The Eurovision 2026 second semi-final qualifiers have drawn their Grand Final performance halves ahead of Saturday’s show.
Photo: EBU
After a dramatic evening filled with surprises, the second semi-final of Eurovision 2026 came to an end, with the final 10 countries securing their places in Saturday’s Grand Final:
- Bulgaria
- Ukraine
- Norway
- Australia
- Romania
- Malta
- Cyprus
- Albania
- Denmark
- Czechia
The qualifiers from the second semi-final now join the countries that advanced from the first semi-final: Greece, Finland, Belgium, Sweden, Moldova, Israel, Serbia, Croatia, Lithuania, and Poland. In addition, the Grand Final will also feature the Big 4 – Italy, the United Kingdom, Germany, and France, together with Austria – last years winner and the host country.
Immediately after the semi-final concluded, the participating artists took part in the traditional draw to determine which half of the Grand Final they would perform in on Saturday, May 16th.
Which Countries Drew the First and Second Halves?
Performing in the First Half of the Show (Songs 1-12)
- Australia – Delta Goodrem, “Eclipse”
- Denmark – Søren Torpegaard Lund, “Før vi går hjem”
- Czechia – Daniel Zizka, “Crossroads”
Performing in the Second Half of the Show (Songs 13-25)
- United Kingdom – Look Mum No Computer, “Eins, Zwei, Drei”
- Norway – Jonas Lovv, “Ya Ya Ya”
- Cyprus – Antigoni, “JALLA”
Producer’s Choice Placement
- France – Monroe, “Regade!”
- Bulgaria – Dara, “Bangaranga”
- Ukraine – LELÉKA, “Ridnym”
- Romania – Alexandra Căpitănescu, “Choke Me”
- Malta – Aidan, “Bella”
- Albania – Alis, “Nân”
Eurovision Production Gains More Control Over the Running Order
It is notable that the number of countries assigned to the producer’s choice category is significantly higher than last year. Following the first semi-final of Eurovision 2024, only four countries were allocated through producer selection, compared to seven countries this year.
The growing number suggests that the Eurovision production team is taking increasingly direct control over the final running order – a factor widely considered to have a major influence on both jury voting and televote results, as well as the overall outcome of the contest.
Where and How to Watch the Eurovision Grand Final
The live broadcast can be watched from almost every EBU member, and from the official Eurovision Song Contest channel:
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.
