Who is participating in Eurovision 2026: participants, favorites and scandals of the contest

The Eurovision Anniversary Contest will be held in Vienna from 12 to 16 May 2026. This year's contest was marked by the largest boycott in its history — five countries refused to participate because of Israel - and bookmakers have already identified their favorites. All the details are in the Izvestia article.

Format and venue

According to the Eurovision official website, the competition takes place at the Wiener Stadthalle and consists of two semi—finals — on May 12 and 14 - and the final on May 16. The show was hosted by Austrian TV presenter and singer Victoria Swarovski and actor Michael Ostrovsky. This year, 35 countries are participating in the competition, two fewer than in 2025, and this is the smallest number of participants since 2003.

The boycott and scandal surrounding Israel

The main political event of the current Eurovision Song Contest was the mass exit of five countries. According to CNN, at the December General Assembly of the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) in Geneva, it was decided not to hold a separate vote on Israel's participation, but only to tighten the voting rules. The Netherlands, Spain, Ireland, Slovenia and Iceland announced a boycott.

According to Euronews, Taco Zimmerman, director of the Dutch broadcaster AVROTROS, said that participation "cannot be combined with the public values of the organization." A representative of the Irish RTÉ called the country's possible participation "unacceptable" amid losses in Gas. Of particular importance was the exit of Spain, one of the "Big Five" countries, whose representatives automatically qualify for the finals.

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Who are the favorites?

According to ESCToday, Finland is the undisputed leader of the betting rating — according to some estimates, its probability of winning has exceeded 40%. According to Sortiraparis, as of March 23, 2026, the Finnish duo is in first place with a 28% chance of winning. France is in second place with 12%, and Denmark is in third place with 11%. This is followed by Greece (about 7%) and Israel.

Finland: Linda Lampenius and Pete Parkkonen

The main favorites of the competition are the Finnish duo, which brought together an academic violinist and a pop singer. According to Sortiraparis, their song Liekinheitin combines rock, classical and dance music and has gained over a million views on YouTube in the first eight days.

Linda Lampenius is an internationally renowned classical violinist. At the age of eight, she joined the Helsinki Junior Strings Orchestra, and toured North America, Europe and Asia under the pseudonym Linda Brava, releasing several solo albums. Pete Parkkonen became famous in Finland after participating in the TV show Idols in 2008, where he took third place, and since then has been one of the country's leading pop and soul artists. Both were selected at the UMK national selection in February 2026 and will perform in the first semi-final on May 12.

France: singer Monroe

According to PinkNews, France is being represented this year by 17-year-old soprano Monroe with the song Regarde. As a country of the "Big Four", France automatically qualifies for the finals. According to Sortiraparis, bookmakers estimate her chances of winning in the odds range from 10.5 to 15.

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Denmark: Søren Torpegor Lund

Danish singer and actor Søren Torpegor Lund will perform the track Før Vi Går Hjem (translated as "Before We Go Home"). The song was written by Lund in collaboration with Clara Sophie Fabricius, Thomas Meilstrup and Waldemar Littauer Bendixen. According to the artist himself, quoted by Eurovision, this is "one continuous movement — a night that does not stop."

Greece: Akilas

Akilas was the first performer to attract attention through a cover video on TikTok in 2021, then participated in the eighth season of The Voice of Greece. His Ferto number is notable for its unpredictable stage twists and references to gaming culture.

Australia: Delta Goodrem

Australia is represented by singer, actress and TV presenter from Sydney Delta Goodrem, one of the country's most famous artists and a Grammy nominee. Her track Eclipse is aimed at full-fledged competition with European favorites.

United Kingdom: Look Mum No Computer

The UK will perform with the electronic project Look Mum No Computer and the German-language song Eins, Zwei, Drei, rising eight positions in the betting tables to the strongest position of the season. The country automatically goes to the finals as a representative of the "Big Four".

All participants

According to the Eurovision official website, 35 countries will participate in the competition. In addition to those mentioned, the Wiener Stadthalle stage will be occupied by: Albania (Nân), Armenia (Paloma Rumba), Austria (Tanzschein), Azerbaijan (Just Go), Belgium (Dancing on the Ice), Bulgaria (Bangaranga), Croatia (Andromeda), Cyprus (JALLA), Czech Republic (CROSSROADS), Estonia (Too Epic To Be True), Germany (Fire), Israel (Michelle), Italy (Per Sempre Sì), Latvia (Sólo Quiero Más), Lithuania (Sólo Quiero Más), Luxembourg (Mother Nature), Malta (Bella), Moldova (Viva, Moldova!), Montenegro (Nova Zora), Norway (YA YA YA), as well as Romania, Sweden, Switzerland, Georgia and Ukraine. In addition, three countries are returning after a break: Bulgaria for a three—year period, Romania for a two—year period, and Moldova for a one—year period.

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