Weekly Update

It is Tuesday, April 28, 2026, which means it is time for another weekly Eurovision update! Vienna is entering the final stretch before the real rehearsals begin. Stand-in rehearsals are underway at the Wiener Stadthalle. ORF has announced an impressive package of accessibility measures. Slovenia is airing a Palestine programme instead of Eurovision. And Finland and Denmark are already dreaming about hosting in 2027. Here are this week’s top stories.

Eurovision 2026

🇦🇹 Stand-in Rehearsals Have Started in Vienna

Things are moving fast at the Wiener Stadthalle. Stand-in rehearsals for the 70th Eurovision Song Contest have commenced in Vienna. Stand-in artists and dancers are performing all 35 entries on stage, replicating as closely as possible the choreography, lighting and staging plans submitted by the participating broadcasters.

The recordings are shared with each broadcaster, who can then review the footage and request changes before first artist rehearsals begin on May 2. Delegations arrive in Vienna next week. The semi-finals take place on May 12 and 14, with the Grand Final on May 16. source: Eurovoix

🇦🇹 Vienna Drone Show

Vienna welcomed Eurovision in spectacular style on Sunday evening. A drone show illuminated the sky above the Austrian capital, offering a visual preview of the city’s role as host of the 70th Eurovision Song Contest. The footage, shared on the official Facebook page of the event, showed hundreds of drones forming Eurovision-themed shapes above the Vienna skyline. It is a sign of just how serious Austria is about making this a celebration to remember. Facebook Vienna.info

🇦🇹 ORF Makes Eurovision 2026 Accessible for All

ORF is making the Eurovision Song Contest 2026 fully accessible. The Austrian broadcaster is providing sign-language performances for all 35 competing songs in both semi-finals and the Grand Final. Six international deaf performers were selected through a casting process in January and are currently recording sign performances, which will be made available to all EBU member broadcasters.

The accessible services extend beyond television. At the Wiener Stadthalle, visitors with disabilities will have access to vibration vests that translate the music into physical vibrations, a dedicated info point, wheelchair-accessible seating, a Safer Space rest area, and backstage Touch Tours. The AI-based app Accessify.Live provides subtitles, audio description and sign-language content directly on visitors’ smartphones via QR code, without requiring a download. Source: ots/ORF

🇸🇮 Slovenia: ‘Voices for Palestine’ Instead of Eurovision

Slovenia is one of five countries that chose to boycott Eurovision 2026. Rather than simply not airing the contest, Slovenian broadcaster RTV Slovenija has decided to offer alternative programming during Eurovision week. Television Slovenija will broadcast a thematic programme cycle called “Glasovi Palestine” (Voices for Palestine) between May 10 and 20.

The cycle includes documentaries, feature films, discussion programmes and analyses focused on people’s stories and the broader context of events in the Middle East. On May 14, the night of Eurovision’s second semi-final, a special current affairs programme will focus on the Eurovision Song Contest itself, examining the role of politics, the boycott debate and the future of the contest. Source: rtvslo

Current Odds: Finland Still Leads, Denmark and Greece Climbing

Finland’s Linda Lampenius and Pete Parkkonen remain the bookmakers’ favourite to win Eurovision 2026, with a winning probability of around 31%. France’s Monroe sits in second place at approximately 11%, followed by Denmark’s Søren Torpegaard Lund at around 10%. Australia’s Delta Goodrem is in fourth and Greece’s Akylas in fifth. Recent odds movements have seen Denmark and Greece both climbing, adding to the excitement ahead of the first rehearsals. source: eurovisionworld

Looking Ahead: Eurovision 2027

🇫🇮 Helsinki and Tampere Both Want to Host Eurovision 2027

If Finland wins Eurovision 2026 in Vienna, a battle for the hosting rights will immediately begin at home. Both Helsinki and Tampere have expressed strong interest in hosting the Eurovision Song Contest 2027 should Finland win.

Helsinki’s communications director stated the city would be very interested in discussions about hosting, pointing to Eurovision 2007 as a reference for the tens of thousands of domestic and international visitors the event brings. Tampere’s event director said the city has already been exploring the possibility and highlighted the Tampere Arena as a strong candidate venue, citing its modern technology and compact, community-oriented character. The final decision would rest with Finnish broadcaster Yle. Source: yle

📷 Helsinki, KFP, Wikimedia Commons

🇩🇰 Denmark Also Preparing for Eurovision 2027

Denmark is not waiting either. The Danish Head of Delegation, Erik Struve Hansen, has confirmed that DR has held preliminary conversations about potentially hosting the Eurovision Song Contest in 2027. Speaking to Ekstra Bladet, he acknowledged the hubristic nature of planning ahead of a win, but said early conversations with potential venues were necessary. 

He added that it would be very annoying to be entirely unprepared if Denmark wins in Vienna. Denmark’s Søren Torpegaard Lund with “Før vi går hjem” is currently third in the bookmakers’ odds, making the possibility very real. Source: Ekstra Bladet

Nordic Eurovision Party 2027 Date Set

The Nordic Eurovision Party is already looking ahead. The organisers have confirmed that the 2027 edition of the Nordic Eurovision Party will take place on April 17 in Oslo at the Rockefeller. This will be the fourth edition of the event, which has become a permanent fixture on the pre-party calendar alongside Amsterdam and London. source: Instagram Nordic Party

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Vienna 12 points: Eurovision 2nd semifinal tonight

Eurovision time! The second semi-final opens with a parody of JJ’s “Wasted Love”, performed by the hosts. To us, it feels like wasted time. 🇧🇬 Bulgaria In what looks like a waiting room, we see Dara with her dancers. There is some rather wild dancing going on. Halfway through the performance, the waiting room disappears, but the act remains just as gripping. Dara opens the show and immediately grabs the viewer’s attention, from the first second to the last. A perfect opener. 🇦🇿 Azerbaijan At first, Jiva’s performance is rather understated. That should put the focus mainly on the vocals and the song. Halfway through, the man she has to let go of appears, and a small routine with ribbons unfolds. A pity, because it distracts from the particularly strong vocals Jiva delivers. Whether the song is strong enough for a place in the final, we would not dare say. 🇷🇴 Romania There is a lot happening on stage for Romania. At first, Alexandra is connected to the two guitarists by light cables. Later, she breaks free from the two men. On stage, we also see a figure in a white robe. The connection with the song is not entirely clear to us. Vocally, she veered off course a little at times. 🇱🇺 Luxembourg The staging has been kept simple: Eva Marija stands on stage with a violin, behind a small tree. Behind her, we see a starry sky. Mother Nature, then. The song, like the staging, is simple. Vocally, apart from one slip-up, she is okay. But whether all of this is enough for a place in the final, we have our doubts. 🇨🇿 Czechia Czech singer Daniel Zizka sits and stands on stage, surrounded by mirrors. That creates a striking effect. It brings the song, which until now we had not seen staged, to life. Zizka’s vocals are rock-solid. The song is truly one for discerning listeners. We are pleasantly surprised and would gladly see this back in the final. 🇫🇷 France Seventeen-year-old Monroe stands on stage in a white dress, surrounded by dancers in black. She manages to hit every note perfectly, from high to low. The song is not easy to sing, but Monroe appears to do it with great ease. Three minutes in which the viewer is blown away. 🇦🇲 Armenia We see Simon with the dancers in a lift, and later in an office. Simon wears his jacket covered in Post-its, but takes it off halfway through the song. For three minutes, all kinds of things happen on stage. That can also be a disadvantage: the whole thing comes across as somewhat messy. Simon, however, is an entertainer who could help Armenia reach the final. 🇨🇭 Switzerland Switzerland’s jazzy song, with strong vocals, does not really need anything else. It already draws all the attention to itself. That is why we think it is a pity that Veronica Fusaro has still chosen to add a performance concept. We see her getting tangled up in red ropes. And we do not understand the staging. We do not see the connection with the song. A pity. 🇨🇾 Cyprus “Dancing on the table, baby,” Antigoni sings. And that is exactly what she does: she is literally dancing on a table. She is surrounded by four dancers. Antigoni throws a party that lets the arena really cut loose. At the end of the performance, we see a lot of fire. Fuego? 🇦🇹 Austria Cosmo starts off lying on the stage. Cartoon-like figures are projected onto the floor, making it look as if the singer is performing inside his own cartoon. Later, he is musically supported by musicians wearing animal heads. They later climb a climbing frame. Cosmo chooses to head down the catwalk, prompting deafening cheers from the Austrians in the arena. Unfortunately, we do not see Austria finishing very high this year. 🇱🇻 Latvia Singer Atvara stands alone on stage; we see a beam of light as if a door is open. This creates Atvara’s shadow. Atvara delivers vocals that are somewhat airy, but clean. Whether the song is strong enough for a place in the final remains to be seen. 🇩🇰 Denmark Søren stands on stage with a kind of aquarium behind him, containing his dancers. Eventually, Søren himself also crawls into the aquarium, exactly at the moment when he has to hit a high note. That takes guts. Søren simply goes for it. The whole package has everything it needs for a high placing. 🇦🇺 Australia Delta Goodrem wears a dress with 7,000 Swarovski crystals. Her grand piano also appears to be covered in crystals. Delta has a great deal of experience and uses it to deliver a very strong performance. Right at the end, it turns out that a platform rises out of the piano. Delta rises up on it. She ends as a kind of Lady Liberty. Top three? 🇺🇦 Ukraine The vocals from Ukraine’s Lekela are fine. During the performance, however, little happens. We see curtains coming down, and use is made of the good old wind machine. A place in the final is certainly within reach for Ukraine, but in the final we still see her finishing in the middle of the pack. 🇬🇧 United Kingdom Old-school Britpop: you either love it or you do not. Sam, also known as Look Mum No Computer, wears a pink overall. His dancers have computer screens over their heads. Halfway through the song, they swap them for a furry computer. Behind him stands a large music computer. We do not think this act will appeal to a very broad audience. 🇦🇱 Albania We see Alis with the image of an older woman behind him. His mother? The LED screens are important: later, various groups of people are also shown on them. Alis manages to move the listener with his song. Although he sings in Albanian, he conveys the emotion effortlessly. And then you also forgive him the small vocal slip-up he made last

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May 14, 2026 No Comments
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Eurovision 2026
Martijn

Vienna 12 points: Eurovision 2nd semifinal tonight

Eurovision time! The second semi-final opens with a parody of JJ’s “Wasted Love”, performed by the hosts. To us, it feels like wasted time. 🇧🇬 Bulgaria In what looks like a waiting room, we see Dara with her dancers. There is some rather wild dancing going on. Halfway through the performance, the waiting room disappears, but the act remains just as gripping. Dara opens the show and immediately grabs the viewer’s attention, from the first second to the last. A perfect opener. 🇦🇿 Azerbaijan At first, Jiva’s performance is rather understated. That should put the focus mainly on the vocals and the song. Halfway through, the man she has to let go of appears, and a small routine with ribbons unfolds. A pity, because it distracts from the particularly strong vocals Jiva delivers. Whether the song is strong enough for a place in the final, we would not dare say. 🇷🇴 Romania There is a lot happening on stage for Romania. At first, Alexandra is connected to the two guitarists by light cables. Later, she breaks free from the two men. On stage, we also see a figure in a white robe. The connection with the song is not entirely clear to us. Vocally, she veered off course a little at times. 🇱🇺 Luxembourg The staging has been kept simple: Eva Marija stands on stage with a violin, behind a small tree. Behind her, we see a starry sky. Mother Nature, then. The song, like the staging, is simple. Vocally, apart from one slip-up, she is okay. But whether all of this is enough for a place in the final, we have our doubts. 🇨🇿 Czechia Czech singer Daniel Zizka sits and stands on stage, surrounded by mirrors. That creates a striking effect. It brings the song, which until now we had not seen staged, to life. Zizka’s vocals are rock-solid. The song is truly one for discerning listeners. We are pleasantly surprised and would gladly see this back in the final. 🇫🇷 France Seventeen-year-old Monroe stands on stage in a white dress, surrounded by dancers in black. She manages to hit every note perfectly, from high to low. The song is not easy to sing, but Monroe appears to do it with great ease. Three minutes in which the viewer is blown away. 🇦🇲 Armenia We see Simon with the dancers in a lift, and later in an office. Simon wears his jacket covered in Post-its, but takes it off halfway through the song. For three minutes, all kinds of things happen on stage. That can also be a disadvantage: the whole thing comes across as somewhat messy. Simon, however, is an entertainer who could help Armenia reach the final. 🇨🇭 Switzerland Switzerland’s jazzy song, with strong vocals, does not really need anything else. It already draws all the attention to itself. That is why we think it is a pity that Veronica Fusaro has still chosen to add a performance concept. We see her getting tangled up in red ropes. And we do not understand the staging. We do not see the connection with the song. A pity. 🇨🇾 Cyprus “Dancing on the table, baby,” Antigoni sings. And that is exactly what she does: she is literally dancing on a table. She is surrounded by four dancers. Antigoni throws a party that lets the arena really cut loose. At the end of the performance, we see a lot of fire. Fuego? 🇦🇹 Austria Cosmo starts off lying on the stage. Cartoon-like figures are projected onto the floor, making it look as if the singer is performing inside his own cartoon. Later, he is musically supported by musicians wearing animal heads. They later climb a climbing frame. Cosmo chooses to head down the catwalk, prompting deafening cheers from the Austrians in the arena. Unfortunately, we do not see Austria finishing very high this year. 🇱🇻 Latvia Singer Atvara stands alone on stage; we see a beam of light as if a door is open. This creates Atvara’s shadow. Atvara delivers vocals that are somewhat airy, but clean. Whether the song is strong enough for a place in the final remains to be seen. 🇩🇰 Denmark Søren stands on stage with a kind of aquarium behind him, containing his dancers. Eventually, Søren himself also crawls into the aquarium, exactly at the moment when he has to hit a high note. That takes guts. Søren simply goes for it. The whole package has everything it needs for a high placing. 🇦🇺 Australia Delta Goodrem wears a dress with 7,000 Swarovski crystals. Her grand piano also appears to be covered in crystals. Delta has a great deal of experience and uses it to deliver a very strong performance. Right at the end, it turns out that a platform rises out of the piano. Delta rises up on it. She ends as a kind of Lady Liberty. Top three? 🇺🇦 Ukraine The vocals from Ukraine’s Lekela are fine. During the performance, however, little happens. We see curtains coming down, and use is made of the good old wind machine. A place in the final is certainly within reach for Ukraine, but in the final we still see her finishing in the middle of the pack. 🇬🇧 United Kingdom Old-school Britpop: you either love it or you do not. Sam, also known as Look Mum No Computer, wears a pink overall. His dancers have computer screens over their heads. Halfway through the song, they swap them for a furry computer. Behind him stands a large music computer. We do not think this act will appeal to a very broad audience. 🇦🇱 Albania We see Alis with the image of an older woman behind him. His mother? The LED screens are important: later, various groups of people are also shown on them. Alis manages to move the listener with his song. Although he sings in Albanian, he conveys the emotion effortlessly. And then you also forgive him the small vocal slip-up he made last

Read More »
May 14, 2026 No Comments
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