(Updated 23:20) -
The first 10 finalists of Eurovision 2026, which is being held in Vienna and which this year started with tensions due to the participation of Israel, which managed to qualify for the final, have been confirmed. Along with Israel, Greece, Finland, Belgium, Sweden, Moldova, Israel, Serbia, Croatia, Lithuania and Poland also qualified for Saturday's final. Georgia, Portugal, Estonia, Montenegro and San Marino were eliminated.The 70th edition of Eurovision
has been engulfed in political debates regarding the Israeli military offensive in Gaza following the October 7, 2023 attack by Hamas. Five countries boycotted the competition.Public broadcasters in Spain, the Netherlands, Ireland, Iceland and Slovenia have decided not to participate in this year's Eurovision Song Contest, making it the smallest-ever edition since 2003, with just 35 countries competing. The boycott is also expected to affect viewership, as last year's edition attracted an estimated 166 million viewers worldwide.
The atmosphere in Vienna before the start of the first semi-final has been described as tense, although inside the concert hall there were cheers for Israel during the presentation of the participating countries and the qualification for the final, and many Israeli flags were seen in the audience.
Vienna Mayor Michael Ludwig reacted sharply to pro-Palestinian protesters outside the venue, declaring that the city would not be “terrorized in silence.” He said authorities had been forced to take heavy security measures because of the protests, but promised that Eurovision would remain a “festival of unity.”
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On the other hand, the head of Amnesty International Austria, Shoura Hashemi, criticized Ludwig's statements, describing them as "unacceptable, untrue and divisive" towards peaceful protesters.
Although several pro-Palestinian protests with up to 3 participants have been announced during the week, Tuesday afternoon's protest gathered only about 30 people, although the participation of about 500 protesters was initially expected.
According to Israeli authorities, over 1.200 people, mostly civilians, were killed in the Hamas attack on October 7, 2023. Meanwhile, the Israeli military offensive in Gaza has caused over 72 Palestinian casualties, mostly civilians, and has left large parts of the territory devastated.
Eurovision director Martin Green told Reuters he hopes boycotting countries will return to the competition in the future.
"They are part of our family. We miss them," he said, adding that organizers are continuing the dialogue to find ways to bring them back to Eurovision.
The performances of the first semi-final at Eurovision have concluded.
(Updated 22:45) - The performances of the first night of the Eurovision semi-final, which is being held in Vienna, have concluded.
Artists from 15 countries took to the Eurovision stage to compete for a place in Saturday's grand final.
Now, the public and national juries will decide which 10 countries will secure qualification for the Eurovision final.
Tonight, Croatia, Finland, Georgia, Greece, Portugal, Moldova, Sweden, Belgium, Estonia, Israel, Lithuania, Montenegro, Poland, San Marino and Serbia performed.
The first night of Eurovision begins
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(Updated 21:10) - The first night of the Eurovision Song Contest, which is being organized in Vienna, has begun.
Tonight, the following countries will perform: Croatia, Finland, Georgia, Greece, Portugal, Moldova, Sweden, Belgium, Estonia, Israel, Lithuania, Montenegro, Poland, San Marino and Serbia.
Tonight is the first night of the Eurovision semi-final.
Tonight (Tuesday) at 21:00 PM, the 70th edition of the European song contest, Eurovision, begins, which this year is being held in Vienna.
Artists from 35 countries, including Albania, will participate in this edition, while the organization of the competition in Austria comes after singer JJ won the previous edition with the ballad "Wasted Love".
However, this year several countries have boycotted the competition due to Israel's participation.
Although most of the participants are European countries, Australia continues to participate every year, having been initially invited to Eurovision's 60th anniversary celebrations in 2015. However, Australia does not have the right to host the contest even if it is declared the winner.
In the first semi-final, which will be held tonight, the following will perform: Croatia, Finland, Georgia, Greece, Portugal, Moldova, Sweden, Belgium, Estonia, Israel, Lithuania, Montenegro, Poland, San Marino and Serbia.
Meanwhile, the second semi-final, held on Thursday, will feature performances from Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Luxembourg, Romania, Switzerland, Shqipërisë, Australia, Cyprus, Denmark, Latvia, Malta, Norway and Ukraine.
The ten most voted countries from each semi-final will join the five countries that have automatically qualified for the final. These are Austria, last year's winner, as well as the United Kingdom, Italy, France and Germany, countries that provide the greatest financial support for the organization of Eurovision.
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However, these countries will also perform and vote in one of the semi-finals. Germany and Italy will perform tonight, while Austria, France and the United Kingdom will perform in the second semi-final.
In this edition, Albania is represented by the song "Nan" by Ali.
