Eurovision publishes 25-act grand final order

The Eurovision Song Contest published the running order for its 2026 Grand Final on Saturday, setting the 25-act lineup for the show in Vienna later that night. The official contest site listed Denmark first and host country Austria last for the May 16 final at the Wiener Stadthalle. The contest is scheduled to begin at 21:00 CEST, according to Eurovision’s official event guide. The lineup arrives as the 70th edition of Eurovision proceeds under political pressure over Israel’s participation. CNN reported that Ireland, Spain, Slovenia, the Netherlands and Iceland are boycotting this year’s event, while the European Broadcasting Union has kept Israel in the contest after introducing what it called “targeted changes” in December to reinforce trust, transparency and neutrality. (eurovision.com) ### Which countries are performing, and in what order? The official Eurovision grand final page listed the order as Denmark, Germany, Israel, Belgium, Albania, Greece, Ukraine, Australia, Serbia, Malta, Czechia, Bulgaria, Croatia, the United Kingdom, France, Moldova, Finland, Poland, Lithuania, Sweden, Cyprus, Italy, Norway, Romania and Austria. Austria’s entry, COSMÓ with “Tanzschein,” is scheduled to close the show in slot 25. (kesq.com) Eurovisionworld said the running order was set by Austrian broadcaster ORF and approved by the EBU after the second semi-final, following the contest’s producer-led system used in recent years. The site said Austria’s final position had already been fixed by draw before the rest of the order was completed. (eurovision.com) ### Why are there 25 finalists this year? Eurovisionworld reported that 25 countries reached the grand final: host country Austria, the “Big 4” automatic finalists — Germany, France, Italy and the United Kingdom — and 10 qualifiers from each of the two semi-finals. The site said 35 countries took part in the 2026 contest overall. (eurovisionworld.com) The official Eurovision site said the 70th contest is being held in Vienna after Austria won in 2025 with JJ’s “Wasted Love.” The live shows were scheduled for May 12, May 14 and May 16. ### Where does Israel appear in the show? Israel’s Noam Bettan, performing “Michelle,” is scheduled third in the grand final running order, according to the official lineup. (eurovisionworld.com) That places Israel near the start of the show, between Germany and Belgium. CNN reported that Israel’s place in the contest triggered the boycott by five countries over the war in Gaza. (eurovision.com) The outlet said the dispute had become the biggest crisis in the contest’s 70-year history, citing the scale of the withdrawals and lower fan attendance in Vienna. (eurovision.com) ### How will the final open and what happens during voting? ORF’s plans for the grand final include an opening built around JJ, the 2025 winner for Austria, according to Eurovision’s official site. The March 19 announcement said JJ would perform in an opening act called “The Queen of the Night,” accompanied by more than 40 dancers and acrobats. (kesq.com) The same announcement said the 25 finalists would be introduced during the opening at the Wiener Stadthalle. During the voting window, Eurovision said viewers would see three interval acts, including a “Eurovision Allstar” segment, a performance by Parov Stelar and César Sampson singing Billy Joel’s “Vienna.” (eurovision.com) ### When does the winner get decided? Saturday’s grand final begins at 21:00 CEST in Vienna, according to Eurovision’s official schedule. Eurovisionworld said the winner of the 2026 contest will be determined after votes from national juries, televoting in participating countries and online voting from the “Rest of the world.” (eurovision.com) The official grand final page is already carrying the full running order and a scoreboard placeholder for points. Results are due after the 25 performances, the voting sequence and the interval acts at the Wiener Stadthalle on May 16. (eurovision.com 1) (eurovision.com 2)