The Eurovision Song Contest kicks off tonight with its first semi-final in Vienna, featuring 15 acts including Israel, as five countries boycott the event over Israel's involvement and its military campaign in Gaza.
Boycotts and Performances
Israel's representative, Noam Bettan, will perform in Tuesday's semi-final. Ireland, Iceland, the Netherlands, Spain, and Slovenia have boycotted the contest. Performers in tonight's and Thursday's semi-finals compete for a spot in Saturday's grand final of the contest's 70th edition. The UK, France, Germany, Italy, and last year's winner, Austria, have already secured places in the final but will perform during the semi-finals.
Opening Ceremony
Tuesday's show begins with a short film titled 70 Years of Love, chronicling the contest's history, followed by a 70-strong choir performing L'amour Est Bleu, a beloved hit from the 1967 Vienna contest.
UK Representative
Look Mum No Computer, real name Sam Battle, will represent the UK in Thursday's semi-final. The YouTube star built most of his staging, including 'mega synthesiser' panels. Since 2013, he has amassed over 85 million views and 1.4 million subscribers. He is known for quirky inventions like a Furby organ and a Game Boy synthesizer.
Tuesday's Semi-Final Line-Up
- Moldova: Satoshi – Viva, Moldova!
- Sweden: Felicia – My System
- Croatia: Lelek – Andromeda
- Greece: Akylas – Ferto
- Portugal: Bandidos do Cante – Rosa
- Georgia: Bzikebi – On Replay
- Italy: Sal Da Vinci – Per Sempre Sì
- Finland: Linda Lampenius x Pete Parkkonen – Liekinheitin
- Montenegro: Tamara Zivkovic – Nova Zora
- Estonia: Vanilla Ninja – Too Epic To Be True
- Israel: Noam Bettan – Michelle
- Germany: Sarah Engels – Fire
- Belgium: ESSYLA – Dancing on the Ice
- Lithuania: Lion Ceccah – Solo Quiero Más
- San Marino: SENHIT – Superstar
- Poland: ALICJA – Pray
- Serbia: LAVINA – Kraj Mene
The top 10 from each semi-final advance to join the five automatically qualified countries in the finale. Russia remains excluded since its 2022 invasion of Ukraine. Last year, Israel's Yuval Raphael won the public vote but finished second after jury scores. During her performance, protesters rushed the stage. Spain, Slovenia, and Ireland will not broadcast the final; Ireland's RTE will air Father Ted instead. The Netherlands and Iceland will air the final despite not competing. This year's contest is in Vienna after JJ's 2025 win with Wasted Love. Semi-finals are May 12 and 14, with finals on BBC One, iPlayer, BBC Radio 2, and BBC Sounds.
