In the spotlight: Käärijä

It’s Tuesday, April 14, 2026, which means it is time for another weekly Eurovision update. The past few days brought sad news from Iceland, another busy pre-party weekend and fresh travel tips for fans heading to Vienna next month. Amsterdam has already looked ahead to 2027, while Bucharest and London are preparing for the next round of Eurovision events. Here are this week’s main stories. 🇮🇸 Iceland: Björgvin “Bo” Halldórsson dies aged 74 Icelandic singer Björgvin “Bo” Halldórsson has died at the age of 74. Halldórsson, often known in Iceland as Bó Halldórs, represented Iceland at the 1995 Eurovision Song Contest with “Núna”. He was born in Hafnarfjörður on April 16, 1951, so he died just days before his 75th birthday. Beyond Eurovision, he built one of Iceland’s longest and best-known music careers. In 2011, he received the Knight’s Cross of the Order of the Falcon.source: RÚV Preparty 🇳🇱 Eurovision in Concert wraps up and sets a 2027 date Eurovision in Concert took place at AFAS Live in Amsterdam on Saturday, April 11. The official event page listed Krista Siegfrids and Cornald Maas as hosts. Reporting after the show confirmed that 27 acts performed in Amsterdam this year. Organisers also announced the date for the next edition at the end of the event. Eurovision in Concert 2027 will be held on Saturday, April 3, 2027. Watch a recap of Eurovision in Concert 2026 here: part 1 part 2 🇷🇴 Bucharest completes its pre-party line-up The full line-up for Eurovision Pre-Party Bucharest 2026 is now complete. The event will take place on April 18 at Arenele Romane. Current contestants DARA, Akylas, Aidan and Alexandra Căpitănescu are on the bill. They will be joined by Monica Anghel, Ovi, Paula Seling, Jamala and Ruslana. According to reports based on organiser announcements, Bucharest is the first new Eurovision pre-party since 2024 and the first one in Eastern Europe for several years. source: emagic 🇬🇧 London Eurovision Party takes over this weekend The London Eurovision Party follows on Sunday, April 19, at HERE at Outernet. The official event page lists Tia Kofi, Sissal and Cesár Sampson as hosts, with Look Mum No Computer billed as headliner for the United Kingdom. The line-up also includes Senhit, DARA, Akylas, Felicia, Vanilla Ninja, Linda Lampenius and Pete Parkkonen, Aidan, Satoshi, Alexandra Căpitănescu, Alicja, LELÉKA and several other 2026 acts. London is therefore set to close this stretch of the pre-party season with a strong mix of current contestants and familiar Eurovision names. source: LEP 🇦🇹 Vienna publishes a guide for Eurovision week Vienna has also published a practical guide for Eurovision week. The official Eurovision site says the Eurovision Village at Rathausplatz will run from May 10 to 17 and will have free admission. The Turquoise Carpet is set for May 10, while EuroClub at PraterDOME runs from May 11 to 16. Fans will also be able to visit the Eurofan House at the Wien Museum from May 11 to 16. In addition, the city is planning 26 official public viewings in Vienna itself. source: eurovision.com 📷 Zoom.vp.at Finland: live violin still not confirmed One small question remains around Finland’s staging. Yle reported from Amsterdam that Linda Lampenius has asked the EBU for permission to play violin live on the Eurovision stage in Vienna. At the time of publication, she had not yet received an answer. Yle also reported that Lampenius and Pete Parkkonen are due to perform at the London pre-party this coming weekend. So, for now, the London appearance is certain, but live violin in Vienna is still not confirmed. source: YLE