Eurovision 2026: Live updates as the final begins

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The crowd is going mental for Ferto

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By Hanan Dervisevic

It's certainly got me out of my seat!

Fans are singing and screaming as Akylas mimics playing a Greek traditional instrument.

I love this entry.

6. Greece

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By Hanan Dervisevic

Artist: Akylas

Song title: Ferto

Fun fact: Akylas has garnered millions of likes on TikTok for his viral covers

Hanan rating: 8/10

Rudi rating: 7/10

Oh yeah! Greece is bringing the campy fun with Ferto (which translates as 'Bring it'), a fast-paced dance track with some video game samples sprinkled in for good measure.

The song may sound like a joke, but it's very clever when you look at the lyrics.

Akylas sings about themes of greed, corruption and the juxtaposition between materialist consumption and our emotional needs.

I can absolutely see this song finishing in the top 5, depending on how the juries respond.

LYRICS (translated):

Real estate, bring it

Sashimi tuna, bring it

Gold watch, designer shades

I'm telling you, bring it

Leather coat, bring it

And escargot, bring it

Rally cars, yacht with stars

I said bring it

Albania request subtitles on screen

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By Hanan Dervisevic

Albania has participated in Eurovision 22 times since its debut in 2004, but has never won.

Last year, the country came eighth.

This is the only song where subtitles in English appear on the screen. It is a request by the artist himself.

5. Albania

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By Hanan Dervisevic

Artist: Alis

Song title: Nân

Fun fact: Alis won the fifth edition of X Factor Albania

Hanan rating: 7.5/10

Rudi rating: 7/10

Nân brings a deeply cultural tribute to the Albanian diaspora and the mothers left behind.

It depicts the quiet grief of a mother waiting at the doorstep for a child who has migrated for a better life.

The opening bars of the song throw you straight into the emotional deep end with the chanting choir behind Alis.

Alis' voice is one of my favourites this year and he knows how to emote and convey his message very well.

Nân is heartfelt and touches my soul. I would love to see it do well.

LYRICS (translated):

Know that mother waits for you

She waves you down the road

Still standing at the doorway

As two weeks, two years, this summer, too, is gone

4. Belgium

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By Rudi Maxwell

Artist: Essyla

Song title: Dancing on the Ice

Fun fact: Essyla rose to prominence as a finalist in The Voice Belgique in 2020-21, when she was runner up to Jérémie Makiese, who represented Belgium at Eurovision 2022

Hanan rating: 3/10

Rudi rating: 4/10

Dancing on the Ice starts off promisingly enough with a strong beat that hints of building to … something.

But, while the lyrics are pretty sensational, ultimately Dancing on the Ice left me … well … a little cold (sorry).

Dancing on the Ice has a funk vibe to it and kinda promises to be a classic banger but doesn't quite deliver enough, it's a little underwhelming on a stage where too big is never big enough.

And I suspect it's not going to be as popular as some of the other contenders.

LYRICS (translated):

I keep dancing on the ice

Where everything dies

Frozen to the bone

I keep dancing on the ice

Cause I feel alive

I'm satisfied

Keep dancing on the ice

Keep dancing on the ice

3. Israel

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By Rudi Maxwell

Artist: Noam Bettan

Song title: Michelle

Fun fact: Noam's journey to Eurovision began when he competed in the 12th season of Israel's popular televised talent show HaKokhav HaBa, which he won in January

Hanan rating: 4/10

Rudi rating: 4/10

With protests in Vienna and five countries boycotting because of Israel's participation in Eurovision, there's a lot of pressure on Noam Bettan.

Singing in Hebrew, French and English for Michelle, Bettan delivers a heart-felt long song.

And using 'ma belle' to rhyme with 'Michelle' invites an obvious comparison with The Beatles classic — and I don't think the Fab Four have too much to worry about.

Michelle doesn't seem to deliver the intense emotion needed for a peak Eurovision love song, it's a little disappointing.

LYRICS (translated):

Michelle it's a toxic love

I'm in the darkness

You left me in the shadow

A star with no glory

Crazy girl

I get up and I fall

Protests against Israel and rebel outdoor concert in Vienna

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By Rudi Maxwell

Hundreds of people have marched near the contest arena before Saturday's final, some holding placards saying "Block Eurovision".

Pro-Palestinian groups also staged an outdoor concert on Friday under the banner "No stage for genocide".

"Inviting Israel on such a beautiful stage as the Eurovision Song Contest stage is an affront to all the people who believe in humanity, who believe in love and togetherness," Congolese-Austrian artist Patrick Bongola, one of the organisers, said.

The five-nation boycott is a revenue and viewership blow to an event that organizers say was watched by 166 million people around the world last year. This year's field of 35 contestants is the smallest since 2003.

Reporting with AP

How many languages will we hear sung this year?

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By Hanan Dervisevic

After last year saw more songs than ever performed in national languages, Eurovision 2026 is keeping the celebration of linguistic diversity alive.

Since 1990, when Eurovision lifted the requirement for artists to sing in their native languages, the contest heavily leaned toward English. The language became the safest bet — a universal key to success and instant comprehension.

But in 2026, a total of 24 different languages will be sung, bucking a trend that has dominated the competition for over two decades.

*Note: We have identified ALL languages that will be represented on stage, even if the song only contains a small snippet of that language.

2. Germany

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By Rudi Maxwell

Artist: Sarah Engels

Song title: Fire

Fun fact: Sarah Engels is a perennial favourite of German reality TV, having appeared on The Masked Singer, Deutschland Sucht Den Superstar (the German Idol franchise) and Dancing on Ice

Hanan rating: 5.5/10

Rudi rating: 6/10

Fire is classic Europop, a catchy song with a dance break.

It's pretty fast-paced but lacks the drama and emotion of some of the other entries — and has none of the campy humour.

Fire is not a bad song and Sarah Engels is a pro performer with masses of stage presence … but I don't see Germany setting the audience on fire.

LYRICS:

I'm on fire, fire

You're a liar, liar

Stop denying, ′nying, no lying, lying no more

Like a vampire, you hide and come out the night

Stop denying, ′nying, no lying, lying no more

What makes the perfect Eurovision song?

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By Hanan Dervisevic

A perfect Eurovision song typically combines a high-energy Euro banger format (up-tempo/danceable) or a dramatic power ballad with a catchy, repetitive chorus.

The song will usually feature universal themes like love or unity, a minor key and a memorable, earworm melody — think Bara Bada Batsu from last year (yes, I'm still in love with that song and devastated Sweden didn't win).

Solo artists are also more likely to score points over a duet or group.

But, even taking all these factors into consideration, a song can still come through the field and win without ticking any of these boxes.

If you remember the 2021 Eurovision grand final, Italian group Måneskin won with a rock-style song.

But alas, these are just trends rather than rules — and Eurovision is nothing if not unpredictable.

1. Denmark

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By Hanan Dervisevic

Artist: Søren Torpegaard Lund

Song title: Før Vi Går Hjem

Fun fact: By 17, Søren had applied for The Danish National School of Performing Arts, making history as the youngest person ever to be accepted

Hanan rating: 8/10

Rudi rating: 8/10

I am a big fan of this entry!

Very modern, relatable, cool and addictive with an irresistible beat.

The song, which translates to Before We Go Home, is an ultra-sleek pop banger about staying at the club longer than he should, in case he finds his lover in the crowd.

Denmark's choice to sing in their own language makes the entry even better.

Søren can sing, dance, and perform — all the qualities needed to win the whole thing.

LYRICS (translated):

We let the night go up in flames and forget ourselves

Hold on to each other till we burn to death

Forget that we'll wake up and regret it again

Before we go, before we go

Before we go, before we go home

Voting is open and that means the singing begins!

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By Hanan Dervisevic

The voting polls have officially opened! And even though we're not in Europe, it doesn't mean we can't vote.

If you see an act you like, take note of their number and head to esc.vote to vote.

There's a limit of 10 votes per person and, fair warning, each vote does cost 70 cents.

Our winner tonight will be decided from a 50/50 split between the audience televote and the Eurovision National Jury (each country participating supplies a jury of music industry professionals).

Tell us who you want to win!!

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By Hanan Dervisevic

Oh please, please, please tell Rudi and I who your favourites are to win this year's competition.

You can send us a comment by tapping the yellow "Login to comment" button above.

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Sweden's artist skips flag parade

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By Hanan Dervisevic

Swedish act Felicia, who made it through to the final with her song My System, fainted backstage in Vienna following the second dress rehearsal on Friday.

"The dress rehearsal yesterday felt great. But it was so incredibly hot in the green room and the more time went by I felt like I was getting more and more dizzy and when I got to the dressing room I was very weak, Felicia said in a statement on Saturday.

"I got great help from the medical staff on site. Now I have slept well, drunk as much water as I can and have eaten. So now I am super ready for the day."

According to the Swedish delegation, the incident was caused by a drop in blood pressure and dehydration.

Flag parade underway

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By Hanan Dervisevic

For starters, a filmed opening montage showcases Austria's majestic scenery as a paper boat makes its way to Vienna, a reference to 2025 Eurovision winner JJ's storm-tossed performance of "Wasted Love".

Then JJ will return to the Eurovision stage, singing live during an Olympics-style flag parade of the 25 finalists.

It's showtime — the Eurovision 2026 final begins!

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By Hanan Dervisevic

It's the time we've all been waiting for, the Eurovision Song Contest 2026 has begun!

There's 25 acts to get through, one by one — buckle up and grab your snacks.

What does the impact of boycotts from key countries mean for Eurovision's identity?

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By Hanan Dervisevic

Earlier this week, we spoke to University of Southern Queensland associate professor Jess Carniel, widely regarded as Australia's leading Eurovision expert, about this year's competition.

Carniel says the boycott from Iceland, Ireland, the Netherlands, Slovenia and Spain is "pretty significant".

"It's the 70th anniversary of the song contest and they have lost one of the Big Five — note the awkwardness every time the "Big Four" are mentioned this year."

"They have also lost the Netherlands, which is not only another significant financial contributor but also had been in the contest since its beginning in 1956."

Although there are significant political implications, Eurovision's organiser, the EBU, is likely more concerned with the impact on the bottom line.

"Boycotts and withdrawals mean fewer fees and fewer viewers, although the latter is perhaps less impactful in the age of the internet," Carniel said.

Moving forward, Carniel believes the EBU and Eurovision need to find a way to "reconcile its nonpolitical stance against the fact that everything is political and that politics matters to their stakeholders".

Official running order

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By Hanan Dervisevic

Depending on who you talk to, the running order position can be instrumental in a country's success…or failure.

Here's how things will unfold this evening:

Denmark

Germany

Israel

Belgium

Albania

Greece

Ukraine

Australia

Serbia

Malta

Czechia

Bulgaria

Croatia

United Kingdom

France

Moldova

Finland

Poland

Lithuania

Sweden

Cyprus

Italy

Norway

Romania

Austria

📸 Delta a crowd favourite

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By Hanan Dervisevic