Everything you need to know about Eurovision 2026 in Vienna — including the Grand Final date and UK’s entry.
Eurovision 2026 is nearly here, with the 70th Song Contest scheduled to take place in Vienna this year and the grand final just weeks away.
Last year, Austrian performer JJ claimed victory after the competition was staged in Basel, Switzerland.
The UK will be represented by electronic music artist and technology innovator Look Mum No Computer, who will be performing Eins, Zwei, Drei.
The Song Contest has been embroiled in controversy thus far, with several nations pulling their entries and boycotting due to Israel’s participation, and Eurovision 2026 will now showcase 35 competitors.
Here’s everything you need to know about the upcoming Song Contest, including the final date and Eurovision 2026 odds, reports the Express.
When is Eurovision 2026?
Leading up to the Eurovision 2026 final, the first semi-final will take place on Tuesday, May 12, at 8pm UK time, with the second scheduled for Thursday, May 14, at the same time.
During the first Semi-Final, the initial group of nations will battle for a spot in Saturday’s Grand Final. The 15 countries taking part are: Moldova, Sweden, Croatia, Greece, Portugal, Georgia, Finland, Montenegro, Estonia, Israel, Belgium, Lithuania, San Marino, Poland, and Serbia.
The second Semi-Final will showcase 15 different performers competing on stage in hopes of claiming a spot in Saturday’s Grand Final. British viewers will have the opportunity to cast votes for their preferred entries in this Semi-Final, while the UK representative LOOK MUM NO COMPUTER makes his Eurovision debut with the track ‘Eins, Zwei, Drei’, ahead of Saturday’s Grand Final appearance.
Taking part that evening are: Bulgaria, Azerbaijan, Romania, Luxembourg, Czechia, Armenia, Switzerland, Cyprus, Latvia, Denmark, Australia, Ukraine, Albania, Malta, and Norway.
Rylan Clark and Angela Scanlon, standing in for Scott Mills, will present the BBC’s coverage.
Rylan said: “It’s the 70th Eurovision Song Contest and the biggest show on the planet. Being part of anything this big is something younger me could never have imagined.”
Angela added: “It feels like joining the greatest party on earth – equal parts thrilling and terrifying! I grew up watching the Eurovision Song Contest with my three sisters, making very serious (and wildly biased) scorecards from the couch, so to now be part of it – especially in its 70th year – is genuinely surreal.
“It’s one of those shows that’s always been there, evolving but never losing its magic or madness. I’ve been lucky enough to dip my toe into the Eurovision world before, so it feels great to be doing it again, just with higher heels and a few more sequins!”
While Graham Norton will be fronting the Grand Final, Sara Cox will spearhead coverage on BBC Radio 2 and BBC Sounds, and the RuPaul’s Drag Race UK star Tia Kofi will serve as the BBC’s Eurovision digital correspondent.
Eurovision 2026 final date
The grand final of the Eurovision Song Contest 2026 unfolds at the Wiener Stadthalle in Vienna, Austria, on Saturday 16 May.
Television presenter Victoria Swarovski and actor Michael Ostrowski will be presenting.
It will broadcast from 8pm on BBC One and iPlayer.
The remaining 25 nations – those who haven’t been knocked out in the semi-finals and the big four (France, Germany, Italy, UK) as well as last year’s winner Austria – including the UK’s Look Mum No Computer, will be competing to claim victory.
Eurovision betting odds latest
According to Eurovision World, current odds indicate Finland is favourite to triumph, with a 29% probability of being crowned winner.
Greece trails with 13% and Denmark at 10%.
The United Kingdom is presently positioned in 20th place, with a 1% likelihood of winning, while Azerbaijan occupies the bottom spot.
The outcome of the 2026 Eurovision Song Contest will be decided by a combination of points from national juries and viewer votes in the participating nations, alongside a separate world vote.
Each national jury comprises a panel of seven music professionals in that country. Following viewers casting their own votes, a national spokesperson from each of the 35 participating countries will announce the points of their jury live to the world. The viewer votes and jury scores will subsequently be merged to produce a single score for each entry, building towards a thrilling conclusion as the victor is revealed.
The Eurovision 2026 final broadcasts on Saturday 16 May on BBC One and iPlayer.
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