Eurovision semifinal completes final lineup

The Eurovision Song Contest’s second semifinal on Thursday completed the field for Saturday’s grand final in Vienna, leaving 25 countries in the running for the 70th edition of the competition. Ten countries had already advanced from the first semifinal on May 12, and 10 more moved through from Thursday’s show, while France, Germany, Italy, the United Kingdom and host Austria were already guaranteed places in the final. (france24.com) Saturday’s contest will be held at Wiener Stadthalle in Vienna, with hosts Victoria Swarovski and Michael Ostrowski fronting the broadcast. (nytimes.com) The official participant list published by Eurovision shows finalists including Finland, Australia, Denmark, Greece, Israel, Ukraine and the United Kingdom’s act Look Mum No Computer, performing “Eins, Zwei, Drei.” (esc-plus.com) The lineup matters because the second semifinal settled the last open places and set the stage order for the final. ESCplus, citing the European Broadcasting Union and Austrian broadcaster ORF, reported that Denmark will perform first and host Austria will close the show in 25th position. (france24.com) ### Which countries are now in Saturday’s final? AFP’s list of finalists named Albania, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Israel, Italy, Lithuania, Malta, Moldova, Norway, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Sweden, Ukraine and the United Kingdom. That brought the total field to 25 countries after two semifinals and the automatic qualification of the “Big Five” broadcasters plus Austria as host. (eurovision.com) Eurovision’s official participant page lists the artists and songs attached to those countries, including Delta Goodrem for Australia with “Eclipse,” Noam Bettan for Israel with “Michelle,” Akylas for Greece with “Ferto,” and Linda Lampenius x Pete Parkkonen for Finland with “Liekinheitin.” (esc-plus.com) ### Why was the United Kingdom already through? The United Kingdom did not need to qualify through a semifinal because it is one of Eurovision’s “Big Five” financial backers, alongside France, Germany, Italy and Spain under the contest’s usual structure; this year’s final field shown in AFP’s dispatch reflects the automatic places for France, Germany, Italy and the United Kingdom, with Austria added as host. BBC live coverage noted that the U.K. act, Look Mum No Computer, was guaranteed a spot in the final and still performed during the second semifinal broadcast. (france24.com) Thursday’s semifinal running order included a non-competitive performance slot for the British entry. Eurovisionworld’s preview of the show listed Look Mum No Computer among the pre-qualified acts appearing in semifinal two, alongside France and Austria. (eurovision.com) ### Who is entering the final as the favorite? The New York Times reported on Friday that Finland was the favorite with bookmakers and prediction markets ahead of the final. The Times said Australia, Denmark, Greece and Israel were also among the main contenders for the title. Finland’s entry pairs violinist Linda Lampenius with singer Pete Parkkonen on “Liekinheitin,” according to Eurovision’s official participant list. (france24.com) Australia’s challenge comes from Delta Goodrem’s “Eclipse,” while Denmark is represented by Søren Torpegaard Lund’s “Før Vi Går Hjem.” ### What do we know about the running order? ORF and the EBU published the grand final running order early on May 15, according to ESCplus. (eurovisionworld.com) Denmark will open, Germany will perform second, the United Kingdom will appear 14th, Finland 17th, and Austria will close in 25th place. The order also places Israel third, Greece sixth, Australia eighth and Romania 24th. (nytimes.com) Eurovision organizers use a mix of draw positions and producer placement to build the final show, ESCplus reported. ### When is the winner decided? (eurovision.com) Eurovision 2026 concludes on Saturday, May 16, at Wiener Stadthalle in Vienna. Eurovisionworld’s event details list the date, venue, broadcaster ORF and hosts Victoria Swarovski and Michael Ostrowski, with the 25 finalists competing for the trophy in the last live show of the week. (en.wikipedia.org) (esc-plus.com)