Ireland's Junior Eurovision duo to step onto 'magical' stage

Ireland's Junior Eurovision duo set to take the stage on a 'magical' night

Naomi and Caleb arrived in Malta earlier this week ahead of Saturday's show

They may both be used to the spotlight, but as they get ready for the biggest performance of their young lives, Ireland's Junior Eurovision singers say a few nerves are starting to show.

The Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2026 will take place on Saturday in Malta.

Ireland's representatives are Naomi, 13, from Mayobridge, County Down, and 14-year-old Caleb from Dublin. They are the contest's only duo.

They are among 16 other nations competing for the title, with the event staged under the theme The Festa, a lively celebration of Malta's village tradition.

The running order for Saturday's show has already been decided, with the Irish act set to perform 13th.

The pair say their song, Níos Láidre, is about lifting people up and being there for one another.

Naomi is completely at ease in the spotlight. Singing runs in her family, passed down from her nanny and grandad.

The 13-year-old is no stranger to the stage and says it is where she feels most at home, though she admits to feeling a little nervous ahead of Saturday.

"We are definitely a wee bit nervous but we're very excited and grateful to be here. It's going to be loads of fun," she said.

"I'm very excited about being on that stage and just performing and representing our country".

The song the pair will perform is Níos Láidre, the Irish word for stronger.

Caleb, 14, said the song "truly is about lifting people up and being there for one another and being very powerful on your own, but even more powerful with others".

Caleb, who has been training in the performing arts since he was six, said he was proud of both himself and Naomi for representing Ireland.

"A few of my family and friends are coming over tonight and then a few tomorrow as well. And yeah, the support with our schools, our family, our friends, our performing arts schools, it's all just been amazing," he said.

"We're both so excited. We've already done a few rehearsals on the stage and everything's gone so well. So I think we're ready."

The trophy that Naomi and Caleb will hope to get their hands on

Naomi and Caleb's partnership came about during their separate searches to become Ireland's entry for the competition earlier this month.

The pair, who had entered individually, were still standing at the end of the night after the judges were unable to choose between them.

It was then decided that Caleb and Naomi would represent Ireland together.

"It's very magical and we're just so happy being on the stage and it feels like our second home," said Naomi.

She added that the pair have had the chance to mix with some of their rivals from other countries.

"We've gotten really close with Harry from Cyprus and we've gotten close with Eslin from Albania and Beppe from Malta and all of their dancers. And yeah, we've been having a lot of fun with all of the contestants. They're all really nice," Naomi said.

"Everyone's lovely," Caleb said.

The stage that will host the contest on Saturday

Caleb's mum Jennifer Kirwan, who travelled to Malta with Naomi's mum, said the support "has been amazing".

"We've got family flying in at the moment. It's kind of getting very real, very exciting.

"It's lovely to have a few people here supporting us, but the outpour of support from friends, family, all their teams and schools, it's just been unbelievable. It's very, very special".

Kirwan said the support has gone beyond Ireland, adding that the pair have "got people tuning in from our local families to Perth, to Brisbane, to America. We've gone global with the support, so it's brilliant."

The contest will be shown on TG4 at 20:00 BST.

Fans have two voting windows. Unlike the main Eurovision contest, the public can vote for their own country.

The first window will open at 22:59 BST on Friday and run until 19:59 on Saturday, just before the live show begins.

Voting will then reopen after the final song has been performed during the live show. There will be about 15 minutes to cast votes. All votes will be turned into points, which will be revealed during the show.