Moldova: Aussievision's Selecția Națională rankings for Eurovision 2026
- Hayley Bessell
- Jan 15
- 7 min read
The Eurovision fandom is oh so happy to have one of its favourites back at Eurovision, and this year they are serving a literal feast of quality songs for the Moldovan selection, Selecția Națională.
On 16 December 2025, auditions took place with 37 artists performing 34 songs. A total of 16 acts advanced to the final. Originally only 10 songs were to go through, however the Moldovan broadcaster TRM said the quality was very high this year.
A total of 10 Aussievision contributors have listened to and ranked the songs using the usual 12 - 1 Eurovision scoring. Let's take a look at who was our pick!
Results
16. Cristy Rouge – Bliss - 3 points
15. Sasha Flowers – We Fight Till the End - 5 points
14. Ilinca Siviroveanu – Running Through the Rain - 6 points
13. Curly – Respir liber - 13 points
=12. Artiom Topal – Money - 14 points
=12. Emforia – Tipare - 14 points
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10. Maxim Zavidia – Allo - 32 points
Highs: 7 points from Kyriakos, Joel and Rebecca
Lows: 0 points from Srdjan, Hayley and Fleur
9. Pavel Orlov – Can't Say Goodbye - 37 points
Highs: 7 points from Hayley; 6 points from Kyriakos
Lows: 2 points from Paul and Fleur
8. Katy Rain – Dance & Cry - 39 points
Highs: 10 points from Joel and Fleur
Lows: 0 points from Srdjan and Hayley
"I’m a sucker for a pretty girl singing with a thick Eastern European accent (Feminnem anyone?), and Katy Rain brings this in spades on Dance & Cry. The lyrics have that written-in-English-but-it’s-my-second-language vibe which I’m totally here for. It’s an early call, but I reckon this will be my ironic guilty pleasure of the season!" ~Joel
7. Adelisha - Alegria - 40 points
Highs: 10 points from Kyriakos; 7 points from Srdjan
Lows: 2 points from Hayley; 1 point from Laura
"This is an absolute banger! I hope it translates well live and on stage. 3mins just breezes by listening to this." ~Kyriakos
"A standard pop-banger that booms out of your speakers. This is definitely well-produced and well-sung. Though, the studio version sounds a little more soul-less than the other dance-pop songs in this selection – like she’s going through the motions in her vocals rather than feeling the lyrics and/or vibing with the beat" ~Paul.
6. Evghenii Avramov & ALenin Ivan – Foc la ghete - 42 points
Highs: 10 points from Rebecca; 8 points from Dale; 7 points from Laura, Liv and Paul
Lows: 2 points from Kyriakos; 1 point from Hayley; 0 points from Fleur and Srdjan
"Pop-dance-folk and throw in some accordions. What’s not to love about this song? Thoroughly engaging throughout and their vocals skip along the hypnotic and simple beat. Could be a surprise packet to take out the win." ~Paul
"I feel like I'm in a bustling marketplace somewhere in semi-rural Moldova listening to street musicians have a jam session in the square while everyone around me dances and cheers along. This is wonderfully feel-good and exactly the kind of thing countries should be proud of sending to Eurovision. Absolutely love it." ~Rebecca
"I love the rhythm of this folk number, it reminds me of the Yolanda Be Cool & DCUP hit We No Speak Americano. Swing beats paired with accordions is a combination that never goes out of style!" ~Laura
5. Valerian Steel - Valleria (rai di ri di dam) - 46 points
Highs: 12 points from Kyriakos; 10 points from Paul; 8 points from Srdjan and Hayley
Lows: 2 points from Laura; 1 point from Joel; 0 points from Liv, Rebecca and Dale
"This song has great build up with a catchy bridge and chorus. It is something we have had at Eurovision before, but its time Moldova send something like this!" ~Kyriakos
"A big-budget pop-song that is well-produced and well-sung. This is a tamer version of Alessandra’s “Queen of Kings” from ESC 2023, with i’s call-to-action and its sea-shanty-like chorus. This looks like everything will be thrown at it to make the performance memorable, and the studio version demands to be repeated." ~Joel
4. Dayana – Doina - 50 points
Highs: 12 points from Rebecca; 10 points from Liv; 8 points from Fleur
Lows: 0 points from Dale, Paul and Joel
"Holy moly. This was a level of intense that I don't usually associate with Moldova but I'm absolutely here for it. The song builds so well and really does well in evoking the idea of a ritual with its chanting and sudden increase in speed at the end. So gorgeous. Can't wait to see what kind of staging they pair with this, because it could be absolutely hypnotising."~ Rebecca
"The moody and intense atmosphere of this gives lots of opportunities for staging. Unfortunately this is a national final where staging is usually minimal at best so I have a feeling Miss Dayana will be out there with a fog machine and a dream." ~Liv
3. Cătălina Solomac – Pink Margarita - 66 points
Highs: 12 points from Srdjan; 10 points from Laura and Dale
Lows: 3 points from Kyriakos; 1 point from Paul
"Moldova is doing what Moldova do best and loading up on brass and horns, and I’m loving every second of it. Pink Margarita is a very fresh and modern pop take on the genre that we haven’t seen before at Eurovision, it’s a very fun and enjoyable song!" ~Laura
"A perfect summer song and my clear favourite! This is one of the best songs of the national final season for me so far, would love to see it on the Eurovision stage." ~Srdjan
"A lightweight fun pop song with a killer Eastern Trumpet dance instrumental? That's all I need to know. 10 points!" ~Dale
2. Satoshi - Viva, Moldova! - 86 points
Highs: 12 points from Laura, Dale and Liv; 10 points from Hayley; 8 points from Kyriakos, Joel and Paul
Lows: 4 points from Fleur and Rebecca
"Viva, Moldova is so catchy and infectious, it has multilingual lyrics, energy in spades, and I can just imagine the whole arena jumping to the last 30 seconds of the song. It sounds like a song from 20 years ago but in the best possible way, like unearthing a long-lost song from the soundtrack of a football video game of the era. The mix of breakbeat elements and flourishes of Moldovan folk music is perfection. This song gets in my head so often I find myself yelling some of the lyrics of the chorus in my kitchen while I’m cooking dinner and if that doesn’t scream winner, I don’t know what does. Pair it with a DJ that pretends to scratch and you’re onto a surefire Eurovision success." ~Laura
"Yeah - this has a massive chance of becoming a viral hit with Eurofans during the Contest if it is chosen. Perhaps the "Trenulețul" of 2025? (Hey I was there in 2022 - the crowd went ballistic!!) Chanty and fun - very Moldovan. If this goes to Eurovision the fans will get behind this BIG TIME and I think with much trepidation and sadness felt by fans regarding the Contest at the moment, this could be the party vibe we need to lift our mood!" ~Hayley
"This had me from the first listen - it's the type of bombastic banger we have all come to love from Moldova. There are lots of really fun little Moldovan references to culture, people and places scattered within this otherwise simplistic song. A song that seems simple on the surface but is actually quite sophisticated? Maybe I'm just glazing this because I like it." ~Liv
"The intentions of this song are very very clear. It's simple, shouty and oh so bloody catchy. A bunch of rhyming words connecting Moldova to Europe in the west with clunky transitions shouldn't work, but I'm still stinging it now. Love it!" ~Dale
1. Bacho - Tata - 89 points
Highs: 12 points from Fleur, Hayley, Paul and Joel; 10 points from Srdjan; 8 points from Laura, Rebecca and Liv
Lows: 7 points from Dale
"This song is such a vibe, such sad lyrics paired with an upbeat melody strangely works well. Would be a good option for Moldova." ~Srdjan
"Wow Moldova, what a tune, who knew you had this in you! My love for this song was immediate. Lush vocals floating over a delicately-thumping electro beat is exactly the vibe I want at Eurovision 2026." ~Joel
"Slick, moody, very sophisticated and beautifully produced. This sounds very expensive and is paired with a stunning video clip. This gives off Silvester Belt vibes and I am here for it. Last thing I expected from Moldova and it feels like a real shift in direction and has the potential to be captivating. CLASS!" ~Hayley
"Atmospheric dance pop about the impact of an absent father on his life. This is the highest of quality that stands on its own. Brilliant piece of dance pop that is genuinely impactful. Potentially the best song that has come from any Moldovan representative. Though, it would be interesting to see where the song would be cut for its Eurovision edit – the song is brilliant as is, though longer than the three minutes needed for the competition." ~Paul
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Selecția Națională is taking place this weekend at Arena Chișinău on 17 January 2026 (CET 6pm). The winner will be chosen equally by an international jury, Moldovan jury and a public vote.
You will be able to watch the show live on the Moldovan broadcaster TRM's YouTube channel here or live on their TV here.
For Australians wanting to watch Selecția Națională:
Perth: Sunday 18 January at 1.00am
Darwin: Sunday 18 January at 2.30am
Brisbane: Sunday 18 January at 3.00am
Adelaide: Sunday 18 January at 3.30am
Sydney, Melbourne, Canberra and Hobart: Sunday 18 January at 4.00am.
For continued updates on all the Eurovision Song Contest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Threads and TikTok. All links at: https://linktr.ee/aussievisionnet
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