Tonight at 21:00 CET, the first semi-final of Eurovision 2026 will be broadcast live from Vienna, Austria. 15 Countries are set to take the stage in a high-stakes musical battle. Here is everything you need to know ahead of the show.
Photo: EBU
Tonight, May 12th, the Wiener Stadthalle will welcome 15 competing countries in the first live show of the season. Only 10 of these acts will secure a place in the Grand Final on Saturday, May 16th. These qualifiers will join the “Big Four”—Italy, the United Kingdom, Germany, and France—as well as the host nation, Austria, who are already pre-qualified.
While last year’s qualifiers were chosen exclusively by the public, this edition sees the return of a split voting system. The results tonight will be determined by a combination of jury points (50%), which were cast during last night’s rehearsal, and the live public vote (50%).
Historic Venue and Star-Studded Hosting
The event takes place in the iconic Wiener Stadthalle, which seats approximately 16,000 spectators. This marks Vienna’s third time hosting the contest, following the 1967 edition and the 2015 event, which was also held at this same venue. The live broadcast will be led by hosts Victoria Swarovski and Michael Ostrowski.
The show will open with a cinematic segment titled “70 Years of Love”, which follows a couple’s journey through seven decades of Eurovision history. This will be followed by a 70-member choir performing a tribute to “L’amour est bleu” (in English: “Love is Blue”). The song is one of the most enduring hits in the contest’s history, originally performed by Vicky Leandros when Vienna hosted in 1967.
During the interval, the hosts will perform “Kangaroo”, a comedic musical number highlighting the differences between Austria and Australia. They will be joined by Go-Jo, who represented Australia at Eurovision 2025.
Where and How to Watch the Eurovision Semi-Final
The live broadcast can be watched from almost every EBU member, and from the official Eurovision Song Contest channel:
First Semi-Final – Running Order and Entries:
The 15 competing acts will perform in the following order:
Viewers will also be treated to the entries from Italy and Germany during the broadcast. Earlier today at 15:00 CET, the production completed its final full dress rehearsal, known as the “Family Show,” ensuring everything is ready for the live global audience.
Eurovision 2026: the 70th edition of the contest will take place in Vienna, Austria, on May 12th, 14th, and 16th, 2026. The Wiener Stadthalle arena, which will host the event, is expected to accommodate around 16,000 spectators per show. The contest returns to Austria following the nation’s third historic win with the song “Wasted Love”, performed by JJ. It will be Austria’s third time hosting Eurovision, after previous editions held in the country in 1967 and 2015.
