Pop, rock, indie, ethnic, Latin, electro; Greek, English, Spanish; ancient Greece, modern Greece, Europe; veterans, returnees, debutants; established stars and up-and-coming artists; This year\u2019s Greek national
\nFinal has pretty much everything you could expect from Greece, showcasing both the diversity of the Greek music scene and Eurovision\u2019s international appeal.<\/p>\n
The national final <\/p>\n
Twenty-eight songs out of the 264<\/strong><\/a> submissions will take part in the national final, of which 14 will qualify for the grand final. The semi-finals will be decided by 100% televoting, while the final will be determined by a 50% televote and 50% jury vote. Among the participants are Koza Mostra, who represented Greece alongside Agathonas Iakovidis with “Alcohol Is Free” in 2013; Evangelia, Dinamiss, and Rikki from last year\u2019s Greek national final; and Marseaux, best known for hits such as “Vodka Vissino,” “Deja Vu” with Helena Paparizou (Greece 2001 & 2005), and “Alithia” with her competitor Evangelia. Also taking part is ZAF, who opened for Coldplay at their concert in Athens, has gained a sizeable fanbase on TikTok, and has become one of the most promising Greek pop singers, as well as Mikay, who found popularity in China and is known for her versatility and K-pop-inspired music. She sings in multiple languages, including Greek, English, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Italian, and French.<\/p>\n Semi-final 1<\/strong><\/a> \u2013 11 February 2026<\/p>\n 1. Alexandra Sieti – The Other Side Semi-final 2<\/strong><\/a> \u2013 13 February 2026<\/p>\n 1. Rikki – Agapi Klavdia, who represented Greece in 2025 with \u201cAsteromata\u201d, Tamta, who represented Cyprus in 2019 with \u201cReplay\u201d, Antigoni, who will represent Cyprus this year with \u201cJalla\u201d, and Christos Mastoras, who competed with his band Melisses in the Greek national final in 2010 with \u201cKinezos\u201d, will perform as interval acts. The shows will be broadcast on ERT1 and ERT World, and for the first time, International fans and Greeks who live abroad will be able to vote<\/strong><\/a> in the Greek National Final.<\/p>\n However, the two entries that have generated the most hype in Greece are “Ferto” by Akylas and “Dark Side of the Moon” by Good Job Nicky. In this article, we will focus on these two favourites.<\/p>\n Akylas \u2013 Ferto <\/p>\n When the semifinalists were first revealed and the 15-second snippets were published, nobody thought that Akylas had any chance of even qualifying, let alone winning. However, once the songs of the national final were released in full, Akylas went from a complete outsider to the biggest favourite\u2014not only to win the Greek national final, but even to win Eurovision. Greeks quickly became obsessed with \u201cFerto\u201d: the song went viral on social media, its music video has amassed over two million views, and it is leading in most polls.<\/p>\n Akylas, whose full name is Akylas Mytilineos, was born in 1999 in Serres. He is a self-made musician, songwriter, and performer who has already gained popularity in the Greek indie-pop scene with songs such as \u201cAtelier,\u201d \u201cEkdilosou,\u201d and \u201cFthinokraso,\u201d and has also appeared on The Voice of Greece. Since 2022, he has worked as a singer on cruise ships. He has built a strong social media presence, with his TikTok covers going viral. This online success opened the door to his recording career in Athens. His music conveys messages of love, self-expression, and social justice.<\/p>\n \u201cFerto\u201d is a pop-electro track that blends pop, ethnic, indie, and electronic elements. It is inspired by Akylas\u2019 personal experiences and his family\u2019s financial struggles. The song addresses overconsumption, greed, and the relentless pursuit of material goods, while also touching on gratitude and the desire to provide for loved ones. The lyrics shift between Greek, English, and a few French phrases, emphasising themes of ambition and excess. On the bridge, he speaks directly to his mother, promising he will make sure they never lack anything.<\/p>\n \u201cI can\u2019t believe<\/strong><\/a> what\u2019s happening,\u201d Akyllas said in an Instagram post, reacting to the popularity of \u201cFerto,\u201d the song that sent Greece skyrocketing to third<\/strong><\/a> place in the Eurovision odds, behind only Israel and Finland. The track has also received support from K\u00e4\u00e4rij\u00e4, who finished second for Finland in 2023 with \u201cCha Cha Cha,\u201d and from Dara, who will represent Bulgaria this year.<\/p>\n \u201cI graduated from a music high school, I\u2019ve done a lot of theatre workshops, but I hadn\u2019t taken vocals that seriously. On the cruise ship where I worked for two years, I sang every day \u2014 disco, pop, rock. It was really a masterclass. Two and a half months there, two months at home. It was a good school to prepare for the Eurovision stage.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe thought about it for about a month and a half before applications closed. I\u2019m generally working on albums, but Orfeas Nonis and I said, \u2018Let\u2019s forget everything and do something that\u2019s Eurovision.\u2019 Once we wrote the song and made the demo, I would wake up every morning and dance to it in front of the mirror. It put me in the mood. I felt so good in that sound, something I had never felt with music before.<\/p>\n \u201cNo matter where you\u2019re from, no matter how much money you have or don\u2019t have, if you love what you do and you never stop trying and evolving, you will succeed. It\u2019s the story of going from lack to success,\u201d Akyllas said in an interview.<\/p>\n
\nThe semi-finals will be held on 11 and 13 February, and the final will take place on 15 February at 20:00 CET. Katerina Vrana, Giorgos Kapoutzidis and Betty Maggira will host the shows.<\/p>\n
\n2. The Astrolabe – Drop It
\n3. Desi G – Aphrodite
\n4. Akylas – Ferto
\n5. Evangelia – Parea
\n6. Panagiotis Tsakalakos – 2nd Chance
\n7. Niya – Slipping Away
\n8. Marseaux – Chanomai
\n9. Rosanna Mailan – Alma
\n10. Stefi – Europa
\n11. Revery – The Songwriter
\n12. Dinamiss – Chaos
\n13. Stylianos – You & I
\n14. Spheyiaa – Hilia kommatia<\/p>\n
\n2. Garvin – Back in the Game
\n3. Mikay Labyrinth
\n4 . Marika – Daughters of the Sun (A, E, I, O, U)
\n5. D3lta – Mad About It
\n6 .Zaf – Asteio
\n7. Kianna – No More Drama
\n8. Stella Kay – You Are the Fire
\n9. Tianora – Anatello
\n10. Victoria Anastasia – Whatcha Doin to Me
\n11. Basilica – Set Everything on Fire
\n12. Good Job Nicky – Dark Side of the Moon
\n13. Koza Mostra – Bulletproof
\n14. Leroybroughtflowers – Sabotage!<\/p>\n