Jury voting opens tonight for Eurovision Semi‑Final 2 in Vienna

Eurovision is back in its most nerve-racking mode — the part where a rehearsal is not really a rehearsal anymore. On Wednesday, May 13, the 15 acts in Semi-Final 2 went through dress rehearsals in Vienna ahead of Thursday night’s live show. The big reason this matters is simple: juries are back in the semi-finals for 2026, so tonight’s polished run-through suddenly counts in a way it did not last year. ### What’s actually happening tonight? Semi-Final 2 itself airs on May 14 at Wiener Stadthalle in Vienna, but the crucial pre-show work lands on May 13. This is when delegations lock in camera shots, test whether props and lighting behave under full-show conditions, and perform the kind of complete run that lets juries judge the package as viewers will basically see it. Eurovoix’s live coverage for today centered on the first dress rehearsal for that exact reason. (eurovisionworld.com) ### Why is “jury voting opens” a bigger deal this year? Because the rules changed. In 2023 through 2025, Eurovision semi-finals were decided only by public vote. For 2026, the contest brought professional juries back, using a roughly 50/50 split between jury and audience in the semis, just like the Grand Final. So a song no longer survives on fandom heat alone — it also has to look and sound convincing to industry-style panels. (eurovoix.com) ### Who are those juries now? They’re bigger than before. Each country now uses seven jurors instead of five, and the lineup is meant to be broader — music journalists, teachers, choreographers, stage directors, and other industry people can be included. Every jury also has to include at least two members aged 18 to 25. That is the EBU trying to solve two problems at once: credibility and generational balance. (eurovisionworld.com) ### Which acts are fighting for those 10 spots? There are 15 competing countries in Semi-Final 2: Bulgaria, Azerbaijan, Romania, Luxembourg, Czechia, Armenia, Switzerland, Cyprus, Latvia, Denmark, Australia, Ukraine, Albania, Malta, and Norway. Only 10 qualify. Austria, France, and the United Kingdom also appear in the show and vote, but they do not compete because they are already in the Grand Final. (eurovisionworld.com) ### Does the running order matter here? Yes — more than fans like to admit. Bulgaria opens the semi, Australia’s Delta Goodrem performs 11th, Ukraine follows 12th, and Norway closes the show at 15th. Producers also inserted three automatic qualifiers into the broadcast breaks: France after song 5, Austria after song 8, and the UK after song 12. That spacing can change momentum, because viewers remember late performers and juries notice whether an entry cuts through after a break. (eurovisionworld.com) ### Are televoters still important? Very. The semi is still a combined result from national juries, participating-country televotes, and online Rest of the World voting. But there is one more rule tweak: the maximum number of votes per payment method dropped from 20 to 10 for 2026. The idea is to spread support more widely and make mass repeat voting a bit less distortive. (eurovoix.com) ### So what are delegations really trying to fix today? Clarity. Not just vocals — clarity. Eurovision staging lives or dies on whether the camera instantly explains the song. If a prop blocks the artist, if LEDs fight the costume, or if the emotional beat lands two seconds late, juries may punish it and casual viewers may forget it. Dress rehearsal day is where teams find out whether the concept in their heads is actually readable on TV. That’s why this stage of the week feels calm on the surface and frantic underneath. (eurovisionworld.com) ### Bottom line? Thursday’s Semi-Final 2 is the public event, but Wednesday is where a lot of the real sorting starts. With juries back in the mix, Eurovision 2026 has made the semi-finals less chaotic, more professionalized, and a lot harsher on entries that looked great on paper but don’t fully land in the room. (eurovisionworld.com) (eurovoix.com)