Eurovision is definitively back, with the first semi-final broadcast tonight by dozens of broadcasters across Europe, as well as on Youtube in many other countries, opening the 70th anniversary of the Song Contest. Here is everything you need to know!
Eurovision Song Contest 2026 – First semi-final
When?
21:00 CET, until 23:00 CET
Where?
- On TV on your Eurovision broadcaster (countries for the second semi-final may broadcast the first one on a secondary channel)
- Online, on the official Eurovision Youtube channel
- Physically, at the Wiener Stadthalle, Vienna
Who?
Fifteen songs compete tonight for ten spots in the final, with two automatic qualifiers (AQ) also performing as exhibition acts during the show.
They will perform in the following running order:
- 1 – 🇲🇩 Moldova – Satoshi – “Viva Moldova!”
- 2 – 🇸🇪 Sweden – Felicia – “My System”
- 3 – 🇭🇷 Croatia – LELEK – “Andromeda”
- 4 – 🇬🇷 Greece – Akylas – “Ferto”
- 5 – 🇵🇹 Portugal – Bandidos do Cante – “Rosa”
- 6 – 🇬🇪 Georgia – Bzikebi – “On Replay”
- BREAK : Messages from Eurovision fans and alumnis on how important the contest is for them
- AQ – 🇮🇹 Italy – Sal da Vinci – “Per Sempre Si”
- 7 – 🇫🇮 Finland – Linda Lampenius & Pete Parkkonen – “Liekinheitin”
- 8 – 🇲🇪 Montenegro – Tamara Živković – “Nova Zora”
- 9 – 🇪🇪 Estonia – Vanilla Ninja – “Too Epic To Be True”
- 10 – 🇮🇱 Israel – Noam Bettan – “Michelle”
- AQ – 🇩🇪 Germany – “Fire”
- BREAK : Professor Eurovision’s lesson on “nul points”
- 11 – 🇧🇪 Belgium – Essyla – “Dancing on the Ice”
- 12 – 🇱🇹 Lithuania – Lion Ceccah – “Sólo quiero más”
- 13 – 🇸🇲 San Marino – Senhit feat. Boy George – “Superstar”
- 14 – 🇵🇱 Poland – ALICJA – “Pray”
- 15 – 🇷🇸 Serbia – Lavina – “Kraj Mene”
The evening will be hosted by Victoria Swarovski and Michael Ostrowski.
For more information about the performances, do not hesitate to check our live-blog from yesterday’s first rehearsal, or our live-tweeting of the evening rehearsal.
Who’s qualifying?
Well, we don’t know, do we? But to help you get the mood on the field in Vienna, don’t forget to check yesterday’s press poll and audience poll.
Guest acts
There will also be some guest acts to introduce the show and perform in the interval before the results.
- Intro act – “The Life of Toni” + “L’amour est bleu”
- After an introduction video showing mountains, stars, water and other elements, the cameras will bring us in the arena for an act that mixes traditional Swiss elements (alphorn (horns from the Alps), traditional costumes, yodelling) with more modern dancing, before the hosts take to the stage
- First interval act – Dance performance about the Prater
- Dance company Zurcaroh performs an acrobatics and dance act with the Prater park and its ferris wheel as the backdrop
- Second interval act – Douze Points Eurovision Quizz Show
- After votes close, Michael Ostrowski hosts a special quizz shows with two teams of two about Eurovision, with trivia and blind test questions.
- Third interval act – Kangaroo
- Go-Jo joins Michael and Victoria for a special act on the differences between Australia and Austria: featuring snakes, spiders, desserts and a Kangaroo.
A recap of the second semi-final, with exclusive footage not seen in the rehearsal footage, is then aired, before the announcement of qualifiers.
Qualifiers announcement
The announcement takes place in the centre of the green room and not on stage, and is back to the pre-2025 format: one qualifier at a time. When only one spot is left, a split screen shows all six remaining delegations for the last announcement.
Will you be watching? Who are your favourites to qualify? Tell us more in the comments below!
