The Eurovision 2026 grand final is fast approaching, with the first 10 countries through to the final now unveiled.
Tonight (12 May), 17 countries took to the stage to perform their Eurovision entry, but only 15 needed to fight for a spot in the final thanks to being part of the Big Four.
While the odds are currently in favour of Finland taking home the trophy, anything could happen as another semi-final awaits us.
By Thursday night (14 May), it will be clear which 20 countries will join last year’s winners Austria and four of the Big Five – France, Germany, Italy and the United Kingdom – in the final fight to be crowned champion.
So, when is the grand final? Read on for everything you need to know about the big night.
When is the Eurovision 2026 final?
The Eurovision Song Contest 2026 grand final will take place on Saturday 16 May.
This year’s competition is being held in Austria, marking the third time the nation has hosted the song contest.
Twenty-five acts will perform on the night, all of whom will be vying for the chance to be crowned the Eurovision champion.
Eurovision Song Contest 2026 finalists
So, far five acts are automatically through to the final, due to being a member of the Big Five or winning last year’s competition.
- Austria – ‘Tanzschien’ by Cosmó
- France – ‘Regarde!’ by Monroe
- Germany – ‘Fire’ by Sarah Engels
- Italy – ‘Per Sempre Sì’ by Sal Da Vinci
- United Kingdom – ‘Eins, Zwei, Drei’ by Look Mum No Computer
Spain are not taking part in this after withdrawing from Eurovision last year due to Israel’s inclusion in the song contest.
The Spanish broadcaster RTVE said: “The board of directors of RTVE agreed last September that Spain would withdraw from Eurovision if Israel was part of it.
“This withdrawal also means that RTVE will not broadcast the Eurovision 2026 final… nor the preliminary semi-finals.”
In addition, 10 acts qualified from the first semi-final, and are as follows:
- Greece – Ferto by Akylas
- Finland – Liekinheitin – Linda Lampenius x Pete Parkkonen
- Belgium – Dancing on the Ice – ESSYLA
- Sweden – My System – FELICIA
- Moldova – Viva, Moldova! – Satoshi
- Israel – Michelle – Noam Bettan
- Serbia – Kraj Mene – LAVINA
- Croatia – Andromeda – LELEK
- Lithuania – Sólo Quiero Más – Lion Ceccah
- Poland – Pray – ALICJA
How to watch the Eurovision 2026 final
For those tuning from the United Kingdom, the grand final will air on Saturday 16 May at 8pm on BBC One and iPlayer.
Graham Norton will providing viewers with commentary on the night for the BBC, while Victoria Swarovski and Michael Ostrowski will present live from Vienna
How to vote in the Eurovision 2026 final
Voting opens during the Eurovision grand final just before the first song is performed, and remains open until approximately 40 minutes after the last song has been presented.
The Eurovision Song Contest has faced significant criticism over its decision to allow Israel to take part in the event due to the ongoing war in Gaza.
This year, a number of countries will boycott the contest following the European Broadcasting Union’s decision not to expel Israel from the competition.
At the EBU general assembly in December 2025, a vote was held to introduce new rules that would stop governments and third parties from disproportionately promoting songs to influence voters. No vote was held on Israel’s participation.
The EBU said in a statement: “A large majority of members agreed that there was no need for a further vote on participation and that the Eurovision Song Contest 2026 should proceed as planned, with the additional safeguards in place.”
Following this, Ireland, Spain, the Netherlands, Slovenia and Iceland confirmed they would not participate in this year’s Eurovision.
Irish broadcaster RTÉ said: “RTÉ feels that Ireland’s participation remains unconscionable given the appalling loss of lives in Gaza and the humanitarian crisis there, which continues to put the lives of so many civilians at risk.”
The BBC, which broadcasts the competition in the UK, has said it supports the decision made by the EBU. “This is about enforcing the rules of the EBU and being inclusive,” it said in a statement.
The Eurovision Song Contest 2026 final will take place on Saturday 16 May 2026.
You can also check out the full list of Eurovision winners and how many times the UK has won Eurovision.
Check out more of our Entertainment coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what’s on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
