The Netherlands will – again – be absent from the Eurovision Song Contest, as the Dutch skipped 2026 and will also not send someone to Bulgaria. But the country will still have a Songfestival of its own this autumn. On Saturday 24 October, the 30th edition of the COC Songfestival will take place in IJmuiden, with an unusual Belgian contribution: COC Limburg is sending two Antwerp artists, Fallenium & Rubus, to the competition. Rubus, also known as Antwerp singer-songwriter Bram Van Hecke, appeared on ‘The Voice van Vlaanderen‘ earlier this year.
The COC Songfestival has its roots in Limburg. When the Netherlands failed to qualify for Eurovision in 1995, volunteers from COC Zuid-Limburg organised an alternative competition. What started as a playful answer to Eurovision has since grown into a national singing competition involving different COC regions and LGBTQIA+ organisations.
Thirty editions later, the Netherlands is once again absent from Eurovision. Dutch public broadcaster AVROTROS recently announced that it will not send a candidate in 2027 either. The Dutch public broadcasting organisation NPO will now have to consider whether another broadcaster wants to take over the country’s Eurovision entry, although that currently appears unlikely.
Belgium‘s participation in Eurovision 2027 is also not yet certain. VRT is due to select the Belgian candidate, but the Flemish public broadcaster is not expected to make a decision until this autumn. VRT has previously said it wants a clearer commitment from the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) on war, violence and human rights.
Against that backdrop, COC Limburg’s decision to send two Belgian artists to the anniversary edition of its alternative Songfestival adds an international twist to the event.
Two Antwerp artists for Limburg
Fallenium & Rubus both live in Antwerp, but on 24 October they will represent COC Limburg at the Haventheater in IJmuiden. They see the cross-border nature of their participation as fitting the spirit of a Songfestival.
“For me, a Songfestival is above all a competition that brings people together,” says Fallenium. “A stage where borders and nationalities temporarily disappear and music brings people together. At Eurovision, too, artists have represented countries other than their country of birth. Think of the Turkish Serhat representing San Marino, Belgian Plastic Bertrand and the Spanish duo Baccara representing Luxembourg. And, of course, Céline Dion: born in Canada, but a winner for Switzerland.”
From ‘The Voice’ to a Dutch Songfestival
Rubus is the stage name of Antwerp singer-songwriter Bram Van Hecke. He has previously performed at Maanrock and supported The Starlings. Earlier this year, he appeared on ‘The Voice van Vlaanderen’, where he joined the team of Qmusic morning presenters Maarten & Dorothee.
Just a few months later, he will be taking to a very different stage.
“At ‘The Voice’, you step onto the stage to show who you are as a singer. This feels different,” Rubus says. “Now we are representing an entire region together, and performing a song that really wants to tell a story. Fallenium and I each have our own sound and musical background, and that is precisely what creates something unique that neither of us could make alone.”
He is particularly enthusiastic about the unusual nature of the entry.
“Honestly: two people from Antwerp representing Limburg at a Dutch Songfestival? I think that story alone is fantastic.”
From songwriter for a Eurovision favourite to the Songfestival stage
The other half of the duo is Fallenium, the stage name of Swedish-Belgian artist Jens Geerts. Fallenium has released three albums on the artist’s own record label, Purple Moon. Recent singles including ‘Devils With Pretty Faces‘ and ‘Voltaire?‘ have been played on radio stations in Belgium and abroad.
Fallenium’s music combines French- and English-language pop with themes including identity, freedom, feminism, humanity and the courage to be yourself. As a songwriter, Fallenium has also written for other artists, including Els de Schepper and two-time Eurovision participant Serhat.
The song that Fallenium & Rubus will perform in IJmuiden was also written by Fallenium.
“Connectedness does not stop at the border”
COC Limburg says there was nothing unusual about choosing two Belgian artists for its anniversary entry.
“We think it is wonderful that we are sending two artists from Belgium to IJmuiden,” says Timon Hoomoedt, board secretary of COC Limburg. “Connectedness does not stop at the border between the Netherlands and Belgium. Thirty editions ago, this festival originated in Limburg because the Netherlands was not participating in Eurovision. Today, with two strong international artists, we can show what the COC Songfestival is also about: bringing people together. Their passport or postcode is not what matters to us, but their story, talent and commitment.”
On 24 October, Fallenium & Rubus will find out whether their unusual Belgian-Limburg collaboration can also win over the jury. Artists representing different regions will compete at the Haventheater in IJmuiden for the festival’s trophy.
The song remains a secret
One crucial detail is still being kept under wraps: the song itself.
Fallenium wrote the entry, but its title will be revealed at a later date. The artists do say that it will be a humanist anthem about connection, with its message intended to be at least as important as its melody.
The 30th COC Songfestival takes place on Saturday 24 October 2026 at the Haventheater in IJmuiden. The show starts at 19:30 and is expected to finish around 23:00. Tickets cost €24.50, including cloakroom and a drink during the interval; COC members pay €19.50. A €3.25 service charge is added per booking.
Tickets are available through the Haventheater IJmuiden website.
