spanish, Italian, French and German.

Since first participating in Eurovision, Lithuania has mostly sent songs in English; however, with the recent success of Lithuanian-language entries, there is a growing national pride in continuing to send their entries in their native tongue.

🇲🇹 Maltese

One of the biggest language comebacks at the Eurovision Song Contest 2026, will be Maltese, being sang at the contest for the first time since 1972. Representing Malta this year is Aidan and his heartfelt ballad “Bella” and will be sang in a mix of Maltese and English.

Whilst Maltese is the native language of Malta, the country has mostly always sent songs in English – another national language. However, Maltese could have been represented on the stage in Basel last year before the requested revamp of “Kant” (Singing) to “Serving”. “Bella” will be third song for Malta sang in Maltese. Additionally, during the language rule up until the 90s, Malta was one of only three countries allowed to sing in English.

🇲🇪 Montenegrin

For a second year in a row, Montenegro will return to the Eurovision Song Contest stage with a song in Montenegrin through Tamara Živković and her EDM techno-pop anthem “Nova Zora”. “Nova Zora” is sang mostly in Montenegrin with a few lines in English.

While it was a requirement in the selection of Montenegro’s 2025 national final for all songs must be sung in the national language, for 2026 Montesong opted to loosen the language though another Montenegrin language song won the national final. “Dobrodošli” will be the 8th entry of Montenegro at Eurovision to feature Montenegrin. Tamara has been very vocal since her selection for her song to remain in Montenegrin because of national identity on an international stage.

🇮🇹 Neapolitan

Neapolitan first featured at the Eurovision Song Contest in 1991 in Italy’s entry “Comme è ddoce ‘o mare” and will make its return after more than 30 years through Sal Da Vinci’s Italian entry “Per Sempre Si”. Whilst most of the song is sang in Italian, with several lines in Neapolitan.

🇵🇹 Portuguese

Portugal is also another country that has always tended to send their Eurovision entries in Portuguese, barring 2021. The Iberian nation has usually always sent songs that are true to their cultural identity and 2026 is no different as the country was represented by 6 member group Bandidos Do Cante and their slow and charming entry “Rosa”.

🇷🇴 Romanian

Whilst Romania will be represented by a song wholly in English, Moldova’s Eurovision 2026 entry features Romanian lyrics, amongst other languages. “Viva Moldova” fronted by Satoshi is an traditional folk-pop song bringing immense joy to this year’s song contest and marks the return of Romanian for the first time since 2023, when both Moldova and Romania were both represented by entries in Romanian.

🇷🇸 Serbian

Since debuting as an independent country in 2007, Serbia almost always send entries sung wholly in Serbian, with some entries featuring English or other languages. Since 2018, Serbia has continued its streak of sending songs in Serbian with 2026’s “Kraj Mene”, fronted by rock-metal band, Lavina, being the most recent entry in the native language. The Serbian language has mostly always qualified for the Grand Final, making it a staple language to always hear for the hundreds of millions watching.

🇪🇸 Spanish

Despite the unfortunate withdrawal of Spain from this year’s Eurovision Song Contest, Spanish still features in two entries – Moldova’s “Viva Moldova” and Lithuania’s “Sólo quiero más”. Even without Spain, Spanish is still featured at the Eurovision Song Contest and is another language that is commonly heard at the contest.

🇺🇦 Ukraine

Ukraine is one of the most successful countries at Eurovision, with the country being the only nation to hold a 100% qualifying streak at the song contest. The Eurovision Song Contest has always been an important and vital platform for Ukraine to embrace representing their culture, identity and traditionality to wider international audiences, particularly now more than ever.

During Ukraine’s participation history at the contest, they have sent songs in English, in Ukrainian or mixed with other languages like Crimean Tatar in 2016. “Ridnym” is a beautiful traditional ballad, fronted by singer Leleka, and is the latest Ukrainian entry at Eurovision, with the song sang both in Ukrainian and English at this year’s Eurovision Song Contest in Vienna.

Additional Languages: Latin & Hawaiian

Satoshi’s Eurovision 2026 entry “Viva Moldova” for Moldova features several languages including English, Romanian and Spanish, as well as additional languages like Latin and Hawaiian though only represented through one word and phrase in the song.

Speaking in national and native language has always been an important element of representing one’s culture and for Eurovision, languages have been a defining feature of the contest’s uniqueness. For many individuals and communities, language has always been a massive part of their individuality – strengthening and embracing their strong cultural identity and upbringing.

Several languages that did not return to this year’s Eurovision Song Contest from Basel include Icelandic, Georgian, Swedish, Polish and Armenian.