When is Eurovision? 2026 date, hosting city and entries, revealed

Mamma Mia, here we go again… it’s time to start thinking about Eurovision 2026!

This year marks the 70th Eurovision Song Contest — can you believe it? Seventy years of unforgettable tunes… and a few very forgettable ones. Over the decades, Eurovision has launched stars like ABBA, Celine Dion, and Måneskin. It’s also given us some iconic club hits, hilarious dance moves, and costumes that are nothing short of fascinating.

We’ll be tucked in at home watching Eurovision 2026, but where will the contestants be heading this year? Let’s not forget the UK last hosted the contest in Liverpool in 2023, bringing music back to the city of The Beatles.

Here’s everything you need to know about Eurovision 2026, so you can get your watch party perfectly prepared.

The Grand Final of the Eurovision Song Contest 2026 will take place in Vienna on Saturday 16 May, with the Semi-Finals taking place on Tuesday 12 and Thursday 14 May.

Eurovision 2026 will be held in Vienna, Austria, following JJ’s victory at the Grand Final in May 2025 with their operatic ballad Wasted Love. This will be the third time Vienna hosts the Eurovision Song Contest, after 1967 and 2015.

As usual, the BBC will be covering the event, so you’ll be able to watch it on their channels as well as on BBC iPlayer. More details will be announced closer to the contest.

Victoria Swarovski and Michael Ostrowski will host the 70th Eurovision Song Contest. Swarovski, from Innsbruck, Tyrol, Austria, is a TV presenter, entrepreneur, model, designer, and singer. Ostrowski, from Leoben, Austria, is a film and TV actor as well as a popular presenter.

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The first Semi-Final will take place on Tuesday, 12 May. A running order has not yet been confirmed.

• Georgia (GPB)
• Portugal (RTP)
• Croatia (HRT)
• Sweden (SVT)
• Finland (YLE)
• Moldova (TRM)
• Greece (ERT)
• Montenegro (RTCH)
• Estonia (ERR)
• San Marino (RTV)
• Poland (TVP)
• Belgium (RTBF)
• Lithuania (LRT)
• Serbia (RTS)
• Israel (KAN)

The second Semi-Final will take place on Thursday, 14 May. A running order has not yet been confirmed.

• Armenia (AMPTV)
• Romania (TVR)
• Switzerland (SRG SSR)
• Azerbaijan (Ictimai)
• Luxembourg (RTL)
• Bulgaria (BNT)
• Czechia (CT)
• Albania (RTSH)
• Denmark (DR)
• Cyprus (CyBC)
• Norway (NRK)
• Malta (PBS)
• Australia (SBS)
• Ukraine (Suspilne)
• Latvia (LPSM)

The top 10 countries from each semi-final will advance to join five pre-qualified countries in the Grand Final on Saturday, 16 May.

France, Germany, Italy, the UK, and last year’s winner, Austria, automatically qualify for the Grand Final, but each is still required to broadcast and vote in one of the semi-finals.

Germany and Italy will perform and vote in the First Semi-Final, while Austria, France, and the UK will perform and vote in the Second Semi-Final.

The winner is decided by a 50/50 split of professional jury votes and public televoting.

Not all entries for Eurovision 2026 have been confirmed yet, but here are the ones we know so far — including the UK!

Alis Kallaçi will represent Albania at the Eurovision Song Contest 2026 in Vienna with his ballad “Nân.” Sung in Albanian, the song explores themes of eternal love and separation.

Darina Nikolaeva Yotova, known professionally as Dara, will represent Bulgaria at Eurovision 2026. She is best known for her 2016 summer hit “Onto You,” which has recently seen a comeback. Her Eurovision song choice has not yet been announced.

LELEK, a Croatian ethno-pop group, blends traditional Croatian music with modern pop, aiming to preserve and reinterpret Slavic cultural identity. The band consists of Inka Večerina Perušić, Judita Štorga, Korina Olivia Rogić, Lara Brtan, and Marina Ramljak. They will perform their song “Andromeda.”

From the villa to Vienna, Antigoni Scarlet Buxton is a familiar face from Love Island season 8. Raised in London, she will represent Cyprus at Eurovision 2026. She previously attempted to enter Greece’s Eurovision in 2023 and 2025, and has also opened for a former star.

Søren Torpegaard Lund is a Danish actor, singer, and songwriter, representing Denmark at the Eurovision Song Contest 2026 with his song “Før vi går hjem.”

Performing “Too Epic To Be True,” Vanilla Ninja will represent their home country of Estonia. The all-female rock band is composed of Lenna Kuurmaa, Katrin Siska, and Piret Järvis. They previously entered Estonia’s national selections for Eurovision in 2003 and 2007 without success, but found victory in 2005 when they represented Switzerland with the song “Cool Vibes.”

Bzikebi is a Georgian vocal group consisting of Giorgi Shiolashvili, Mariam Kikuashvili, and Mariam Tatulashvili, who have been performing together since 2008, when they were just 10 years old. The trio was formed for Junior Eurovision after judges paired them together. Their name, Bzikebi, means “wasps” in Georgian, which explains their signature yellow-and-black style. Their Junior Eurovision song “Wasps” was sung in a made-up language — the first time this had ever happened in the competition’s history.

Representing his home country of Greece, Akylas will perform “FERTO.” Many are betting on him to win with this modern, quirky track, and it’s clear that his love for Lady Gaga has shaped him as an artist.

Singing “Dernière Danse,” Noah Bettan will represent Israel at Eurovision 2026 — yes, a French song by Indila.

Atvara won Supernova 2026 and will represent Latvia at the Eurovision Song Contest 2026 with her song “Ēnā.” We can’t wait to see her bring glitter and glitz to the stage in Vienna.

Singing her song “Mother Nature,” Eva Marija Puc will represent Luxembourg at Eurovision 2026. At just 20 years old, she is one of the youngest contestants this year. Based in London, she has been performing live since the age of fourteen.

Aidan Cassar is a Maltese singer-songwriter representing his country at Eurovision 2026. He previously represented Malta in the 2015 Junior Eurovision Song Contest and attempted to compete for Malta’s Eurovision spot in 2018, finishing fourth in the selection. He'll be performing his song “Bella.”

Vlad Sabajuc, known professionally as Satoshi, is a singer, songwriter, rapper, and composer. A skilled drummer as well as vocalist, he has been writing songs since his early teens. His stage name is inspired by the mysterious creator of Bitcoin, Satoshi Nakamoto.

Tamara Živković, a 25-year-old singer from Montenegro, will represent her country at Eurovision 2026. She blends live flute playing with singing and will perform her song “Nova Zora.”

Representing Switzerland at Eurovision 2026 is Veronica Fusaro, a Swiss singer-songwriter of Italian descent. Her career took off in 2014 when she competed on The Voice of Switzerland, and she has even performed at Glastonbury Festival.

Victoria Lelèka, known professionally as LELÈKA, is a Ukrainian singer and composer based in Berlin. Bringing her acting background to the stage, she will perform her song “Ridnym.”

Sam Battle, known professionally as Look Mum No Computer, will represent the UK at Eurovision 2026. The Mancunian YouTuber rose to fame online for his experimental, synth-heavy electronic dance music.

Ready to cheer him on at Eurovision 2026?

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