Eurovision 2026 Grand Final Set: All 25 Countries Confirmed for Vienna Showdown on 16 May
With both semi-finals concluded at the Wiener Stadthalle, the 70th Eurovision Song Contest heads into its Grand Final amid a record five-country boycott over Israel's participation.
The Eurovision Song Contest 2026 Grand Final is locked. Following two semi-finals held on 12 and 14 May at the Wiener Stadthalle in Vienna, all 25 competing countries for Saturday's final are now confirmed, according to the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) and host broadcaster Österreichischer Rundfunk (ORF).
The final takes place on 16 May 2026 at 21:00 CEST and features 25 competing countries: host Austria, the "Big Four" France, Germany, Italy, and the United Kingdom and the ten best-ranked entries from each of the two semi-finals.
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Semi-Final 1 12 May
The ten countries that qualified from the first semi-final were Belgium, Croatia, Finland, Greece, Israel, Lithuania, Moldova, Poland, Serbia, and Sweden. Five countries did not advance: Portugal, Estonia, Georgia, San Marino, and Montenegro. Germany and Italy, as automatic qualifiers, performed but did not compete.
I could see that coming...#Eurovision2026 #Eurovision pic.twitter.com/oY1kXPEq9l
— niko20 (@87Gioto) May 15, 2026
Semi-Final 2 14 May
The ten countries advancing from the second semi-final, announced in random order, were Bulgaria, Ukraine, Norway, Australia, Romania, Malta, Cyprus, Albania, Denmark, and Czechia. The countries that did not qualify were Azerbaijan, Luxembourg, Armenia, Switzerland, and Latvia.
Grand Final Running Order
The full Grand Final running order, announced by the EBU, is: 1. Denmark, 2. Germany, 3. Israel, 4. Belgium, 5. Albania, 6. Greece, 7. Ukraine, 8. Australia, 9. Serbia, 10. Malta, 11. Czechia, 12. Bulgaria, 13. Croatia, 14. United Kingdom, 15. France, 16. Moldova, 17. Finland, 18. Poland, 19. Lithuania, 20. Sweden, 21. Cyprus, 22. Italy, 23. Norway, 24. Romania, 25. Austria. Austria will close the show after drawing the final slot at a Head of Delegation meeting in March.
The Boycott Context
The contest is taking place against the backdrop of what several outlets have described as the most serious institutional crisis in the competition's history. Iceland, Ireland, the Netherlands, Slovenia, and Spain opted not to participate in protest at Israel's inclusion in the context of the Gaza war, marking the largest number of boycotting countries in the contest's history since 1970. The EBU updated its voting instructions ahead of 2026 to discourage "disproportionate promotion campaigns, particularly when undertaken or supported by third parties, including governments or governmental agencies," following controversy over Israel's televoting results in 2025.
Israel's entry did qualify from Semi-Final 1. Israel's Noam Bettan performed "Michelle" without incident during the first semi-final, though he was given a mixed reception, with some members of the audience shouting and booing during the track's quiet moments.
The Unique Angle: Finland's Fan Favourite Status vs. Betting Odds
According to the OGAE fan club organisation's annual poll, the top-ranked entry in 2026 was Finland's "Liekinheitin," performed by Linda Lampenius and Pete Parkkonen — giving Finland the strongest grassroots fan support of any entry this year. Finland qualified from Semi-Final 1 and is slotted 17th in Saturday's running order, a mid-to-late position historically associated with stronger televote performance. Whether fan poll momentum translates into jury and public points on the night remains the central question heading into the final.
The contest is being organised by the EBU and ORF, staging the event after Austria won the 2025 contest with "Wasted Love" by JJ. The final will be opened by a flag parade introducing all 25 finalists, with JJ performing "The Queen of the Night" with the Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra, dancers, and acrobats.
