The contest was also the first since to be held on a Saturday. Seventeen countries participated in the contest, with Cyprus and San Marino returning after six- and eight-year absences respectively, while the United Kingdom opted not to participate after doing so the previous year.
Portugal won the public vote and finished in second place, its best placing to date. Ukraine , France and Malta completed the top five. Unlike the Eurovision Song Contest , the winning broadcaster of the previous year's Junior Eurovision Song Contest does not automatically receive the right to host the next edition.
However, since with the exceptions of , , and it has become customary for winners to take on hosting duties, and since , the winning broadcaster has had the right of first refusal on hosting the following competition. In , winner, Italian broadcaster RAI , was given this right but ultimately opted out of it. Upon the confirmation of Spain as the host country for , the Generalitat Valenciana announced that it would bid to host the contest in a city in the Valencian Community ; since , the autonomous community has hosted Benidorm Fest , the Spanish national final for the Eurovision Song Contest.
On 3 September , the EBU announced that 17 countries would participate in the contest. Cyprus is set to return to the contest after a six-year absence, while San Marino is set to return after an eight-year absence, despite originally confirming non-participation. Meanwhile, the United Kingdom opted not to participate after doing so the previous two years. Prior to the contest, a digital compilation album featuring all the songs from the contest was put together by the European Broadcasting Union and released by Universal Music on 1 November The theme art features the image of a blooming flower, which "references the blossoming of young artists".
Contestants were featured in "postcard" video introductions, in which they perform activities interspersed with artificial intelligence AI -generated footage of themselves in various imaginary scenarios.
