Eurovision 2026: Belgium reaches Saturday’s final with Dancing on the Ice

Belgium has qualified for the final of the Eurovision Song Contest for the first time since 2023 following singer Essyla’s semi-final performance.

The former finalist on The Voice Belgique was one of 15 contestants in the first round of the competition. She performed the electro-pop number Dancing on the Ice to secure her spot in Saturday’s final in Vienna. The second semi-final takes place on Thursday evening.

“It really is a long journey, where you have to prove you deserve your place,” she said following her selection, reports VRT.  “This makes me so proud. It means our little country counts. We’ve worked hard to secure this spot for Belgium.”

Born Alice Van Eesbeeck, and originating from Perwez in Walloon Brabant, Essyla appeared in the ninth season of the Belgian edition The Voice, along with Jérémie Makiesse, who represented Belgium at Eurovision in 2022.

Her song Dancing on the Ice is co-written and produced by Nicolas D’Avell and Emil Stengele and supported by a 100% Belgian creative team.

But this year’s Eurovision, the show's 70th anniversary, has been overshadowed by a bitter row over Israel. Competition regulars, Ireland, the Netherlands, Iceland, Spain and Slovenia, have refused to take part in the event.

In addition, thousands of high-profile musicians around the world have called for a boycott in an open letter.

“For the third consecutive year, they’ll find Israel celebrated onstage despite its ongoing genocide in Gaza, while Russia remains banned for its illegal invasion of Ukraine,” the letter reads.

Nevertheless, Israeli contestant Noam Bettan’s performance in Tuesday’s semi-final went off without a hitch, apart from a few chants of “Free, free Palestine” and boos from the audience. Four people were escorted out of the venue for this reason.

Calls for Belgium’s French-language broadcaster RTBF - which is responsible for broadcasting this year's edition to Belgian viewers - to join the boycott have seemingly fallen on deaf ears, though the broadcaster said it understood protestors’ concerns.

“These concerns reflect a deep commitment to human rights, freedom of information and the responsibility of public media,” RTBF explained in a special article addressing the calls for a boycott.

“The reactions received show just how much the situation in Gaza is stirring up emotion, outrage and questions.

"Many express unease at the idea that a festive event could take place whilst civilians are suffering extreme violence.

"We fully understand these feelings. They form part of an essential democratic debate, in which the public demands consistency, accountability and vigilance from its public service media."

The broadcaster goes on to state that “contrary to popular belief, Eurovision is not organised by governments. It is a contest run by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), an independent association comprising public service broadcasters (not only from Europe). Artists take part through television channels, not as representatives of government policy.”

RTBF said that Eurovision fell within its public service obligation to support artistic creation, promote cultural diversity, encourage dialogue between people and provide an international stage for Belgian artists.

“Participation in Eurovision will not mean ignoring the reality on the ground,” the broadcaster added.

“RTBF is continuing and intensifying its journalistic coverage of the situation in the Middle East. Journalists regularly travel to the region to document events, despite extremely dangerous conditions. The objective remains unchanged: to provide independent, verified and pluralistic information.”

The broadcaster also pointed to a documentary it recently co-produced that focuses on the daily lives of journalists in Gaza, “the only direct witnesses to the humanitarian disaster”, along with a conference it organised on the state of journalism in Gaza and the West Bank.

“The Eurovision period will also be an opportunity for RTBF to highlight the human, political and journalistic issues linked to the situation in Gaza,” RTBF added.

“The public service broadcaster will continue to cover the conflict in an independent and in-depth manner, whilst fulfilling its cultural mission.”

Protestors continue to call on the broadcaster to withdraw its coverage of the competition, with about 100 of them gathering outside the RTBF buildings in Brussels earlier this week to demonstrate.

“The boycott is a legitimate, non-violent means of protest,” said Alexis Deswaef, president of the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH).

“Israel must be excluded from this type of competition, as was done with Russia in the past.”

An alternative festival called ‘United for Palestine’ took place at La Madeleine in Brussels on Tuesday, organised by ABVV, ACV, INTAL, SOS Gaza, 11.11.11 and Vrede vzw.

Photos: Essyla in Vienna ©Essyla.com