Luxembourg has picked Eva Marija to represent it at Eurovision 2026 with Mother Nature, a song that will become the country’s first entry in the contest performed entirely in English. The 20-year-old singer-songwriter and violinist won Luxembourg’s selection competition, then said the rush around the win was already changing her life.
“It’s crazy how three minutes on stage can pivot your career,” Eva Marija told RTL Today after the selection. “I’m also just getting used to my Instagram being a bit crazy right now.”
Her path to the Eurovision stage began early. Eva Marija was born in Luxembourg City to Slovenian parents and started her musical career at three years old after watching Alexander Rybak win Eurovision in 2009. She later studied violin, singing, piano and bass guitar at the Luxembourg Conservatory, and by 14 years old was performing across Luxembourg at youth concerts, theatre productions and festivals. She is now studying at the Institute for Contemporary Music Performance in London.
Luxembourg’s entry already carries added weight because of where the country is coming from. Last year, Laura Thorn represented Luxembourg and finished in 22nd place with 47 points, a reminder that the comeback has not yet turned into another run to the top. Luxembourg will now send Eva Marija to the contest for only the third time since opting out after 1993, and the country is still chasing a sixth Eurovision win after five previous victories.
The move also gives Luxembourg a first in more than one sense. Mother Nature is the first Luxembourgish entry in the contest to be sung entirely in English, a choice that may widen its reach but also marks a shift for a country whose Eurovision identity has long been tied to a multilingual tradition. That matters because Luxembourg is one of Eurovision’s most successful nations, even after its long absence from the competition.
Eurovision itself is entering another fraught year, with the contest facing criticism over Israel’s participation because of the war in Gaza. Against that backdrop, Luxembourg’s return is less about nostalgia than momentum: a young performer, a new sound and a country trying to turn a limited comeback into something bigger. For Eva Marija, the next step is clear enough — three minutes on stage in Eurovision 2026, with a chance to make Luxembourg’s return count.
