The second semi-final of Eurovision 2026 took place on Thursday, May 14, with 10 more countries competing for a place in the grand final. The 70th edition of the Song Contest is being held in Vienna, Austria, following last year's win by Austrian artist JJ.
Thirty-five countries entered this year's contest, though Iceland, Ireland, the Netherlands, Slovenia, and Spain opted not to participate in protest against Israel's inclusion. Across both semi-finals, 10 contestants were eliminated, leaving 25 competitors for the Grand Final. Finland, represented by Linda Lampenius and Pete Parkkonen, are the current favourites to win.
The pre-qualified Big Four countries—the United Kingdom, Germany, France, and Italy—along with host nation Austria, have guaranteed places in the final. Spain's absence means only these five nations are automatically through. UK viewers were able to vote in the second semi-final and saw the debut of UK act LOOK MUM NO COMPUTER, who performed his song 'Eins, Zwei, Drei' before competing in the final.
Speaking to the BBC, the UK act said: 'It has been a lot of work, especially as I have just become a new dad at the same time as prepping for Eurovision! But overall, it's been a lot of fun – I'm really proud of what we've pulled together and can't wait to put it into practice.' The second semi-final aired on BBC One at 8pm and was also available on BBC iPlayer.
