When is Eurovision 2026 and final date as latest winner | UK News

Eurovision 2026 is virtually upon us, with the seventieth Song Contest happening in Vienna this 12 months and the final date in just a few weeks.

Last 12 months, Austrian singer JJ gained the competitors after it was held in Basel, Switzerland.

The UK shall be represented by digital music artist and tech creator Look Mum No Computer, who shall be performing Eins, Zwei, Drei.

The Song Contest has been mired in controversy so far, with a quantity of nations withdrawing their candidates and boycotting over Israel’s participation, and Eurovision 2026 will now function 35 entrants.

Here’s all the things you need to know about the upcoming Song Contest, including the final date and Eurovision 2026 odds.

In the run-up to the Eurovision 2026 final, the first semi-final shall be held on Tuesday, May 12, at 8pm UK time, and the second shall be held on Thursday, May 14, at the same time.

In the first Semi-Final, the first group of nations will compete for a place in Saturday’s Grand Final. The 15 nations competing are: Moldova, Sweden, Croatia, Greece, Portugal, Georgia, Finland, Montenegro, Estonia, Israel, Belgium, Lithuania, San Marino, Poland, and Serbia.

The second Semi-Final will function 15 different acts taking to the stage in the hope of securing a place in Saturday’s Grand Final. Viewers in the United Kingdom shall be in a position to vote for their favourites in this Semi-Final, while the UK act LOOK MUM NO COMPUTER takes to the Eurovision stage for the first time to carry out his music ‘Eins, Zwei, Drei’, before he competes in Saturday’s Grand Final. Competing that night time are: Bulgaria, Azerbaijan, Romania, Luxembourg, Czechia, Armenia, Switzerland, Cyprus, Latvia, Denmark, Australia, Ukraine, Albania, Malta, and Norway.

Rylan Clark and Angela Scanlon, changing Scott Mills, shall be internet hosting coverage on the BBC.

Rylan said: “It’s the 70th Eurovision Song Contest and the biggest show on the planet. Being part of anything this big is something younger me could never have imagined.”

Angela added: “It feels like joining the greatest party on earth – equal parts thrilling and terrifying! I grew up watching the Eurovision Song Contest with my three sisters, making very serious (and wildly biased) scorecards from the couch, so to now be part of it – especially in its 70th year – is genuinely surreal.

“It’s one of those shows that’s always been there, evolving but never losing its magic or madness. I’ve been lucky enough to dip my toe into the Eurovision world before, so it feels great to be doing it again, just with higher heels and a few more sequins!”

While Graham Norton will be presenting the Grand Final, Sara Cox will lead coverage on BBC Radio 2 and BBC Sounds, and RuPaul’s Drag Race UK star Tia Kofi will be working as BBC’s Eurovision digital correspondent.

The grand final of the Eurovision Song Contest 2026 takes place in the Wiener Stadthalle in Vienna, Austria, on Saturday 16 May.

TV presenter Victoria Swarovski and actor Michael Ostrowski will be hosting.

It will air from 8pm on BBC One and iPlayer.

The remaining 25 countries – those who haven’t been eliminated in the semi-finals and the big four (France, Germany, Italy, UK) as well as last year’s winner Austria – including the UK’s Look Mum No Computer, will be battling it out to win.

According to Eurovision World, latest odds suggest Finland is in to win, with a 29% chance at being crowned winner.

Greece follows with 13% and Denmark at 10%.

The United Kingdom is currently standing in 20th place, with a 1% chance of winning, while Azerbaijan takes the bottom spot.

The results of the 2026 Eurovision Song Contest will be determined by a mix of points from national juries and viewer votes in the participating countries, as well as a separate world vote.

Each national jury is made up of a group of seven music professionals in that country. After viewers cast their own votes, a national spokesperson from each of the 35 participating countries will present the points of their jury live to the world.

The voting points from viewers and the scores from juries will then be combined and give one score for each song, leading to a dramatic climax as the winner is announced.

Eurovision 2026 final airs on Saturday 16 May on BBC One and iPlayer.