Eurovision 2026: Meet Georgia's Bzikebi and their song On replay
- Hayley Bessell
- Apr 15
- 4 min read
We profile the 2026 entry from Georgia including details on the artist, song, how it was chosen, odds, fan reaction and how the nation has fared at Eurovision.
Georgia made their debut in the Eurovision Song Contest 2007 with Sopho Khalvashi performing Visionary Dream, finishing in 12th place.
Georgia had relative success early on, regularly qualifying for the Grand Final in their first few years and becoming known for sending bold and unusual entries across different styles, from ethnic-inspired songs to rock. They were set to compete in the Eurovision Song Contest 2009 but withdrew after their song We Don't Wanna Put In was rejected due to political concerns. This remains one of the more notable withdrawals in the Contest’s history.
Over the last 16 participations, they have reached the Grand Final eight times. Georgia has reached the Top 10 on two occasions, both finishing in 9th place. The first time was in 2010 in Oslo with Sopho Nizharadze’s Shine, and the second time was in 2011 in Düsseldorf when Eldrine performed a song much loved by the rock-loving Eurovision fandom, One more day.
Georgia was on a six-song non-qualification streak before Nutsa Buzaladze came to the rescue at the 2024 contest in Malmo with Firefighter, propelling the nation the Grand Final where Georgia finished in 21st place.
Bzikebi will be keen to put Georgia back in the Grand Final this year.
2026 Entry: On replay - Bzikebi
Bzikebi will perform in 6th place in semi-final 1
My Eurovision Scoreboard ranking: 19th
Odds to win ranking: 29th
(Rankings as of 15 April 2026)
About the artist
The group consists of Giorgi Shiolashvili, Mariam Tatulashvili and Mariam Kikuashvili, and back in 2008, as 10-year-olds, Bzikebi snagged Georgia its first Junior Eurovision victory with Bzz... The group performed in black and yellow bee costumes and sung in a made-up language - seriously adorable!
After Bzikebi's Junior Eurovision success they released an album called Zabuzei that was popular with young fans in Georgia. Bzikebi are so lauded in Georgia that there is a children's music school named after them in Tblisi!
Out of the trio, Giorgi is the one that has pursued a music career the most. He has studied piano both at the Tbilisi State Conservatory and abroad including Norway and is now a classically trained pianist.
Georgia is the most successful country in the Junior Eurovision Song Contest. Since debuting in 2007, Georgia has gone on to claim four victories, more than any other participating country. This is not the first time Georgia has sent a Junior Eurovision winner, as in 2023, Iru represented Georgia, who won Junior Eurovision in 2011 as a member of the group Candy.
About the song
On replay is the song that Bzikebi will perform in Vienna. The song writer is George Kukhianidze, who is a two-time Junior Eurovision–winning songwriter and producer.
Widely regarded as the most prolific songwriter in Junior Eurovision history, he has written 11 of Georgia’s entries. Beyond Junior Eurovision, Kukhianidze has also played a role in the Eurovision Song Contest, serving as chair of the Georgian jury in 2014 and writing Echo, the song with which Iru represented Georgia in 2023.
On 27 March 2026, the group announced On replay on their social media
"The song is written by our very favorite composer and producer, Giga Kukhianidze. It was he who created the innovative song "Bzz", which brought us victory in 2008. Our relationship with Giga is connected to many years of memories and shared paths, and today we can say that we are one big family.
He is the person who believes in us the most. We would like to publicly thank him for his belief, support, encouragement and for the song, which has already received positive reviews from Eurovision viewers and critics alike. He gave us an unforgettable childhood and great success and we believe that we will be successful in Vienna too."
Also listed as a song writer (lyricist) on Bzikebi's song is Lizi Pop (real name Lizi Japaridze) who is a Georgian singer who herself represented Georgia at the Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2014 with Happy Day, and later co-hosted the Junior Eurovision Song Contest in 2017.
How were Bzikebi chosen for Eurovision?
Following on from the usual way Georgia chooses their Eurovision entrant, Bzikebi were announced as an internal selection by the Georgian broadcaster GPB back in mid-January. Their Eurovision song On replay was released in mid-March.
Bzikebi reunited to perform as an interval act at Junior Eurovision 2025 in Tbilisi, where they debuted a new song called We don’t sleep. This appearance sparked much speculation about their possible return to the Eurovision stage before GPB’s official announcement.
Georgia will compete in 6th place in the first semi-final of the 2026 Eurovision Song Contest on 12 May 2026 in Vienna.
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