France Télévisions has officially lifted the curtain on its act for the Junior Eurovision Song Contest (JESC) 2026. The broadcaster announced that 12-year-old virtuoso Alec Burette (performing simply as Alec) will fly the French flag in Malta.
The highly anticipated reveal took place live on France 2 during the iconic La Fête de la Musique broadcast from the historic Théâtre Antique d’Orange. Co-hosted by Laury Thilleman and France’s 2026 adult Eurovision representative, Monroe, the announcement included a stunning live debut performance from the newly minted representative, where Alec gave fans a thrilling preview of his vocal prowess, delivering a seamless live piano mash-up of Lou Deleuze “Ce Monde” and Elton John “I’m Still Standing”
Who is Alec?
Hailing from the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region, 12-year-old Alec is a classically trained multi-instrumentalist who began playing piano at age five. Despite his youth, he is already an accomplished songwriter and a seasoned competitor, having won the junior tier of the Voice Only Kids vocal competition and first place at the prestigious Les Étoiles du Léman festival. He also made waves on national television during the 2025 holiday special of N’oubliez Pas Les Enfants and turned heads at The Voice Kids auditions with an emotional piano cover of Santa’s Popcorn Salé, proving he has the artistic maturity needed for the big Eurovision stage.
Alexandra Redde-Amiel, the Head of the French Delegation, expressed immense pride in the selection:
We are absolutely thrilled to welcome Alec into the big Eurovision Junior family. His musicality, versatility, and maturity on stage are already remarkable, and he represents the absolute best of young French artistic talent
While France actually won the 2025 contest in Tbilisi, Georgia, thanks to a spectacular performance by Lou Deleuze, France Télévisions made the strategic decision to decline hosting duties this year due to significant budgetary constraints and corporate restructuring. As a result, Malta stepped in to host the competition
The 24th edition of the Junior Eurovision Song Contest is scheduled to take place on Saturday, October 24, 2026, at the Malta Fairs & Conventions Centre (MFCC) in Ta’ Qali, Malta.
As of now, the following countries have confirmed their intention to compete in Junior Eurovision 2026:
- Malta
- Albania
- Armenia
- Cyprus
- France
- Georgia
- Ireland
- Italy
- North Macedonia
- The Netherlands
- Poland
- Portugal
- Ukraine
