Eurovision Grand Final in Vienna tonight as 25 countries compete

The Eurovision Song Contest returns to Wiener Stadthalle in Vienna on Saturday night for its 2026 Grand Final, with 25 countries competing in the 70th edition of the event. The show starts at 21:00 CEST and is being broadcast live from the Austrian capital, according to Eurovision World and the official Eurovision site. Austria is hosting after JJ’s victory in Basel in 2025, and the winner on Saturday will earn the right to bring the contest to its next host city in 2027. The field was set after two semi-finals earlier in the week, with the automatic finalists made up of host Austria plus the so-called Big 4 — France, Germany, Italy and the United Kingdom. Eurovision’s official Vienna 2026 page says 35 broadcasters came to this year’s contest, with Bulgaria, Moldova and Romania returning in 2026. ### Which countries are in the final, and how does the show begin? (eurovisionworld.com) Eurovision World says the final opens with 25 songs and a running order set by Austrian broadcaster ORF after an allocation draw. Denmark performs first with “Før vi går hjem,” while Austria closes the competition in the 25th slot with “Tanzschein” by Cosmó. The same rundown lists Germany second, Israel third, Australia eighth, Finland 17th, Italy 22nd and Romania 24th. (eurovisionworld.com) The opening sequence includes a short film revisiting JJ’s 2025 win, followed by a flag parade for the finalists inside Wiener Stadthalle. ### Why is Finland being watched so closely? Finland enters the night as the market leader, according to betting coverage published on Saturday by ESC Today and other bookmakers-focused outlets. (eurovisionworld.com) Eurovision World’s lineup lists Finland’s act as Linda Lampenius and Pete Parkkonen performing “Liekinheitin.” Australia is also near the top of the market, with Delta Goodrem’s “Eclipse” drawn eighth, while Greece’s Akylas with “Ferto” and Israel’s Noam Bettan with “Michelle” are also among the frequently cited challengers. (eurovisionworld.com) Those rankings come from bookmakers and prediction-market reporting rather than Eurovision organizers, who do not forecast the outcome. (esctoday.com) ### Who are the other automatic finalists? France, Germany, Italy and the United Kingdom all qualified directly for the final under Eurovision’s long-standing rules for the largest financial contributors, alongside host Austria. Eurovision World’s published running order places Germany second, the United Kingdom 14th, France 15th, Italy 22nd and Austria last. (esctoday.com) The official Eurovision site says Vienna is hosting the contest for the third time, after 1967 and 2015. The same page says the 2026 contest is being held on May 12, 14 and 16 in the Austrian capital. ### What happens during the vote? The official Eurovision Vienna 2026 page says viewers can watch through participating broadcasters and on YouTube, and vote “wherever you are in the world.” Eurovision World says the show is expected to run about four hours before a winner is declared. (eurovisionworld.com) Past Eurovision procedures have combined national jury scores with public voting, but this year’s exact mechanics have been the subject of recent official updates from Eurovision organizers. (eurovision.com) The official site’s news index shows a voting-overhaul announcement this week, though the accessible search result did not provide the full text of the rule changes. ### What should viewers watch for once the music starts? (eurovision.com) Victoria Swarovski, Michael Ostrowski and Emily Busvine are hosting the live show, according to Eurovision World’s Grand Final guide. The same guide says the ORF Radio-Symphonieorchester Wien appears in the opening, with JJ performing his new single “Unknown.” At 21:00 CEST on May 16, the contest begins in Vienna with Denmark first on stage and Finland, Australia, Greece, Israel and host Austria among the acts drawing the most pre-show attention. (eurovision.tv) The winner is scheduled to be announced later Saturday after all 25 performances and the vote count are complete. (eurovisionworld.com)