Eurovision 2026 kicks off in Vienna – who will perform and whether you can vote
Kyiv • UNN
Fifteen artists will perform in the first semi-final. Five countries are boycotting the contest due to Israel, while organizers have changed the voting rules and tightened security.
The Eurovision Song Contest competition begins with the first semi-final on Tuesday in Vienna; among the countries competing for a place in the final today will be Israel, whose participation has led several contestants to announce a boycott, UNN writes, citing the organizers.
Details
In the first semi-final of Eurovision 2026, viewers will see 15 artists competing for a spot in the Grand Final, 10 of whom will advance.
Alongside those competing, viewers will also see Italy and Germany, who will perform as part of the Big Four in the Grand Final.
Running Order
The running order for the first semi-final is as follows:
- 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 Semper Sì.
- 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.
- Belgium: ESSYLA - Dancing on the Ice.
- Lithuania: Lion Ceccah - Sólo Quiero Más.
- San Marino: SENHIT - Superstar.
- Poland: ALICJA - Pray.
- Serbia: LAVINA - Kraj Mene.
In the host city of Vienna, which, as The Independent notes, is decorated with hearts and the contest's motto "United by Music," singers and bands from 35 countries will compete on stage for the continent's musical crown throughout the week. However, five countries — Spain, Ireland, the Netherlands, Slovenia, and Iceland — are boycotting in protest against Israel's inclusion. Several pro-Palestinian demonstrations are planned in Vienna during Eurovision week, and security has been tightened: police officers from across Austria are deployed in the capital, with support provided by forces from neighboring Germany.
The European Broadcasting Union (EBU), which organizes Eurovision, has tightened voting rules in response to allegations of fraud, halving the number of votes per person to 10 and strengthening protection against "suspicious or coordinated voting activity."
Israel's national broadcaster received a formal warning from Eurovision organizers after urging viewers to "vote 10 times."
On Friday, May 8, it was determined that the Israeli public broadcaster, known as Kan, violated the song contest rules when it posted videos on social media calling on fans to support the 2026 contestant Noam Bettan.
In the video, Bettan, who is competing this year with the song Michelle, urged his fans to use all 10 of their allocated votes to support him in the first semi-final on Tuesday, May 12.
Voting in the Semi-Finals
As the organizers indicated, if you want your favorite performance to make it to the Grand Final, here is what you need to do.
If your country is participating in Eurovision
As noted, you can only vote in the semi-final in which your country is performing. This includes Germany, France, Italy, the United Kingdom, and Austria, which automatically qualify for the Grand Final but are assigned a specific semi-final.
"If you are in a participating country, you can vote by phone or SMS. The instructions you need will be on the screen during the broadcast, and you can also find them on the esc.vote website. Voting begins after the last song is performed. You can vote up to 10 times, and you will have about 18 minutes," the organizers noted.
"Remember, you cannot vote for your own country – no matter how brilliant it is," the organizers emphasized.
If your country is not participating in Eurovision
"Even if your country is not participating in Vienna, you still have the right to vote in the 'Rest of the World' vote, which helps determine who advances to the Grand Final on Saturday, May 16," the organizers' statement said.
The voting window will open at approximately midnight on the day of each semi-final and remain open until the start of the live broadcasts. Voting is then paused during the artists' performances and reopens after the last song is performed. After that, you will have about 18 minutes to cast your final vote.
Additional Information
After Tuesday's Eurovision semi-final at the Wiener Stadthalle arena, the top 10 will advance to the Grand Final on Saturday, along with 10 from the second semi-final on Thursday. Great Britain, France, Germany, and Italy automatically qualify as they are among the contest's largest sponsors. Austria, last year's winner, advances to the final as the host country.
Ukraine's representative LELÉKA with the song Ridnym will sing on the main Eurovision stage in the second semi-final at number 12.