Eurovision sets May 12, 14 semis

Eurovision is now fully on the calendar for 2026 — and the basic shape is clear. Vienna will host the 70th contest at the Wiener Stadthalle, w(ebu.ch). But the bigger story is not just where the shows land. It’s that Spain, one of Eurovision’s “Big Five,” has already walked away and says it will not broadcast the contest at all. (ebu.ch) ### Why are these dates suddenly news? The dates m(rtve.es)eek in Vienna runs from May 10 to May 16, starting with opening events around City Hall and ending with the final at 9 p.m. on May 16. The semi-final draw has also already been held, with 30 participating countries split into two shows of 15 each. (songcontest.orf.at) ### Why Vienna again? Austria got the right to(ebu.ch) Innsbruck in the host-city race, which means Eurovision returns to the Austrian capital for the third time. That makes this both an anniversary edition and a familiar logistical setup for Austrian broadcasters. (ebu.ch) ### So what did Spain actually do? Spain’s public broadcaster, RTVE, did more than (songcontest.orf.at)l after the EBU voted to allow Israel to take part. RTVE’s own explainer says the exit means Spain will not air the May 16 final or the May 12 and 14 semi-finals either. (rtve.es) ### Why is Israel the fault line here? The dispute has been building for months around whether Isra(ebu.ch)t but one shaped by geopolitical interests, and Spain made participation conditional on Israel’s exclusion. When the EBU went the other way, Spain followed through. (rtve.es) ### Is Spain alone? No — and that is part of why this matters beyond one broadcaster’s programming grid. RTVE says Iceland, I(rtve.es)looked like a symbolic protest into a broader fracture inside the contest. That does not stop Eurovision from happening, but it changes the political mood around the 2026 edition. (rtve.es) ### What changes for viewers? For most viewers across Europe, not (rtve.es)per. There is no Spanish entry, and RTVE says there will be no domestic broadcast of any of the three live shows. That means Eurovision week in Spain shifts from national event to something viewers would need to follow elsewhere. (rtve.es) ### Why does “Big Five” status matter? Spain is not just another entrant. It is one (rtve.es)egation disappearing in the semis. It is one of the contest’s core automatic finalists leaving altogether, which makes the 2026 field look different before rehearsals even start. (rtve.es) ### Bottom line? The schedule itself is simple: Vienna, May 12, 14, and 16. The complication is political. Eurovision 202(rtve.es)in used to be — on stage, on the scoreboard, and on Spanish television. (ebu.ch)