Will Slovakia return to Eurovision next year? In the wake of the latest reports in the fan media portals regarding Slovakia’s potential return to the Eurovision Song Contest next year, ESCToday reached out to the Slovak national broadcaster to shed more light on this matter.
Slovakia debuted at the Eurovision Song Contest in 1994 and has competed in Europe’s favourite television show 7 times. Slovakia withdrew from the competition in 2013 and has not returned since.
Next year the Eurovision Song Contest travels to Austria, a stone’s throw away from Slovakia, so we might very well see the country return to the competition next year if the country resolves its participation requirements.
STVR is currently eyeing a return to the with the newly elected STVR management team. The Slovak national broadcaster is planning to reasess Slovakia’s involvement at the Eurovision Song Contest, hence Slovakia might attempt to return to the competition if it overcomes the hurdles it has faced when it came to competing at the contest.
Slovakia’s Eurovision return has been marred by financial constraints and low viewership. It is yet unclear if the country will return to the contest in 2026 or sometime in the near future.
The good news is that STVR is planning to consider a potential return to the contest and willing to evaluate all the options on the table if circumstances allow.
STVR gave ESCToday the following statement:
Slovakia’s participation in Eurovision has been the subject of several internal analyses in the past. Over time, it has become clear that the costs of full participation — including licensing fees, production, and logistics — are disproportionately high compared with the returns or wider societal benefit. For STVR as a public-service institution, it is essential to invest resources first and foremost in original content, dramatic production, news coverage, and the development of young talent on the domestic scene.
Slovakia is a small country with a limited media market and public budget. Some countries of comparable size do take part in Eurovision, but often in cooperation with the private sector or with support from sponsors. Slovakia has not made use of such financing so far.
With the arrival of a newly elected STVR management team, we plan to reassess Slovakia’s involvement in international projects, including Eurovision. It is therefore possible that in the future — provided favourable budgetary and editorial conditions — we will attempt a return to Eurovision.
Slovakia in Eurovision
Slovakia first attempted to partake in the Eurovision Song Contest in 1993 when it competed in the special preliminary semifinal in Slovenia, but failed to qualify. The landlocked central European nation debuted at the Eurovision Song Contest in 1994 with Martin Durinda and Tublatanka.
The last time we saw Slovakia on the Eurovision stage was back in 2012 when Max Jason Mai defended the Slovak colours in Baku with his entry Don’t close your eyes. Slovakia has participated 8 times in the competion and has been quite unfortunate when it comes to results, achieving its best result in 1996 when Marcel Palonder placed 18th in Oslo.
