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

Israel will continue its collaboration between Kan 11 and Keshet 12 to select the country's representative for the Eurovision Song Contest 2027, which will be held in Bulgaria. The representative will once again be chosen through Keshet's popular televised competition "The Next Star for Eurovision," set to air this fall. This decision follows years of debate and criticism from artists and industry professionals who have opposed Kan's repeated relinquishment of independent selection, a process previously conducted through a national pre-Eurovision competition.

Kan 11 had briefly regained independent selection in 2023, choosing Noa Kirel, who achieved third place in Liverpool. However, the broadcaster has reverted to partnering with Keshet, citing significant cost savings and the ability to allocate more resources to original Israeli content production. Kan emphasized the success of recent Israeli entries, including second-place finishes in 2025 with Noam Batan and in 2024 with Yuval Rafael.

Kan representatives will participate in the selection process during the semi-finals and finals of "The Next Star for Eurovision" on Keshet 12. The song selection process for Eurovision 2027 will follow new Kan guidelines established before Eurovision 2026, designed to ensure anonymity and fairness. Songs submitted for consideration will not include identifiable vocals from the creators, who may use AI technology to record vocals anonymously. A professional committee from Kan and a Keshet representative will shortlist approximately 40 songs before making the final decision.

The Eurovision 2026 final broadcast on Kan 11 attracted over one million TV viewers with a 32.7% rating and more than three million viewers across Kan's digital platforms, underscoring the contest's popularity in Israel.