The Eurovision Song Contest 2026 is set to commence in Vienna, Austria, next week, with delegates from 30 countries vying for a coveted place in the grand final. A total of 35 nations are participating this year, though host country Austria and four of the traditional 'Big Five'—the United Kingdom, Italy, France, and Germany—are automatically guaranteed a spot in the final. Nevertheless, their representatives will still perform during the semi-finals scheduled for Tuesday, 12 May, and Thursday, 14 May.
Spain, the fifth member of the 'Big Five' typically assured a final berth due to its broadcaster's significant financial contribution to the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), withdrew from this year's contest in protest over Israel's participation. Additionally, broadcasters from Iceland, the Netherlands, Ireland, and Slovenia opted to pull out of Eurovision in response to the EBU's decision to allow Israel to compete.
Venue and Schedule
The 70th Eurovision Song Contest is being held at the Wiener Stadthalle in Vienna's 15th district, Rudolfsheim-Fünfhaus. Below is the running order for the semi-finals. The Eurovision 2026 grand final is scheduled for Saturday, 16 May.
First Semi-Final — Tuesday, 12 May
- 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' (automatic finalist performing)
- Finland: Linda Lampenius x Pete Parkkonen — 'Liekinheitin'
- Montenegro: Tamara Živković — 'Nova Zora'
- Estonia: Vanilla Ninja — 'Too Epic To Be True'
- Israel: Noam Bettan — 'Michelle'
- Germany: Sarah Engels — 'Fire' (automatic finalist performing)
- Belgium: ESSYLA — 'Dancing on the Ice'
- Lithuania: Lion Ceccah — 'Sólo Quiero Más'
- San Marino: SENHIT — 'Superstar'
- Poland: ALICJA — 'Pray'
- Serbia: LAVINA — 'Kraj Mene'
Second Semi-Final — Thursday, 14 May
- Bulgaria: DARA — 'Bangaranga'
- Azerbaijan: JIVA — 'Just Go'
- Romania: Alexandra Căpitănescu — 'Choke Me'
- Luxembourg: Eva Marija — 'Mother Nature'
- Czechia: Daniel Zizka — 'CROSSROADS'
- France: Monroe — 'Regarde!' (automatic finalist performing)
- Armenia: SIMÓN — 'Paloma Rumba'
- Switzerland: Veronica Fusaro — 'Alice'
- Cyprus: Antigoni — 'JALLA'
- Austria: COSMÓ — 'Tanzschein' (host country performing)
- Latvia: Atvara — 'Ēnā'
- Denmark: Søren Torpegaard Lund — 'Før Vi Går Hjem'
- Australia: Delta Goodrem — 'Eclipse'
- Ukraine: LELÉKA — 'Ridnym'
- United Kingdom: LOOK MUM NO COMPUTER — 'Eins, Zwei, Drei' (automatic finalist performing)
- Albania: Alis — 'Nân'
- Malta: AIDAN — 'Bella'
- Norway: JONAS LOVV — 'YA YA YA'
The Independent will be providing live coverage of the Eurovision 2026 semi-finals and grand final.
