Antigoni Buxton carries Cyprus Eurovision 2026 into second semi-final

Antigoni Buxton will represent Cyprus in cyprus eurovision 2026 with her dancefloor banger Jalla in the second semi-final. The London-born singer-songwriter, who appeared in series eight of Love Island in 2022, is now trying to turn a reality-TV profile into a place in Saturday's Eurovision final.

Buxton's Jalla entry

Buxton said, "I've been wanting to be a singer, that has been my dream since I was as young as I can remember." She added, "Love Island was a great moment because it gave me the chance to introduce myself to a lot of people and now I'm on that path I always wanted to be on."

Her song Jalla leans into Greek-Cypriot identity instead of chasing a generic pop template. The title is Greek-Cypriot slang that roughly translates as more or again, and Buxton said, "So it's a specific word that they only use in Cyprus," making the entry feel built for the market she is representing rather than for broad crossover appeal.

London, Cyprus, and 2005

Buxton said she was born and raised in London but spent six to eight weeks every summer in Cyprus and grew up feeling very Cypriot. She also said, "And I had an obsession with Eurovision ever since I saw Helena Paparizou win for Greece [in 2005]." That long-running attachment gives this entry a clearer commercial lane than a one-off TV crossover.

Jalla also pulls from the popular Greek belly dance Tsifteteli and uses traditional Greek instruments, while Buxton said her family, including her mother and grandparents, appear in the music video. She said, "I am really proud to be able to share that, because sharing my roots is something I do across all my music."

Second semi-final stakes

Cyprus is sending a performer whose public identity was built on television, but the song itself is rooted in Greek-Cypriot references and personal memory. That mix is the tension in the entry: the visibility from Love Island may get the first look, but the cultural specificity has to carry the vote in the second semi-final.

Buxton said she hopes Jalla will get her into Saturday's Eurovision final, and that is the practical benchmark now. If the song advances, Cyprus gets a live final slot built around a London-born artist with Greek-Cypriot roots; if it does not, the entry still gives the country a sharply defined statement rather than a broad attempt at consensus.