Junior Eurovision 2026 is on Saturday 24 October at 3 p.m. Eastern, live from Malta. Sixteen countries compete, and you can watch for free on the official Junior Eurovision YouTube channel.
When and where
The contest is at the Malta Fairs & Conventions Centre in Ta' Qali, hosted by Maltese broadcaster PBS. It's Malta's third time hosting Junior Eurovision, after 2014 and 2016. It's also earlier than usual: recent editions have been in November or December.
Who's competing
Sixteen countries, with performers aged 9 to 14. Azerbaijan and Croatia, who took part in 2025, aren't back this year.
- Albania
- Armenia
- Cyprus
- France
- Georgia
- Ireland
- Italy
- Malta
- Montenegro
- Netherlands
- North Macedonia
- Poland
- Portugal
- San Marino
- Spain
- Ukraine
How to watch from America
The official Junior Eurovision YouTube channel streams the show live internationally, without commentary. That's the simplest option in America. (Viewers in competing countries watch on their national broadcaster, with commentators.)
Can Americans vote?
In recent years, Junior Eurovision has combined national juries with a free online vote open to viewers around the world, including America. The 2026 voting details haven't been published yet, so check junior.eurovision.com the week of the show.
Why it's worth watching
Junior Eurovision is a preview of where Eurovision pop is heading, and a good way to see which broadcasters take the contest seriously. Plus, a Saturday afternoon show is easy to watch from here.