The Wiener Stadthalle in Vienna hosts the first live show of the Eurovision Song Contest 2026. This Tuesday, May 12, starting at 21:00 CEST, 15 countries will compete in the first semifinal with the goal of securing one of the 10 available spots for the grand final. As a new feature, national juries once again have decision-making power in the semifinals alongside the viewers’ vote (including audiences from around the world).
Vienna, Europe’s capital of music, takes on the organization of the third Eurovision Song Contest in its history, following the 1967 and 2015 editions. On this occasion, the Wiener Stadthalle once again opens its doors to the musical event, on whose stage 35 countries compete to win the iconic crystal microphone, marking the lowest number of participants in two decades.
Despite reaching its 70th anniversary, the European contest is taking place in a climate of tension and protests never seen before. Israel’s presence in the competition has led to the largest boycott in Eurovision history, with the withdrawal of five countries (Slovenia, Spain, Ireland, Iceland, and the Netherlands) after refusing to share the stage with the Israeli representative.
The city of Vienna is torn between the musical spectacle of the Eurovision Song Contest and the protests and demonstrations that have been organized throughout the week in the Austrian capital. Pro-Palestinian activists believe that the European contest cannot serve as a platform for international whitewashing for Israel. Added to this are its constant attempts to disrupt the balance of the Eurovision voting through massive promotional campaigns, such as the one launched in the days leading up to the live shows and which forced the EBU to intervene and stop the promotional strategy.
The competition begins tonight with the first semifinal, marking the starting point of the live shows. In addition to the 15 competing countries, as has been customary since Malmö 2024, the semifinals will feature exhibition performances (non-competitive) by the artists from the Big 4 (Germany, France, Italy, and the United Kingdom) and the host country, in this case, Austria. Although they already have a guaranteed place in the grand final, they take to the stage to perform their entries in full. In this first semifinal, it is the turn of Sal Da Vinci (Italy) and Sarah Engels (Germany).
For this 70th edition, the host broadcaster ORF has chosen two major names to lead the live broadcast for viewers around the world. Victoria Swarovski and Michael Ostrowski will welcome audiences worldwide. In addition, they will be joined by Emily Busvine, presenter of the Viennese green room, who will speak with the artists after their performances.
Which countries and artists are participating in the first semifinal of Eurovision 2026? Review the running order
Maintaining its current format with two semifinals, 30 countries in the Eurovision Song Contest 2026 are competing for a place in the grand final on Saturday, May 16. From both semifinals, 20 finalists will qualify (10 from each semifinal). In total, 25 entries will compete to win the crystal microphone. Notably, the absence of Spain, due to the boycott of the festival over Israel’s presence, reduces the number of finalist entries, something that had not happened since Turin 2022, the edition organized by Italy, whose broadcaster is a member of the contest’s “Big” countries group.
Review the running order for the first semifinal this Tuesday, May 12, starting at 21:00 CEST, below:
| Country | Artist | Song | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Moldova | Satoshi | “Viva, Moldova!” |
| 02 | Sweden | FELICIA | “My System” |
| 03 | Croatia | LELEK | “Andromeda” |
| 04 | Greece | Akylas | “Ferto” |
| 05 | Portugal | Bandidos do Cante | “Rosa” |
| 06 | Georgia | Bzikebi | “On Replay” |
| FINALIST | Italy | Sal Da Vinci | “Per Sempre Sì” |
| 07 | Finland | Linda Lampenius x Pete Parkkonen | “Liekinheitin” |
| 08 | Montenegro | Tamara Živković | “Nova Zora” |
| 09 | Estonia | Vanilla Ninja | “Too Epic To Be True” |
| 10 | Israel | Noam Bettan | “Michelle” |
| FINALIST | Germany | Sarah Engels | “Fire” |
| 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” |
In the semifinals, the participating countries will be subject to the verdict of the professional jury (49.4%) and the televote plus online vote (50.6%). Viewers from the participating countries will vote alongside those from the “rest of the world” who are not part of the 70th edition of the European contest (through the new platform vote.eurovision.com). Meanwhile, as a new feature, the expert panels (whose composition increases to seven members) return to the semifinals and will once again decide part of the final result, as was the case until the Turin 2022 edition.
Review the competing (and exhibition) songs of the first semifinal of Eurovision 2026
01. Moldova: Satoshi – «Viva, Moldova!»
02. Sweden: FELICIA – «My System»
03. Croatia: LELEK – «Andromeda»
04. Greece: Akylas – «Ferto»
05. Portugal: Bandidos do Cante – «Rosa»
06. Georgia: Bzikebi – «On Replay»
FINALIST | Italy: Sal Da Vinci – «Per Sempre Sì»
07. Finland: Linda Lampenius x Pete Parkkonen – «Liekinheitin»
08. Montenegro: Tamara Živković – «Nova Zora»
09. Estonia: Vanilla Ninja – «Too Epic To Be True»
10. Israel: Noam Bettan – «Michelle»
Due to the instrumentalization of the contest for political purposes by Israel, ESCplus is limiting the content provided regarding the country’s entry.
FINALIST | Germany: Sarah Engels – «Fire»
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»
When and where to watch the first semifinal of Eurovision 2026
The first semifinal of the Eurovision Song Contest 2026 will be broadcast this Tuesday, May 12, starting at 21:00 CEST. It is scheduled to last approximately 140 minutes, ending around 23:20 CEST.
As usual, the broadcast will be available live on the 15 participating broadcasters. In addition, it has also been scheduled in some non-participating countries such as the United States (Peacock by NBC), Iceland (RÚV), Kosovo (RTK), North Macedonia (MRT), and the Netherlands (AVROTROS). In the case of Spain, only the official feed is available through the Eurovision Song Contest YouTube channel without commentary.