Eurovision revives live orchestra for the 2026 contest in Vienna

The Eurovision Song Contest returned to live orchestral accompaniment for its 2026 grand final in Vienna, a change tied to the competition’s 70th anniversary and one of the clearest breaks with the show’s recent production model. Austrian broadcaster ORF said the ORF Radio Symphony Orchestra Vienna would open Saturday’s final at Wiener Stadthalle, where 25 countries were due to compete from 21:00 CEST. Eurovision’s official site also published the producer-decided running order for the final on May 16, setting Denmark first and host country Austria last. Finland’s Linda Lampenius and Pete Parkkonen entered the night as betting favorites, while Vienna staged the event under tight security and rainy weather, according to an Associated Press report carried by NPR. ### How is the orchestra actually being used in Vienna? ORF said the ORF Radio Symphony Orchestra Vienna would open the May 16 final with reinterpretations from Mozart’s “The Magic Flute,” making the orchestra part of the live broadcast from the start. The broadcaster’s program page described the final as part of “The Big Show!” built for the contest’s 70th anniversary. Vulture noted in coverage published May 15 that Eurovision had dropped live orchestral accompaniment in 1999 in favor of backing tracks, making Vienna’s 2026 use of an orchestra a return after decades. (tv.orf.at) The official Eurovision and ORF material available on May 16 focused on the orchestra’s role in opening and anniversary programming rather than laying out a full technical rulebook for every competing entry, so any broader claim about how each act would be accompanied remains an inference from those reports and the anniversary framing. ### What did organizers say about the 70th-anniversary format? Eurovision’s official site said Vienna 2026 was designed as a celebration of the contest’s 70-year history, with opening and interval acts built around past winners and well-known alumni. A May 4 Eurovision post listed returning performers including Alexander Rybak, Lordi, Ruslana, Verka Serduchka and Erika Vikman for the grand final interval segment “Celebration!” (vulture.com) ORF and Eurovision also tied other anniversary programming to Vienna’s musical identity. Eurovision said Vicky Leandros would open the first semi-final with a new arrangement of “L’amour Est Bleu,” the song she performed when Vienna last hosted in 1967, while ORF said JJ, the 2025 winner for Austria, would appear in the final’s opening act. (eurovision.com) ### Who performs when in the grand final? Eurovision’s official grand final page listed Denmark’s Søren Torpegaard Lund opening the show with “Før Vi Går Hjem” and Austria’s COSMÓ closing with “Tanzschein.” Finland’s Linda Lampenius and Pete Parkkonen were placed 17th with “Liekinheitin,” while France’s Monroe performed 15th and Italy’s Sal Da Vinci 22nd. (eurovision.com) The official site showed 25 finalists in total, reflecting the 20 countries that advanced through the two semi-finals plus the automatic finalists. Eurovision had said earlier in the week that the grand final would take place on Saturday, May 16, at 21:00 CEST at Wiener Stadthalle in Vienna, with Victoria Swarovski and Michael Ostrowski hosting and Emily Busvine in the green room. (eurovision.com) ### Why was security such a visible part of the final day? The Associated Press report published by NPR said Vienna was hosting the final under tight security and in rainy weather, with criticism and protests centered on Israel’s participation continuing into the final day. The report said five longtime participants — Spain, the Netherlands, Ireland, Iceland and Slovenia — were boycotting in protest. (eurovision.com) Vienna’s official tourism site said the 2026 contest was operating under a “comprehensive security concept” that included airport-style checks at Wiener Stadthalle, information-sharing among security agencies and cybersecurity measures. That description matched the heavier police and venue presence visible around the event. ### Who was favored going into the vote? (vpm.org) The Associated Press report said Finland was the betting favorite with “Liekinheitin,” a duet pairing pop singer Pete Parkkonen with violinist Linda Lampenius. The same report said millions of viewers were expected to weigh acts from across the field, while historian Dean Vuletic told AP that juries and televoters can diverge sharply. (wien.info) Vulture’s May 15 preview also centered on the songs bookmakers considered most likely to win, underscoring Finland’s status near the top of the field before the live vote. Eurovision’s official site said viewers in participating countries and through the “Rest of the World” vote could cast ballots during the final. ORF said the live broadcast of the grand final began at 21:00 CEST on Saturday, May 16, after a 13:00 afternoon preview show at Wiener Stadthalle. (vpm.org) Eurovision’s official grand final page carried the running order and scoreboard for viewers following the result as the 25 finalists performed in Vienna. (tv.orf.at) (vulture.com)