Eurovision confirms finalists, running order

The Eurovision Song Contest’s Grand Final lineup was completed on Thursday, May 14, after the second semi-final in Vienna sent 10 more countries through to Saturday’s show. The European Broadcasting Union’s official Eurovision site lists Albania, Australia, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czechia, Denmark, Malta, Norway, Romania and Ukraine as the qualifiers from the second semi-final. The 25-song final is scheduled for Saturday, May 16, at 21:00 CEST in Vienna, with host country Austria and the “Big 4” — France, Germany, Italy and the United Kingdom — already guaranteed places. Eurovisionworld, citing the producer-determined draw approved under contest rules, published the full running order early Friday. (eurovision.com) The contest is also unfolding against a boycott by five countries over Israel’s participation. NPR reported this week that Spain, the Netherlands, Ireland, Slovenia and Iceland withdrew and that 35 countries are competing this year, the lowest number in more than a decade. ### Which countries qualified on Thursday night? (eurovisionworld.com) Thursday’s second semi-final added 10 acts to the Grand Final: Albania’s Alis with “Nân,” Australia’s Delta Goodrem with “Eclipse,” Bulgaria’s DARA with “Bangaranga,” Cyprus’ Antigoni with “JALLA,” Czechia’s Daniel Zizka with “CROSSROADS,” Denmark’s Søren Torpegaard Lund with “Før Vi Går Hjem,” Malta’s AIDAN with “Bella,” Norway’s JONAS LOVV with “YA YA YA,” Romania’s Alexandra Căpitănescu with “Choke Me,” and Ukraine’s LELÉKA with “Ridnym.” The official Eurovision results page lists those 10 as qualifiers. (wxxinews.org) The same official page lists Armenia, Azerbaijan, Latvia, Luxembourg and Switzerland as non-qualifiers from the Thursday show. Eurovision said the second semi-final began at 21:00 CEST on May 14 in Vienna. ### How does the Grand Final running order look? Eurovisionworld’s published running order puts Denmark first and Austria last, with Germany second, Israel third, Belgium fourth and Albania fifth. (eurovision.com) The back half includes Sweden in slot 20, Italy in slot 22, Norway in slot 23, Romania in slot 24 and Austria in slot 25. Austria’s position was fixed earlier by draw, Eurovisionworld reported, while the rest of the sequence was set by Austrian broadcaster ORF under the producer-led system used in recent years. Eurovision’s official site previously said the semi-final qualifiers would be allocated by draw into first half, second half or “producer decides” categories before the final order was set. (eurovisionworld.com) ### Who was already in Saturday’s field before the second semi-final? Tuesday, May 12, was the first semi-final, and Eurovision’s official schedule says 10 acts advanced from that show as well. Saturday’s final therefore brings together those 10 first-semi qualifiers, Thursday’s 10 qualifiers, and the five automatic finalists. The automatic finalists are France, Germany, Italy and the United Kingdom as the largest financial contributors, plus Austria as host broadcaster country. (eurovisionworld.com) Eurovision said those countries performed in the semi-finals as part of the live shows but did not need to qualify. ### Which countries are boycotting, and why is that part of the story? (eurovision.com) NPR reported on May 13 that Spain, the Netherlands, Ireland, Slovenia and Iceland are boycotting this year’s contest over Israel’s participation. NPR said Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez argued that Israel should be removed just as Russia was after its invasion of Ukraine, while the other broadcasters accused Israel of genocide in Gaza. (eurovision.com) Israel’s entry this year is “Michelle,” performed by Noam Bettan, according to NPR and Eurovision’s official semi-final running order page. NPR also reported that the Israeli government denies it committed genocide in Gaza and says it is fighting Hamas after the Oct. 7, 2023, attack. (wxxinews.org) ### When is the final, and where can viewers find the official lineup? Saturday, May 16, is the date of the Grand Final, and Eurovision’s official calendar lists the show at 21:00 CEST in Vienna. The official Vienna 2026 pages on Eurovision.com carry the event schedule, while Eurovisionworld has published the 1-to-25 running order for the final. Vienna’s Wiener Stadthalle is the venue for the 70th Eurovision Song Contest, according to Eurovision’s host-city page. (wxxinews.org) The next confirmed milestone is the Grand Final on May 16, with Austria’s COSMÓ closing the field from position 25. (eurovision.com 1) (eurovision.com 2)