Did Loïc Nottet walk away from representing Belgium at Eurovision 2026?

Set your alarms - the act that will represent Belgium at Eurovision 2026 will be announced tomorrow evening at 6.40pm AEDT.

Wallonian broadcaster RTBF has been slower than usual to confirm their act for Eurovision 2026 - due in part to the uncertainty surrounding this year's Contest ahead of last December's general meeting of the European Broadcasting Union.

However, in recent days reporting has suggested that there may be another reason for the delay - that RTBF has had to find themselves a new act after a former Eurovision act withdraw their name from the ring.

Was Eurovision 2015 star Loïc Nottet supposed to return for his country at this year's Contest? Read on to find out more!

Who is Loïc Nottet?

Long-term Eurovision viewers will need no introduction to Loïc Nottet, whose song Rhythm Inside gave Belgium their joint-best result of the 2010s at the Eurovision Song Contest 2015 in Vienna.

Originally coming to prominence on The Voice Belgique, where he was mentored by BJ Scott, Loïc successfully progressed through the competition and ultimately finished in runner-up position.

It wasn't long until he was announced as the Belgian participant for Eurovision 2015, with a futuristic electro track in the vein of Lorde or Sia that was paired in Vienna with bold, monochrome staging.

While not initially hotly favoured, Belgium gathered steam throughout rehearsal week and ultimately finished in a comfortable fourth place, behind only Sweden, Russia and Italy.

It was Eurovision that launched Loïc to public prominence in his native Belgium, with his first album Selfocracy reaching number one in Wallonia and number three in Flanders.

Was Loïc in the running to return?

In August 2025, reports began to circulate from French journalist Clément Garin that Loïc had been selected by RTBF to return to Eurovision for a second time.

The reports suggested that he had successfully been chosen from a pool of nearly forty Belgian artists, including established performer Mentissa (known to fans from her participation in Eurosong 2025, last year's Belgian national final, with Désolée) as well as former The Voice Belgique contestant Essyla.

While August may seem like an early time to be selecting a Eurovision act, this aligns with Wallonian broadcaster RTBF's previous selection timetables, with Mustii (2024), Jeremie Makiese (2022) and Eliot (2019) all among the first artists to be announced in their respective years.

A return to Eurovision 2026 would have been in many ways a full-circle journey for Loic, whose previous appearance at the Contest was also in this year's host city of Vienna.

It would also have been an opportunity for him to show off his development as an artist, with his more recent albums having switched to French as their primary language and showcasing a more intimate, acoustic sound after the heavy electro vibes of his early work.

While RTBF was quick to deny that any decision had been made about Belgium's participation at Eurovision 2026, the rumour mill continued to churn, with many eagerly awaiting an announcement.

What went wrong?

However, for those holding on for a return of Loïc to the Contest, disappointment awaits.

After a long period of silence, more recent reports suggest that the situation may have now changed, with Loic opting to withdraw his participation at a relatively late stage. It is reported that his song had already been ready for reveal for some months.

Reporting from Clément Garin suggests that Nottet was concerned that the context surrounding this year's Contest was too sensitive due to the participation of Israeli broadcaster KAN, fearing public blowback around his participation.

To date, these reports have not been confirmed by RTBF or by Nottet himself.

So who will be representing Belgium at Eurovision 2026?

It's still unknown who will represent Belgium at this year's Contest in Vienna.

However, the same publications which reported Loïc's withdrawal have all landed on the same name of Essyla, an ex-The Voice star who was allegedly also part of the same original selection process back in 2025.

The mystery will all be revealed tomorrow evening on the Eurovision Youtube channel.

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