Get ready, Eurofans! The first artist for the Eurovision Song Contest 2026 in Vienna has been officially announced, and it’s none other than the multi-talented singer-songwriter, ANTIGONI!
The Cypriot public broadcaster, CyBC, dropped the exciting news today, making Cyprus the first country to confirm its representative for the 70th edition of our beloved contest. This early announcement has set the Eurovision fandom buzzing and gives us all a new focus for the coming months!
The artist stepping up to carry the Cypriot flag is Antigoni Buxton, known simply as ANTIGONI. While born and raised in London, she proudly embraces her deep Greek-Cypriot roots (her mother is the well-known chef, Tonia Buxton).
Many people will recognize ANTIGONI from her time on the popular reality show Love Island UK in 2022, where her vibrant personality and clear passion for music quickly earned her a following.
Since finishing the show, she’s immersed herself in her music career, dropping several tracks and considerably increasing her live performance experience. In a powerful sign of her ambition, ANTIGONI recently opened for Eleni Foureira (Cyprus 2018) in London. This performance publicly manifested her long-held dream of representing Cyprus on the world’s biggest stage, creating a truly full-circle moment. ANTIGONI secured her spot through a rigorous internal selection process conducted by CyBC. The broadcaster carefully evaluated a shortlist that included several other highly talented, big-name artists, but the final decision to choose ANTIGONI demonstrates a strong belief in her potential to deliver a compelling and captivating performance in Vienna.
The 70th Eurovision Song Contest will take place in Vienna, Austria, with the Grand Final scheduled for Saturday, May 16, 2026.
