Eurovision 2026 LIVE: Show battles ‘most challenging year’ after Israel backlash
The Eurovision Song Contest is back for its annual international song competition which has been taking place yearly ever since 1956, airing on BBC in the UK. Countries submit an original song to be performed live and compete in semifinals and a grand final, with the winners decided by both public vote and professional juries. The show, which was originally created to unite countries through music after the second world war, has been popular ever since it first launched - and there have been some stand out acts and winners.
ABBA's Waterloo was released in 1974 at the contest and has often been dubbed the best Eurovision song ever, launching ABBA's global career. The UK has won five times and came second 16 times, though recent years haven't been fantastic for the UK. Sam Ryder did shake things up in 2022 when he finished in second place with his song Space Man, which became incredibly popular after its release. But will we have it in the bag for 2026? This blog will be running all weekend, so stay with us to find out!
You can tune in to the Eurovision Song Contest Semi-Final tonight (Thursday May 14) at 8pm, followed by the Grand Final on Saturday at 8pm. In the UK you can tune into the shows on BBC One. Non-participating nations are also able to watch the Live Shows despite them not airing in their country as the Eurovision Song Contest YouTube channel will be up and running.
There has been a lot of backlash over Israel and Eurovision, with Rylan Clark praised after he called out the Israel boycott. The BBC co-commentator opened the semi-final broadcast by telling viewers: "This year Eurovision has faced one of its most challenging years, five countries have withdrawn following the continued participation of Israel." Israel's Noam Bettan's performance of Michelle saw the Vienna crowd boo loudly and the frustrations remain ongoing from fans. Rylan was praised on X for acknowledging the controversy on air.
Daily Express
