Category: Eurovision

(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Thirty-five countries will compete in Eurovision 2026 taking place in Vienna, Austria on May 12, 14, and 16 – the fewest in recent years. The European Broadcasting Union (EBU) has officially revealed the list of participating countries for Eurovision 2026, totaling only 35 – the lowest in many years. While Israel is officially confirmed to take part following a vote at the general assembly, five major national broadcasters — Spain (RTVE), the Netherlands (AVROTROS), Ireland (RTÉ), Slovenia (RTVSLO) and Iceland (RÚV) — followed through on earlier warnings and announced their withdrawal from the contest.   (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); List of participating countries Austria (Host)  Australia Ukraine Azerbaijan Italy Albania Estonia Armenia Bulgaria Belgium United Kingdom Georgia Germany Denmark Greece Israel Luxembourg Latvia Lithuania Moldova Montenegro Malta Norway San Marino Serbia Poland Portugal Finland Czechia France Cyprus Croatia Romania Sweden Switzerland Unprecedented wave of withdrawals This official announcement exposes growing fractures within the EBU. Although Israel’s entry was confirmed through a democratic vote, a bloc of opposing countries chose to take drastic action. The Spanish national broadcaster, leading...

(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); The final confirmation deadline for Eurovision 2026 ends today. Iceland, Poland, and Armenia have yet to announce their decisions as Iceland and Poland hold last-minute talks about a possible boycott. As the final hours of the official deadline tick away, it has been revealed that Iceland and Poland have yet to announce whether they will participate in Eurovision 2026. According to available information, both nations are debating whether to join the boycott over Israel’s participation. The EBU has set today as the final registration deadline, and the decisions of these countries could significantly alter the list of participants. So far, 33 national broadcasters have confirmed their participation in the Eurovision Song Contest scheduled to take place this year in Vienna. However, three - AMPTV from Armenia, RÚV from Iceland, and TVP from Poland - have yet to officially announce their decisions. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Iceland to Decide Today: Will It Boycott Eurovision 2026? At this crucial moment, Iceland stands at a crossroads...

(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); The EBU faces financial challenges but confirms: “Participation fees for Eurovision 2026 remain unchanged despite the withdrawal wave from Ireland, The Netherlands, Slovenia, and Spain”. In recent hours, the EBU issued a clarification stating that participation fees for Eurovision 2026 will remain unchanged - despite an unusual wave of withdrawals by Ireland, The Netherlands, Slovenia, and Spain from the contest. This clarification follows growing concern among participating countries amid one of the most dramatic crises in Eurovision’s history. Four nations announced their withdrawal after last Thursday’s EBU meeting, which officially approved Israel’s participation in Eurovision 2026. The concern was that the remaining participants would have to absorb the budget gap created by these withdrawals. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); According to a report by the Norwegian national broadcaster NRK, the channel contacted the EBU to ask whether the recent withdrawals would lead to higher participation fees - costs that each competing nation must pay to take part in the contest. The Norwegian...

(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Preparations for Eurovision 2026 continue as Austria’s national broadcaster ORF confirms that the official stage design for the Vienna contest will be unveiled on December 16th, led once again by designer Florian Wieder. The excitement ahead of Eurovision 2026 in Vienna continues to build, with the next major milestone being the unveiling of the stage design - one of the most anticipated moments in every Eurovision season. Austria’s national broadcaster ORF has announced the reveal date: Tuesday, December 16th. Florian Wieder, one of the most iconic stage designers associated with the Eurovision Song Contest, returns for the tenth time as the competition’s lead designer. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Florian Wieder Designs His Tenth Eurovision Stage For Wieder, considered one of the world’s leading stage designers, this marks his tenth Eurovision stage and his third consecutive year in the role, following the designs for Malmö 2024 and Basel 2025. Wieder is known for drawing creative inspiration from the cultural and...

(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); The Allocation Draw will be held on January 12th, determining which acts will compete in each semi-final Now it’s official! The Semi-Final Allocation Draw for Eurovision 2026 and the traditional handover of the keys ceremony to the host city will take place on January 12th. This event marks the first official step in the Eurovision season each year and is organized by the national broadcaster of the host nation – this year, ORF of Austria. During the draw, the participating countries will be split between the two semi-finals. It will also reveal which countries will perform in the first semi-final on May 12th, and which countries will perform in the second on May 14th, as well as whether the performance will appear in the first or second half of the evening. The details were published by representatives of Vienna on the city’s official website. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Eurovision 2026 Draw Details At this stage, the list of participating countries...

(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Eurovision 2026: The European Broadcasting Union’s first official statement following the annual assembly confirms new contest regulations, growing concerns about political influence, and an expected lineup of 35 participating countries. Article by Liron Gani. The 95th General Assembly of the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) in Geneva concluded with a pivotal decision: members approved the newly revised Eurovision Song Contest regulations—but no vote was held regarding Israel’s participation in Eurovision 2026. According to the summary, an overwhelming majority agreed that the current regulatory changes were sufficient and that no further vote on participation was required. In the official statement released by the EBU, it was emphasized that members supported a range of adjustments to the competition’s rules aimed at “strengthening trust, transparency, and neutrality within the event.” The EBU added that any national broadcaster willing to adhere to the new regulations would remain eligible to participate in Eurovision 2026. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Confidence and Neutrality Strengthened Through New Rules: The...

(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); What can we expect from a national final for Eurovision 2026? In the third article in the “Preparing for 2026” series, we go back in time and recall the most surprising results in the national finals throughout the years. Article by Ilay Gaist and Adiel Shtainmetz. Every year, with the revival of the Eurovision season, thousands of fans across Europe fall in love with certain songs and hope they will finish high in their national finals and go on to represent their country at Eurovision. In the second article of the series, "Preparing for 2026", we dive deep into the most fascinating and inspiring aspects of national selections throughout the years. In the third part of our series, we journey back to recall the most surprising results from different participating countries. Join us as we explore the national selection moments that truly shocked fans - and discover how some of these surprising winners made it all the way to...

(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); A Swedish man was sentenced to eight years in prison for planning a terror attack at Eurovision 2020 in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, which was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. His goal: to cause mass panic and kill as many attendees as possible. A 23-year-old man from Sweden was sentenced in Luxembourg to eight years in prison, six of them suspended, for planning a terror attack targeting Eurovision 2020 in Rotterdam, the Netherlands - the contest later cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Luxembourg court delivered the sentence on November 27th, 2025. The case focused on a broad conspiracy aimed at Eurovision 2020 in Rotterdam, as well as additional targets in Sweden and the Netherlands, involving weapons offences, terror-attack planning, and engagement with neo-Nazi and extremist groups. Among the plans revealed during the investigation were releasing chlorine gas into the audience, blocking emergency exits inside the venue, and infiltrating security teams. Beyond the severity of the schemes,...

(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Ticket sales for Eurovision 2026 in Vienna, Austria, will start on Tuesday, January 13, 2026, at 13:00 CET. How to order a ticket? How much will a ticket cost? All details in the article. The European Broadcasting Union (EBU) and Austria’s national broadcaster, ORF, have announced that ticket sales for the Eurovision Song Contest 2026 in Vienna will begin on Tuesday, January 13, 2026, at 14:00 CET, likely one day after the semi-final draw, as was the case last year. Alongside this, a new official Eurovision website (Eurovision.com) will replace the previous one (Eurovision.tv), adding a new stage to the ticket purchase process. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); This year, similar to last year, fans must first register for the ticketing mailing list, but the process is slightly different. First, register on the new Eurovision website and create a Eurofan account, which will serve as your official account for all contest news. After registering, sign up for ticket purchases through Oeticket using...