The 2026 Eurovision Grand Final is set for 16 May, with Vienna hosting the 70th, jubilee edition of the iconic song contest. The Grand Final will feature 26 finalists. Discover the running order, the latest Eurovision 2026 odds, and performances rundowns from one of the biggest music events on the planet.
Austria (host), France, Germany, Italy, United Kingdom
Semi-Final 1
Tuesday, 12 May 2026
Semi-Final 2
Thursday, 14 May 2026
Running Order in the ESC 2026 Grand Final
The show’s producers determine the running order for both the Semi-Finals and the Grand Final. They shape the show to determine pacing, contrast and maximum entertainment value for both the Live audience in the Wiener Stadthalle and the hundreds of millions of TV fans around the world.
Positions for the 5 auto-qualifiers (Austria, France, Germany, Italy, and the United Kingdom) will be confirmed along with the rest of the grid once the remaining 21 spots are filled by the 10 qualifiers from Semi-Final 1 and the 11 from Semi-Final 2.
#
Country
Artist
Song
TBC
🇦🇹 Austria
COSMÓ
Tanzschein
TBC
🇫🇷 France
Monroe
Regarde!
TBC
🇩🇪 Germany
Sarah Engels
Fire
TBC
🇮🇹 Italy
Sal Da Vinci
Per Sempre Sì
TBC
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
Look Mum No Computer
Eins, Zwei, Drei
6
TBD — Semi-Final Qualifier
–
–
7
TBD — Semi-Final Qualifier
–
–
8
TBD — Semi-Final Qualifier
–
–
9
TBD — Semi-Final Qualifier
–
–
10
TBD — Semi-Final Qualifier
–
–
11
TBD — Semi-Final Qualifier
–
–
12
TBD — Semi-Final Qualifier
–
–
13
TBD — Semi-Final Qualifier
–
–
14
TBD — Semi-Final Qualifier
–
–
15
TBD — Semi-Final Qualifier
–
–
16
TBD — Semi-Final Qualifier
–
–
17
TBD — Semi-Final Qualifier
–
–
18
TBD — Semi-Final Qualifier
–
–
19
TBD — Semi-Final Qualifier
–
–
20
TBD — Semi-Final Qualifier
–
–
21
TBD — Semi-Final Qualifier
–
–
22
TBD — Semi-Final Qualifier
–
–
23
TBD — Semi-Final Qualifier
–
–
24
TBD — Semi-Final Qualifier
–
–
25
TBD — Semi-Final Qualifier
–
–
26
TBD — Semi-Final Qualifier
–
–
*Running order positions are to be confirmed (TBC) for the auto-qualifiers and to be determined (TBD) for semi-final qualifiers. Check back after the semi-finals on 12 and 14 May for the full draw.
Eurovision 2026 Grand Final | the Structure
On 16 May 2026, the Wiener Stadthalle in Vienna will host the Grand Final of the 70th edition of the Eurovision Song Contest. It’s going to be a landmark edition of the longest-running international music competition in the world.
During the Grand Final, all 26 finalists take to the stage, with each performance lasting around 3 minutes. Singing is live, but the backing music (including any instruments) is pre-recorded in line with Eurovision’s rules.
The running order is set by the show’s producers to maintain a flow. Plus, to keep the event as engaging as possible, the organisers added special interval acts to celebrate the contest’s anniversary. Eurovision loyals will definitely remember most of these:
Lordi (Finland’s 2006 winners)
Verka Serduchka (Ukraine 2007)
Il Volo (Italy 2015)
Erika Vikman (Finland 2025)
Each of these will perform new versions of past contest entries.
Eurovision 2026 Grand Final | Voting Explained
Voting is both one of the most thrilling and most unpredictable elements of the Eurovision Song Contest. For this year, the same dual-vote system that has been in place for recent years continues. Here’s how it works:
Jury Vote – each participating country has a delegation of 5 music industry professionals who are selected by the national broadcaster. Each jury member votes independently and awards points from 1 to 8, then 10 and 12 to their top entries. The aggregate is then displayed to the audience.
Televote – viewers across all 35 participating countries vote for their favourite acts by phone call, SMS or the official Eurovision app. There’s the same vote distribution, with 1-8, 10 and 12 points allocated, according to total vote counts.
Rest of the World – all viewers from non-participating countries can also cast their votes via phone. Their results are combined and cast as a single “Rest of the World” bloc vote. It only counts towards the televote total, since no jury is involved.
Both the national juries and televoting account for 50% of the final result. Voting begins after all 26 performances end. There is a 15-minute window for the juries and televoters to cast their opinions.
Then, jury votes are announced country by country, followed by the televote results, which are summed and announced in order from the lowest to the highest total tally.
Eurovision 2026 Grand Final | Participants
Only 5 countries have a guaranteed place in the Grand Final without needing to compete in the Semis. That’s the Big Four of France, Germany, Italy and the UK (originally the Big Five, but Spain won’t compete this year), plus the host nation, Austria. Here’s what to expect from each confirmed finalist.
🇦🇹 Austria – COSMÓ – “Tanzschein” (Host Nation)
After winning last year‘s contest with an artistic and theatrical performance from JJ, Austria returns with something completely different.
The host nation’s own entry comes from COSMÓ with “Tanzschein” — a word that literally translates as “dance permit” or “dance licence”. The song leans into the playful absurdity of the title with a distinctly Austrian flavour of dance music.
A high-energy track will have no shortage of support from the Vienna crowd, but at the time of writing this preview, COSMÓ isn’t amongst the participants with the best odds. However, historical data show that Austrian entries have fared better as underdogs, so keep an eye on “Tanzschein”.
🇫🇷 France – Monroe – “Regarde!”
Even though France hasn’t won the ESC since 1977, their entries in recent years have been super authentic and strong, coming very close to the top numerous times. For 2026, Monroe – “Regarde!” comes in as one of the strongest pre-contest favourites at the books.
Regarde!” — which translates simply as “Look!” — is a polished, confidently French pop track. From the first listen, you can identify that it combines modern production values with the kind of classic identity that tends to earn respect from both professional juries and televoting audiences.
Monroe is a talented and ambitious performer. Fans can only hope that the books predict right and Europe will listen and fall in love with her.
🇩🇪 Germany – Sarah Engels – “Fire”
Recent Eurovisions haven’t been kind to Germany, as the Euro-giant struggled to deliver top-end results. Sarah Engels will try to break the duck by bringing genuine mainstream credentials to the Wiener Stadthalle.
Engels is already quite famous back home, rising to fame through Deutschland sucht den Superstar and has since built a successful pop career with a loyal fanbase. “Fire” is a direct, quite emotional pop track with a melodic, catchy hook.
While Germany has struggled to get into the top half of the scoreboard, 2026 could be the year everything changes, so don’t overlook Sarah Engels.
🇮🇹 Italy – Sal Da Vinci – “Per Sempre Sì” (“Forever Yes”)
Earning lots of streams just after getting the nomination, “Per Sempre Sì” might indicate that we’ll see another strong performance from Italy in Vienna. Da Vinci is a beloved Neapolitan entertainer and a household name in Italy.
“Per Sempre Si” seems to fit his portfolio really well. It’s a warm, accessible and emotionally generous song that fits the classic Italian pop mould. “Forever Yes” is exactly what it sounds like – an unabashedly feel-good track that’s inviting to sing along.
Italy most recently won the Eurovision in 2021, but perhaps this year’s entry could also add to the tally and become one of the most intriguing surprises of the entire competition?
🇬🇧 United Kingdom – Look Mum No Computer – “Eins, Zwei, Drei”
The UK’s entry for 2026 definitely stands out from the Big 4 and most of the recent UK performances, too. Look Mum No Computer is the creative project of Sam Battle. He’s a British musician and YouTuber known for building elaborate, often ridiculous electronic instruments from scratch.
In Vienna, he’s set to perform a song titled “Eins, Zwei, Drei” (“One, Two, Three” in German). A quirky, electronic-rock energy hints at the deliberate playfulness that feels designed to stand out rather than to stir deep emotions.
The UK finished in second place in 2022 with Sam Ryder and has been looking to recapture that momentum ever since. Can this year be the one where the Union Jack flies high? Only time will tell.
The Remaining 21 Finalists – TBC After the Eurovision 2026 Semi-Finals
The 5 auto-qualifiers from above will be joined in the Grand Final by 21 other acts. From that 21, 10 qualify from Semi-Final 1 (12 May), and 11 come through from Semi-Final 2 (14 May).
This page will be updated with full profiles, song descriptions and the confirmed running order for all 26 Grand Final participants once the semi-finals have taken place on 12 and 14 May 2026. Check back after each semi-final for the full line-up.
In the meantime, our full Eurovision 2026 Top 10 Favourites guide covers all ten of the most fancied acts in the contest, including detailed song profiles, artist backgrounds and the latest market odds. It’s well worth a read before the semi-finals get underway.
Betting is only available to participants above 18 years. Please bet responsibly. BeGambleAware.org
