The first semi-final of the Eurovision Song Contest 2026 is taking place tonight, with 15 countries battling for a place in the grand finale. Hosted in Vienna, Austria, the 70th edition of the cherished musical extravaganza sees reigning champions Austria once again at the helm after JJ clinched the crown in 2025 with the operatic ballad Wasted Love.
What time does the first semi-final start?
Eurovision 2026 semi-final 1 broadcasts this evening (Tuesday, May 12) at 8pm British Summer Time on BBC One and BBC iPlayer. For continental viewers, that is 9pm Central European Summer Time (CEST). Both semi-finals will be presented by Austrian personalities Victoria Swarovski and Michael Ostrowski.
Who is performing in semi-final 1?
Fifteen countries will vie for their spot in the final, with only 10 acts progressing. The running order is as follows:
- Moldova - Satoshi - Viva, Moldova!
- Sweden - Felicia - My System
- Croatia - Lelek - Andromeda
- Greece - Akylas - Ferto
- Portugal - Bandidos do Cante - Rosa
- Georgia - Bzikebi - On Replay
- Finland - Linda Lampenius and Pete Parkkonen - Liekinheitin
- Montenegro - Tamara Živković - Nova zora
- Estonia - Vanilla Ninja - Too Epic to Be True
- Israel - Noam Bettan - Michelle
- Belgium - Essyla - Dancing on the Ice
- Lithuania - Lion Ceccah - Sólo quiero más
- San Marino - Senhit - Superstar
- Poland - Alicja - Pray
- Serbia - Lavina - Kraj mene
Britain will be championed by electronic singer-songwriter Look Mum No Computer performing Eins, Zwei, Drei. Additionally, there will be showcases from the Big Four nations (Britain, France, Germany, and Italy), who have already secured qualification, along with interval performances.
What about the second semi-final and grand finale?
The second semi-final airs on Thursday, May 14 at 8pm BST on BBC One and BBC iPlayer (9pm CEST). Again, 15 acts compete, with 10 advancing. A total of 25 nations will compete in the grand finale on Saturday, May 16 at 8pm BST, including the Big Four and host nation Austria. The BBC will provide commentary from Rylan Clark and Angela Scanlon.
