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The Eurovision Song Contest is turning 70, with a few political clouds hanging over its glitter-drenched party.<\/p>\n
The annual musical extravaganza that has been likened to a pop music Olympics takes place in Vienna, Austria , May 12-16. It will see singers and bands from 35 countries compete onstage for the continent\u2019s musical crown \u2013 but with some high-profile absentees who are boycotting to protest Israel\u2019s participation.<\/p>\n
Here\u2019s a guide to all things Eurovision: What it is, who to watch for and how to take part.<\/p>\n
Eurovision is an international pop music competition founded in 1956 to test new live-broadcasting technology and foster unity after the trauma of World War II. From an initial seven contestants, it grew to include dozens of nations from across Europe, as well as farther-flung Israel and Australia.<\/p>\n
The contest is a campy yet heartfelt celebration of diversity, national pride and the joyous power of pop with a global fanbase. Organizers say last year\u2019s competition was watched by 166 million people around the world, and fans from 75 countries have bought tickets for the live shows in Vienna.<\/p>\n
The contest has displayed moments of supreme silliness \u2013 winning songs \u201cLa, La, La\u201d and \u201cBoom Bang-a-Bang,\u201d anyone? \u2013 as well as pieces of pop perfection like ABBA \u2018s 1974 winner \u201cWaterloo.\u201d<\/p>\n
Other memorable winners include Canadian chanteuse Celine Dion \u2013 who competed for Switzerland in 1988 \u2013 Austrian drag diva Conchita Wurst in 2014, Italian rock band M\u00e5neskin in 2021 and Ukrainian folk-rap group Kalush Orchestra in 2022.<\/p>\n
Eurovision\u2019s motto is \u201cUnited by Music,\u201d but it has repeatedly been embroiled in world events. Russia was expelled in 2022 after its full-scale invasion of Ukraine .<\/p>\n
The 2024 contest in Malmo, Sweden , and last year\u2019s event in Basel, Switzerland , saw pro-Palestinian protests that called for Israel to be expelled over its conduct of its war against Hamas in Gaza and allegations it tried to manipulate voting in favor of its contestant.<\/p>\n
Tensions came to a head in December when five countries \u2013 Iceland, Ireland, the Netherlands, Slovenia and Spain \u2013 pulled out of the contest after organizers decided to allow Israel to compete.<\/p>\n
Bulgaria, Moldova and Romania have returned after skipping the event for artistic or financial reasons in recent years, meaning 35 countries will compete in Vienna, down from 37 in 2025. Several pro-Palestinian protests are planned during Eurovision week.<\/p>\n
Eurovision historian Dean Vuletic said \u201cEurovision is Europe\u2019s biggest election,\u201d with winners decided by a mix of national juries and viewers\u2019 votes.<\/p>\n
Finland is the oddsmakers\u2019 favorite with \u201cLiekinheitin\u201d (\u201cFlamethrower\u201d), a high-intensity mashup featuring violinist Linda Lampenius and pop singer Pete Parkkonen.<\/p>\n
Also highly rated are 17-year-old French singer Monroe with pop-operatic love ballad \u201cRegarde!\u201d and Denmark\u2019s S\u00f8ren Torpegaard Lund with the sultry \u201cF\u00f8r Vi G\u00e5r Hjem\u201d (\u201cBefore We Go Home\u201d).<\/p>\n
Australia, a keen Eurovision participant despite being thousands of miles from Europe, has sent established star Delta Goodrem with \u201cEclipse,\u201d a slick midtempo ballad. Greece\u2019s Akylas is becoming a fan favorite with party-rap track \u201cFerto\u201d (\u201cBring It\u201d).<\/p>\n
Vuletic also tipped Cyprus\u2019 entry, the folk-influenced dance-pop song \u201cJalla\u201d by Antigoni. It\u2019s already a hit on YouTube and \u201ccould be the up-tempo feelgood song that people vote for,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Israel, which has won Eurovision four times and came second in 2025, has sent crooner Noam Bettan with the ballad \u201cMichelle.\u201d Singer Senhit, representing tiny San Marino, has enlisted 1980s icon Boy George to make a guest appearance on party anthem \u201cSuperstar.\u201d<\/p>\n
Paul Jordan, an expert known as Dr Eurovision, said the contest has moved beyond its reputation for \u201csugary pop.\u201d This year\u2019s entries range from classically influenced \u201cpopera\u201d to electro-pop, power ballads and folk-influenced songs.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s not a lot of cheesy pop numbers,\u201d Jordan said. \u201cThere\u2019s such diversity that I don\u2019t think there is such a thing as a \u2018Eurovision sound\u2019 anymore.\u201d<\/p>\n
Traditionally the competition is hosted by the previous year\u2019s winner, and last year\u2019s victor was Austrian singer JJ with pop-opera song \u201cWasted Love.\u201d The 2026 contest is being held at the Wiener Stadthalle in Vienna, the third time Austria\u2019s capital has hosted Eurovision.<\/p>\n
The competition will be aired by national broadcasters in participating nations, on streaming service Peacock in the United States and on the Eurovision YouTube channel in some countries.<\/p>\n
Participating countries each enters a singer or band with an original song that can be no more than 3 minutes long and is performed live, often with spectacular staging.<\/p>\n
Two semifinals, on May 12 and 14, will winnow the field of competitors down to 25 who will compete in the grand final on May 16, hosted by Austrian singer\/crystal heiress Victoria Swarovski and actor Michael Ostrowski.<\/p>\n
Viewers in participating countries can vote during the live final on by phone or text message, but aren\u2019t allowed to vote for their own country\u2019s act. Viewers in the U.S. and other nonparticipating countries can vote online at www.esc.vote .<\/p>\n
Each country\u2019s public vote is translated into points, on a scale of one to 12, for the highest-ranked acts.<\/p>\n
The European Broadcasting Union, which runs Eurovision, has toughened voting rules in response to vote-rigging allegations, halving the number of votes per payment to 10 and tightening safeguards against \u201csuspicious or coordinated voting activity.\u201d<\/p>\n
After a voting interval, each country in turn announces its jury and public voting results, with the points tallied on-screen until a winner emerges. The fast-changing rankings and suspense about whether any country gets the dreaded \u201cnul (zero) points\u201d are all part of the excitement.<\/p>\n
The withdrawal of countries including seven-time winner Ireland and Spain \u2013 one of the \u201cbig five\u201d nations that pay the most to the contest \u2013 is a major blow at a time when many public broadcasters face funding pressures and social media has lured away some eyeballs.<\/p>\n
Eurovision is looking to the future, and to other continents, with the first Eurovision Song Contest Asia due to take place in Bangkok in November.<\/p>\n
Jordan said that, at 70, Eurovision is \u201cpart of our European culture\u201d and can weather the latest storm.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt still gets people talking. It still brings us all together. It still gets huge viewing figures, it\u2019s still creating hits,\u201d he said. \u201cAt a time when broadcasting is changing, people still make a date with their television set on that Saturday night.\u201d [AP]<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n