TheEurovision Song Contestslogan, “United by music”, gets more ironic by the day. The 70th edition of the competition is ploughing ahead in Vienna this Saturday (May 16), despite several countries boycotting due toIsrael’s participation, growing pressure on the UK’s entrant to also withdraw, and a high likelihood of vociferous protests on the night.
It should make for an even more bizarre Eurovision than usual, juxtaposing fraught geopolitics with the usual enjoyably bonkers, high-camp pop and retina-searing staging. So, who is actually participating (and sitting this one out), and does the UK have any chance of avoiding the infamous nul points? Here are all your burning 2026 Eurovision questions answered.
Where is Eurovision 2026?
We’re heading to Austria this year followingJJ’s victory in 2025with the glass-shattering techno-operaticWasted Love. This is the country’s third time hosting (the last stint was in 2015), and our base of operations will be the 16,152-seater Wiener Stadthalle in Vienna. On hosting duties are TV presenter Victoria Swarovski (yes,thatSwarovski – watch out for some seriously bling accessories) and actor Michael Ostrowski.
When is the final?
Tune in for pop and protests on Saturday, May 16. For the true superfans – or just gluttons for punishment – that grand final is preceded by two televised semi-finals on Tuesday, May 12 and Thursday, May 14.
How to watch the Eurovision final
The BBC is once again broadcasting all the action on BBC One andiPlayer. You can also follow along on BBC Radio 2 and BBC Sounds, should you wish to have the pure aural experience and miss out on such sights as a grown man running in a hamster wheel.
Of course, we would also recommend following along viaThe Telegraph’s dedicated Eurovision live blog for expert insight and a steady stream of snarky comments.
What is the full Eurovision line-up and running order?
This year, 35 countries are participating in Eurovision, and 25 will make the grand final.
The “Big Five” nations (although there are only four competing in 2026 – about which more shortly) get automatic entry to the final because they provide extra financial support to the contest. Last year’s winner also gets a free pass. So the final will definitely feature:
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Italy: Sal Da Vinci, Per Sempre Sì
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Germany: Sarah Engels, Fire
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France: Monroe, Regarde !
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Austria: COSMÓ, Tanzschein
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United Kingdom: Look Mum No Computer, Eins, Zwei, Drei
The running order for the first semi-final is:
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Moldova: Satoshi, Viva, Moldova!
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Sweden: FELICIA, My System
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Croatia: LELEK, Andromeda
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Portugal: Bandidos do Cante, Rosa
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Georgia: Bzikebi, On Replay
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Finland: Linda Lampenius x Pete Parkkonen, Liekinheitin
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Montenegro: Tamara Živković, Nova Zora
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Estonia: Vanilla Ninja, Too Epic To Be True
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Israel: Noam Bettan, Michelle
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Belgium: ESSYLA, Dancing on the Ice
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Lithuania: Lion Ceccah, Sólo Quiero Más
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San Marino: SENHIT, Superstar
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Serbia: LAVINA, Kraj Mene
The running order for the second semi-final is:
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Bulgaria: DARA, Bangaranga
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Azerbaijan: JIVA, Just Go
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Romania: Alexandra Căpitănescu, Choke Me
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Luxembourg: Eva Marija, Mother Nature
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Czechia: Daniel Zizka, CROSSROADS
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Armenia: SIMÓN, Paloma Rumba
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Switzerland: Veronica Fusaro, Alice
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Latvia: Atvara, Ēnā
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Denmark: Søren Torpegaard Lund, Før Vi Går Hjem
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Australia: Delta Goodrem, Eclipse
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Norway: JONAS LOVV, YA YA YA
Who is representing the UK?
The marvellously monikeredLook Mum No Computer. We’ve gone all down with the kids: our entry is a popular YouTuber (real name: Sam Battle), who is tackling workplace ennui through the medium of bouncy synth-pop and Germanic counting.
He has amassed more than 1.4 million social media followers by unveiling whimsical musical inventions that would tickle Wes Anderson – like a synthesiser made of Furby toys – and even has his own dedicated vintage museum in Ramsgate. He’s also a prolific singer-songwriter, and has legitimate musical experience to balance the effortful quirk: he used to be in the band Zibra, which played Glastonbury in 2015, and now tours as a solo artist.
Can the UK win?
Well, most of Europe’s voters seem to hate us, so probably not. Last year ouraptly namedsongWhat the Hell Just Happened?saw us finish in an ignominious 19th place. But might this be our year? Look Mum No Computer’sEins, Zwei, Dreiis catchy, naff, ridiculous and esoteric – in short, perfect Eurovision fuel.
It vaguely nods towards international sensibilities, but is also like a silly version of the London 2012 Olympics Opening Ceremony: the music video features baked beans, digestive biscuits, and a flying Mini Cooper wheezing over the White Cliffs of Dover. It brings a (confused) patriotic tear to the eye.
The choice of Battle also perhaps acknowledges Eurovision’s growing Gen Z fanbase. The choice of a geeky, clip-friendly YouTuber might see the UK get its best result in years. Or we could get shafted yet again. That essential tension is at the heart of the Eurovision experience.
Is Israel still in Eurovision?
Yes, in short. Yes, but… is the longer answer. The 2025 contest saw widespread protests due to the war in Gaza: pro-Palestinian protestors attempted to storm the stage when Israel’s Yuval Raphael was performing, some audience members booed and waved Palestinian flags, and in the streets of Basel, protestors threw smoke bombs and burned Israeli and American flags. Despite all of that, Raphael performed strongly and finished in second place.
This year, 28-year-old Noam Bettan is entering the fray as Israel’s contestant. His songMichelle, which is sung in a mix of English, French and Hebrew, is about a toxic relationship with “the queen of problems”, and also, as far as I can tell from the music video, about Bettan buying every terrible leather jacket that Shein has to offer.
Wait, didn’t Israel rig the vote last year?
There were raised eyebrows when Israel steamed into second place thanks to the televote – and actually looked like they might win the whole thing for a moment. Several nations, including Ireland, Spain and Belgium, then demanded that Eurovision organisers investigate the voting system.
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It was subsequently established that the Israeli government had run advertising campaigns to encourage public votes, and that ads in 2025 received more than 68 million impressions. In response, the contest has introduced new rules: entrants and broadcasters are banned from taking part in third-party promotional campaigns (including those run by governments), and fans are now only able to cast 10 votes each instead of 20.
Martin Green, director of Eurovision, said: “One of the clearest messages we received was the need to strengthen trust in the fairness of the contest.” He added that “governments do not participate in the Eurovision Song Contest, artists do.” To quote Ian Fletcher: “So that’s all good then.”
Who is boycotting Eurovision?
Ah, yes. Despite Green’s chipper hand-waving, it seems a few nations are still livid about Israel being in the contest at all – let alone their determined get-out-the-vote efforts. In September last year, Spain, Ireland, the Netherlands, Iceland and Slovenia threatened to boycott Eurovision unless Israel was excluded. In response, Austria and Germany said they would quit if Israel was chucked out, leaving organisers – who, lest we forget, wish us to be “united by music” – with a miserable dilemma.
They tackled that head on by announcing they would have an emergency vote on Israel’s participation in November… and then cancelling said vote following the ceasefire in Gaza. Alas, that did not appease the anti-Israel brigade, and those countries (Spain – which is normally one of the “Big Five” – Ireland, the Netherlands, Iceland and Slovenia) are now officially boycotting Eurovision. It’s the largest number of boycotting countries in the history of the contest.
What about the UK?
The UK is still taking part – despite some furious opposition. In April more than 12,000 people signed a Palestine Solidarity Campaign petitionurging Sam Battle to boycott.
Meanwhile the campaign group No Music for Genocide has released an open letter urging public broadcasters, performers, fans and more to boycott. The letter asks why Russia remains banned from the contest – after organisers said its presence would “bring the competition into disrepute” – but “the same standard” has not been applied to Israel. It’s signed by the likes of Brian Eno,Kneecap, Paul Weller, Paloma Faith, Massive Attack, Sigur Rós, and Primal Scream.
Who else is protesting?
Nemo, who won the contest for Switzerland in 2024, has handed back their trophy in protest at Israel taking part. The non-binary singer released a statement on Instagram, writing: “This is not about individuals or artists. It’s about the fact that the contest was repeatedly used to soften the image of a state accused of severe wrongdoing, all while the EBU insists that this contest is non-political.”
Dana International, who won Eurovision for Israel in Birmingham in 1998, has, in turn, denounced the boycotting nations, calling it a “violent and insulting” decision that added “only hatred and harm”. Once again, a reminder: united by music!
So Russia is still banned?
Yes, Russia is still banned. At the time of writing, no one is protesting that decision.
Will there be extra security at Eurovision 2026?
Oh yes. Vienna police are coordinating with contest officials to ensure the safety of the area around the Wiener Stadthalle, and conducting weekly threat assessments. Around 250 staff members from Vienna police and the interior ministry are working on security planning, and specialised teams, including explosive detection dog units, will likely be deployed in the run-up to the contest. There will also be background checks run on suppliers and staff, checks done on spectators, and airport-style security measures at the fan zones across the city.
Is Scott Mills still taking part?
Awkward. Mills was due to commentate on the Eurovision semi-finals and on the final on Radio 2 (as he has done since 2011), but wassacked by the BBClast month due to allegations of “serious sexual offences” against a teenage boy between 1997 and 2000. So no, he definitely won’t be part of the Eurovision team. The Sun has reported that Mills will be succeeded in his Eurovision role by Sara Cox, joining fellow commentator Rylan Clark.
Which acts should we look out for in 2026?
Putting all the many controversies to one side – let’s focus on the music. And the cheerful inanity of Eurovision. The current bookies’ favourite is Finland withLiekinheitin(or “Flamethrower”), which features angsty singing, literal flames, and a sexy blonde lady in a tinfoil dress dramatically playing the violin. It’s got everything.
Also keep an eye on France withRegarde !(yes, there really is a space before the exclamation mark, and yes, it’s driving me crazy), sung by 17-year-old Monroe, and Denmark’s thumping dance anthemFør Vi Går Hjem.
The UK isn’t the only entrant bemoaning office culture: Armenia is having a right old go as well (sample lyrics: “This meeting could have been an email / Free coffee won’t keep me here man”). Meanwhile Greece’s entry is a panic attack in human form, 50 per cent of Norway’s lyrics are “ya ya ya”, and Romania has courted controversy by selecting the songChoke Me, which campaigners say glamorises strangulation. Also Serbia has emotive death metal, and Australia is bringing out the big(ish) guns with actual chart-topper Delta Goodrem.
Wait, is Australia in Europe?
Not even a little bit, but here we are. Australians are superfans who enthused their way in. It was meant to be a one-off, in 2015, as part of the contest’s 50th-anniversary celebrations, but they were so popular (finishing an impressive fifth) that they were invited back. Eurovision also features Azerbaijan, so we’re really playing fast and loose with the “Euro” part of the equation here.
Do performers sing live?
Yes, it’s mandated in the rules that all lead vocals must be sung live – and in some cases, you can tell. (There is no corresponding rule that you must sing in tune.) Songs must only be original compositions and a maximum of three minutes long.
Remind me how the voting works?
Easily the most byzantine system of all these entertainment contests. In the final, contestants get two separate scores: one from a jury of music experts, the other from fan votes (cast via phone, text message or the official Eurovision app). Fans cannot vote for their own country.
The results are wheeled out in two stages in the grand final. First, the acts are ranked by jury vote, and then that order is slowly – agonisingly slowly – upended as each country’s spokesperson announces who they’re giving fan votes to, in the form of points, from one to 12. This is usually the time when the UK slides inexorably down the rankings, and we all lose faith in Europe, democracy and music.
Don’t countries just vote for their neighbours?
There is still neighbourly bloc voting, with the likes of Greece and Cyprus doggedly sticking together, year after year. Which is heart-warming. We need some certainties in life – and in Eurovision.
TheEurovision Song Contestslogan, “United by music”, gets more ironic by the day. The 70th edition of the competition is ploughing ahea...
