Eurovision song contest 2026

Eurovision 2026 Live Online

Below is everything you need to know about where to watch Eurovision 2026 live online in the UK.

How to Watch Eurovision 2026 Live in the UK

Schedule

  • Semi-Final 1: Tuesday, 12 May at 9:00 PM CEST (8:00 PM BST)
  • Semi-Final 2: Thursday, 14 May at 9:00 PM CEST (8:00 PM BST)
  • Grand Final: Saturday, 16 May at 9:00 PM CEST (8:00 PM BST)

 

Where to Watch

  • TV: The Eurovision Song Contest 2026 will be aired live on BBC One across all three shows.
  • Streaming: BBC iPlayer carries the live streams and will have catch-up available shortly after each broadcast.
  • Radio: BBC Radio 2 and BBC Sounds will have live commentary throughout the week, with additional Eurovision-themed programming in the lead-up to the shows.

 

Additional Viewing Options

Please note that due to broadcasting rights, live streams on YouTube may be geoblocked in the UK during the live broadcasts.

 

Who’s Commentating on the BBC?

There are some changes to the BBC commentary team this year. Graham Norton returns as ever to commentate on the Grand Final on TV. For the semi-finals, Rylan Clark will be joined for the first time by Angela Scanlon. On the radio, Sara Cox will handle the semi-finals, and Rylan will join her for the Grand Final broadcast. RuPaul’s Drag Race UK star Ti Kofi will be hosting digital coverage across the BBC’s social media channels. This includes coverage from the Turquoise Carpet and the Eurovision Village.

 

Eurovision 2026: Semi-Final 1 Live (Tuesday 12 May)

Fifteen countries compete in this one. Germany and Italy will perform in the interlude as non-competing acts. They also get the voting rights for this Semi-Final. A panel of judges alongside televotes will decide the top 10 that will go through to Saturday’s Grand Final.

 

Eurovision 2026: Semi-Final 2 Live (Thursday 14 May)

The second Semi-Final follows on Thursday, 14th May, again at 8:00 PM BST. The remaining 15 countries will compete,  and Austria, France, and the UK will perform alongside them as automatic qualifiers. At the end of the 2.5-hour show, 10 winners will be announced.

 

Eurovision 2026: Grand Final Live (Saturday 16 May)

Clear your Saturday evening well in advance because the Grand Final will begin at 8:00 PM BST and is expected to run past midnight! 

All 25 finalists will take to the stage. After the performances finish, there will be a short break for voting, and then the famous scoreboard will be revealed.

The voting procedure is a dramatic part of the whole night. First, the professional jury votes are read out country by country, and each nation gets a spokesperson to announce their top points in ascending order. Once the jury totals are in, the televote results come rolling in in reverse order, from lowest to highest. Usually, the televote produces the biggest swings and the most tension, and many times the jury leader and the public’s favourite turn out to be very different.

 

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