Israel to Select Eurovision 2027 Representative via 'The Next Star' TV Show

The Israeli Public Broadcasting Corporation (Kan) and Keshet 12 announced they will continue their collaboration to select Israel's representative for Eurovision 2027, which will be held in Bulgaria. The chosen artist will be selected through the popular TV show "The Next Star for Eurovision," produced by Keshet 12 and Teddy Productions, set to air this fall.

This decision follows Israel's recent strong performances in Eurovision, including Noam Datan's second place in 2026 in Austria, Yuval Rafael's second place and first in the public vote in 2025, and Eden Golan's fifth place in Sweden in 2024. Kan highlighted that Keshet bears a significant portion of the delegation's expenses, resulting in substantial budget savings and allowing more resources for original Israeli content.

The song selection process will adhere to the procedures established for Eurovision 2026 to ensure fairness. Songs will be submitted anonymously to a professional committee, with the option to use AI technology for demo vocals. The committee, composed of Kan professionals and a Keshet representative, will initially filter about 40 songs to select the winning entry.

Eurovision 2026's final broadcast achieved impressive ratings, averaging 32.7% on Kan 11 with over a million viewers, peaking at 53.7% during Noam Datan's performance. Zivit Davidovich, acting deputy director of television at Kan, praised the partnership for its excellent results and national pride. Ilanit Siman-Tov Hirsch, deputy CEO at Keshet 12, expressed confidence in delivering another exciting season culminating in the selection of the most deserving representative. Yoav Tzafir, the show's chief editor, emphasized the professional process and collaboration as key to choosing Israel's best artist for the global stage.

Dates for the semi-finals and final in Bulgaria have not yet been set but will be broadcast live across all Kan platforms.