The stage for the Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2026 is taking shape, with the official running order for this year’s competition now confirmed.
The host broadcaster PBS have revealed the order in which the 16 participating countries will perform at the 24th edition of the Junior Eurovision Song Contest, taking place in Ta’ Qali, Malta, on 24 October. The live show will begin at 21:00 CEST.
The Netherlands will have the task of opening this year’s competition, while Spain will bring the performances to a close. Between the two, viewers will see a total of 16 entries from across Europe taking to the Junior Eurovision stage.
The full running order
The Netherlands will open the show, followed by Cyprus in second place. Portugal will be the third country to perform, with Montenegro following in fourth.
San Marino will then take the fifth position, before France and Poland perform sixth and seventh respectively. Armenia will follow in eighth place, with host country Malta set to perform ninth.
Italy will occupy the tenth position, marking the final performance of the first half of the show. Ukraine will then open the second half in eleventh place, followed by North Macedonia and Ireland.
Albania will perform fourteenth, Georgia will follow in fifteenth, and Spain will close the competition from position 16.
The complete running order is:
The running order places eight countries in each half of the show, with Malta occupying the ninth position as host country. Spain will have the final performance of the evening, while the Netherlands will be the first act viewers see when the competition gets underway.
16 countries, one stage
The announcement marks another milestone on the road to Junior Eurovision 2026, with the participating delegations now knowing when their entries will appear during the live broadcast.
The 16 young artists will perform their entries in Ta’ Qali before the voting and results determine this year’s winner. The contest will be broadcast live from Malta on Saturday, 24 October at 21:00 CEST, with the official Junior Eurovision YouTube channel also providing a worldwide stream.
With the running order now settled, attention turns to the final preparations for the 24th Junior Eurovision Song Contest — and to the stage rehearsals that will bring all 16 performances together for the live show.
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