Eurovision 2026 had 35 countries

The European Broadcasting Union said Eurovision 2026 in Vienna featured 35 participating countries, the smallest field since the contest introduced semifinals in 2004. The lineup was confirmed in December, months before the live shows in Austria. By the time the Grand Final was held at Wiener Stadthalle on May 16, Bulgaria’s DARA had won with “Bangaranga,” while the United Kingdom’s Look Mum No Computer finished near the bottom with “Eins, Zwei, Drei.” The smaller field stood out because Eurovision has spent most of the past two decades expanding rather than contracting. ### Why was 35 such a notable number for Eurovision? The EBU-announced list published by Eurovisionworld on December 15 said 35 countries would compete in Vienna 2026. Eurovisionworld described that as the lowest number of participants since the introduction of semifinals in 2004. The January 12 semifinal allocation draw in Vienna also used the same figure. (eurovisionworld.com) Eurovisionworld’s draw coverage said 35 countries were participating, with 30 assigned across the two semifinals and five pre-qualified for the Grand Final. ### Which countries were in, and who was out? Eurovisionworld’s 2026 results pages said Iceland, Ireland, the Netherlands, Slovenia and Spain boycotted the contest because Israel was allowed to participate. (eurovisionworld.com) The site listed those withdrawals alongside its summary of the 35-country field. The official Eurovision site separately reported that Bulgaria, Romania and Moldova returned for Vienna 2026. (eurovisionworld.com) That meant some countries came back even as others stayed away, helping explain how the final total landed below recent years. ### What happened in the contest itself? The official Eurovision site said DARA won Vienna 2026 for Bulgaria, giving the country its first Eurovision victory. (eurovisionworld.com) Eurovisionworld’s results page said she won with “Bangaranga” on 516 points. The United Kingdom’s 2026 entry was Look Mum No Computer with “Eins, Zwei, Drei,” according to Eurovisionworld’s country page and its earlier report on the BBC selection. (eurovision.tv) Eurovisionworld said the act finished 25th in the Grand Final with 1 point. ### Was the final on May 17? Eurovisionworld’s results page dated the Grand Final to May 16, 2026, in Vienna. (eurovision.tv) The official Eurovision site’s winner coverage was published four days ago, consistent with a Saturday final on May 16 rather than May 17. Vienna 2026 was hosted by Austrian broadcaster ORF at Wiener Stadthalle, according to Eurovisionworld’s contest page and EBU coverage about the 70th Eurovision edition. (eurovisionworld.com) ### What do we know about audience size so far? The EBU has published technical and promotional material around Vienna 2026, including reports on signal distribution and international fan travel, but publicly available overall audience figures for the 2026 final were not surfaced in the material reviewed. (eurovisionworld.com) The most recent fully cited audience benchmark available from the EBU is for Eurovision 2025, which it said reached 166 million viewers across 37 markets. That does not establish 2026 viewing levels, but it shows the scale from which Vienna 2026 started. ### What comes next after Vienna 2026? (ebu.ch) The official Eurovision site said Malta will host Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2026. The EBU and national broadcasters typically publish fuller post-contest audience and brand reports after the main event, so the next concrete data point is likely to be official Vienna 2026 viewership and engagement figures. (eurovision.tv) (ebu.ch)