OMSC 26

Online Music Song Contest 26, often referred to as OMSC 26, was the twenty-sixth edition of Online Music Song Contest, held in Serravalle, after San Marino won the previous edition of the contest.

The Pre-Qualification Round of OMSC 26 occured on the 24ᵗʰ April 2022, the Semi-Finals on the 1ˢᵗ May 2022 while the Final occured on the 8ᵗʰ May 2022. Fifty-five countries participated in the twenty-sixth contest, under the slogan “Keep On Rising!”.

Location
After it's victory in the previous edition, the broadcaster SMRTV chose to host the contest in the largest castello of San Marino, Serravalle. It is the most populated town in San Marino with a population of over 10,000 inhabitants, but it also contains its largest settlement. Serravalle is located on the edge of the Apennine Mountains. The town borders on Sammarinese municipalities of Domagnano and Borgo Maggiore and the Italian municipalities Verucchio, Rimini and Coriano. Serravalle counts a surrounding quarter named Galazzano, where the weather station and an industrial area are located. Serravalle has San Marino's northernmost and lowest elevated points. The outer edge of Serravalle is about 10 kilometers from downtown Rimini and the Adriatic Sea.

The first mention of the place was in 962, when it was mentioned in the diploma of King Ottone. Over the centuries, it was the scene of clashes and rapprochements, until it became part of the Republic of San Marino. A flourishing period, which allowed Serravalle to become one of the most important, large and densely populated castles. In medieval times this town was called Castrum Olnani (later Olnano), the village of the elm trees. Serravalle was a domain of the Malatesta of Rimini and it attached to San Marino in 1463, during the last territorial expansion of the Republic. Cesare Borgia controlled it for a short period in 1503. The origin of the name Serravalle is to be attributed to the geographical position of the territory, which is enormously strategic. It means "that closes the valley" in reference to its geographical position that closes the last hills of the Ausa valley before the Romagna plain.

Nowadays Serravalle includes the parishes (curazie) of Cà Ragni, Cinque Vie, Dogana, Falciano, Lesignano, Ponte Mellini, Rovereta and Valgiurata. Particularly suggestive is the historic center, carefully restored on what was the ancient Malatesta fortress, even if very little remains of the original walls and buildings. The tall quadrangular tower, or Torre del Mastio, now used as a bell tower, still retains traces of the ancient structure. The narrow streets and walls, faithful to the ancient medieval architecture, create an undoubtedly peculiar urban dimension. Other interesting sites are the Malatesta castle, symbol of Serravalle and the Maranello Rosso Collection with Ferrari and Abarth. In addition, the Olympic Stadium is home to the Sports and Olympics Museum.

Participants
Fifty-five countries participated in the twenty-sixth edition of the contest: fifteen European countries (Åland Islands, Belarus, Bulgaria, Finland, Ireland, Italy, Lithuania, Moldova, Norway, Romania, San Marino, Serbia, Sweden, Ukraine, United Kingdom), fifteen Asian countries (Armenia, Azerbaijan, British Indian Ocean Territories, China, Hong Kong, Israel, Japan, Jordan, Lebanon, Malaysia, Mongolia, North Korea, Philippines, South Korea, Yemen), fifteen American countries (Anguilla, Argentina, Brazil, British Virgin Islands, Canada, Colombia, Guatemala, Jamaica, Martinique, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Saint Pierre and Miquelon, Sint Maarten, United States of America, United States’ Virgin Islands), seven Oceanian countries (American Samoa, Australia, Guam, Micronesia, New Zealand, Palau, Wallis and Futuna) and three African countries (Lesotho, Nigeria, South Sudan).

In this edition Lesotho, Saint Pierre and Miquelon, South Sudan, Wallis and Futuna and Yemen participated for the first time.

Returning Artists
This edition featured eleven representatives who had performed previously as lead vocalists for a country in the contest.

Lola Marsh represented Israel at its fourth appearence in the tenth edition of the contest with their song "Only For A Moment", which placed 23ʳᵈ out of 46 participating countries with 43 points. They returned to the contest three editions later, again for Israel, with their song "Echoes", which placed 2ⁿᵈ out of 42 participating countries with 118 points, achieving Israel's best result to date. In this occasion the duo was selected to represent Israel one last time, with their song "Hold On", placing TBA out of 55 participating countries with TBA points.

Cupcakke represented Nauru at its last appearence in the contest, in the seventeenth edition. She performed her song "LGBT" with which she placed 3ʳᵈ out of 50 participating countries with 136 points, achieving the island's best result to date. In this occasion she was selected to represent the United States’ Virgin Islands. This time she performed, together with the Swedish rapper Cobrah, the song "Good Puss", placing TBA with TBA points.

Carla’s Dreams represented Moldova in the twelfth edition of the contest, after winning the national selection "Moldova's Choice". The group performed the song "Beretta", sung entirely in Romanian, which unfortunately didn't make it to the final, placing 30ᵗʰ out of 44 participating countries with 71 points. In this occasion they were selected to represent Moldova again, together with Emaa. The chosen song was "N-Aud" and was sung again in Romanian. It placed TBA out of 55 participanting countries with TBA points.

Florence and the Machine represented Gibraltar at its debut in the ninth edition of the contest with their song "No Light, No Light". It was performed in English and despite placing last in the final with 37 points, it remains one of the most rememberable entries in the history of the contest. In this occasion the group was selected to represent the British Virgin Islands with the song "Queen Of Peace" which placed TBA out of 55 participants with TBA points.

Antonia represented Palau at its third appearence, in the eighteenth edition of the contest, in Oslo. She performed her song "I Think I Love Him", sung in English, which unfortunately didn't make it to the final placing 31ˢᵗ out of 50 participating countries with 78 points. In this occasion she represented Palau again, with her song "Touch Me", placing TBA with TBA points.

Evgenya Redko represented Lithuania in the special twentieth edition of the contest with her song "Vandenyne". It was sung entirely in Lithuanian and placed 4ᵗʰ out of 50 participating countries with 122 points, scoring Lithuania's best result to date. In this occasion she was selected to represent Lithuania again, this time with her song "Deivės", sung in Lithuanian again, placing TBA with TBA points.

Claudia Valentina

Becky Hill

David Guetta

Pabllo Vittar

Rina Sawayama

Withdrawing Countries
These countries confirmed their non-participation in the twenty-sixth edition of the contest:

Kazakhstan

Portugal

Montserrat

Turks and Caicos Islands

Madagascar

Vietnam

Poland

Iraq

French Polynesia

South Africa

Northern Cyprus

Singapore

Montenegro

Guadeloupe

Ethiopia

Liberia

Monaco

Mauritius

Pakistan

Kosovo

French Guiana

Somalia

Spain

Costa Rica

Cuba

South Georgia and South Sandwich Islands

Iran

Canary Islands

Other Countries
• Niue –