🇸🇪 News from the HoD meeting

Today, there is some interesting news from the Head of Delegation meeting. This meeting took place today, and some decisions are made about the upcoming Eurovision Song Contest:

Iceland

It was a big questionmark whether Iceland was going to take part or not. Icelandic broadcaster RUV stated that they, together with the artist, would make a decision. Icelandic artists expressed serious concern about their country taking part in a contest with Israel being there.
The decision now made is that Iceland will take part. Big releave for singer Hera Björk, who now will for sure represent her country.

Marcus & Martinus

Always, the place for the host country gets drawn at the HoD meeting. So this time, it was decided where Sweden would perform in the final. And the result is: they will open it! In 1984, Sweden opened the show too and won. Is it an omen?

Big Five

For the very first time, the artists from the Big Five countries – France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the United Kingdom – and host nation Sweden will each perform their entries in full live during the Semi-Finals. In other years, a part of the rehearsals was shown, but never the entire performance. Longer ago, even that didn’t happen and only a part of the video was shown.

The voting

A new feature for Malmö 2024 includes extending the timeframe for voting during the Grand Final.

Voting will start just before the first song is performed on Saturday, 11 May. This allows viewers to vote for the songs in real-time as they are being performed, a departure from the traditional method where voting commenced after all the entries were showcased. This approach was the standard since the introduction of public voting in 1997, with the exceptions of 2010 and 2011 when voting opened at the show’s start.

Moreover, fans from countries not competing (Rest of The World) will be given almost 24 hours to vote for their preferred songs before the start of each live show. For these international fans, online voting will be available right after the conclusion of the second dress rehearsal for each Semi-Final and the Grand Final, continuing until the commencement of the live broadcasts.

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Vienna 12 points: Eurovision Turquoise Carpet 2026: watch the opening show live

📷 EBU The Eurovision Turquoise Carpet 2026 opens Eurovision week in Vienna on Sunday 10 May. All 35 delegations will attend the event. You will see the artists together before the live shows begin. The Turquoise Carpet is one of the biggest moments before the Eurovision Song Contest. It gives each act a chance to meet the press, greet you and show their style. The event also marks the official start of the contest week. Where does the Turquoise Carpet take place? This year, the artists will walk from the Burgtheater to Vienna City Hall. Austria will appear last as the host country. Each delegation will receive a musical welcome. The event will also include a special Austrian moment. JJ, who brought Eurovision back to Austria, will perform “Wasted Love” with the ORF Radio Symphony Orchestra. Where can you watch the Eurovision Turquoise Carpet? You can watch the Eurovision Turquoise Carpet 2026 live on the official Eurovision Song Contest YouTube channel. ORF 1 will also broadcast the event in Austria. The live stream starts at 17:00 CEST. That is 16:00 CET. Why should you watch? The Turquoise Carpet gives you a first look at the artists outside the rehearsal setting. It also brings all countries together in one place. That makes it a key moment for Eurovision fans. Expect interviews, fashion, music and many familiar Eurovision faces. The event will set the tone for a busy week in Vienna. The Eurovision Turquoise Carpet 2026 takes place on Sunday 10 May. Watch it live from 17:00 CEST, or 16:00 CET, on the official Eurovision YouTube channel. Fact check: Eurovision confirms the YouTube stream, the 17:00 CEST start time, all 35 delegations, the Burgtheater-to-City Hall route and the ORF 1 broadcast.

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