The semifinal phase of Rising Star for Eurovision 2016 has just ended and we now know the four finalists who will fight for the Israeli ticket to Stockholm.

The finalists are (in brackets – the songwriters):

  1. Hovi Star Made of stars (Doron Medalie)
  2. Nofar Salman Made of stars (Doron Medalie)
  3. Ella Daniel Somebody out there (David Maman, Phillip Hayun)
  4. Gil Hadash Follow the sun (Stav Beger, Tom Gefen)

Two of the participants (Hovi and Nofar) will sing the same song, written by Doron Medalie (who also wrote Israel’s entry for Eurovision 2015, Golden boy), but in different arrangements). The final of Rising Star 2016 will take place on Thursday, 3 March, and will be transmitted live. Two acts will qualify to a superfinal, where the winner will go to represent Israel in Eurovision 2016.

Stay tuned to ESCToday.com for more news regarding Rising Star and Israel in the Eurovision Song Contest 2016


Gil is 23 years old, grew up in Israel and lives in Sweden. He began following the Eurovision Song Contest at the age of five, when the contest was held in Jerusalem in 1999. Gil joined the ESCToday team in March 2008, shortly after co-hosting the Israeli national selection that year.