Eurovision 2026 kicks off on Tuesday with the first semi-final, as 15 countries battle for their spot in the grand final
Sara Baalla Screen Time TV Reporter
16:50, 12 May 2026Updated 16:52, 12 May 2026
Boy George is representing San Marino(Image: Christian Bruna/Getty Images)
Boy George has suffered a significant setback just hours before the first Eurovision 2026 semi-final.
Thousands of Eurovision fans have begun descending on Vienna, Austria, as the hugely popular singing contest prepares to launch this week.
Tonight’s first semi-final (Tuesday, May 12) will begin at 8pm UK time, with the second taking place on Thursday, May 14, at the same time. Thirty nations will be vying for a spot in Saturday’s (May 16) grand final, where they’ll join the Big Four and host country Austria.
Competing in the opening semi-final are Moldova, Sweden, Croatia, Greece, Portugal, Georgia, Finland, Montenegro, Estonia, Israel, Belgium, Lithuania, San Marino, Poland, and Serbia. Only ten will secure their passage to the final.
Despite his global stardom, Culture Club frontman Boy George – who is representing San Marino alongside Italian singer Senhit – faces a challenging road ahead of his debut performance on the Wiener Stadthalle stage.
Boy George and Senhit, who will perform their song Superstar, are facing the greatest risk of failing to reach the final, reports the Express.
San Marino have been dealt a crushing blow(Image: GEORG HOCHMUTH / APA / AFP via Getty Images)
Bookmakers BOYLE Sports have priced San Marino at just 7/2 to qualify. Belgium and Georgia are both listed at 7/4, while Portugal and Estonia also face potential elimination when the results are announced, with odds standing at 11/10 and 11/8, respectively.
Meanwhile, Finland appear to be the ones to beat, with Linda Lampenius and Pete Parkkonen’s explosive entry Liekinheitin sending fans into a frenzy. They are currently 4/7 favourites to win the semi-final, and a near-certainty at 1/500 to qualify.
Having waited since Lordi’s iconic 2006 triumph to lift the Eurovision trophy once more, Finland are also favourites to claim the entire competition this weekend. Other notable contenders include Denmark, Australia, and Greece.
Greece are being represented by Akylas’ dramatic anthem Ferto, which has gathered considerable momentum following its victory at the country’s national selection.
This has positioned Greece at 3/1 to win the first semi-final, and 5/1 to take the Eurovision 2026 crown. Which countries will be the first to secure their place in the final? Only time will tell.
The first semi-final takes place on Tuesday(Image: BBC/BBC Studios)
The pre-qualified Big Four countries performing and voting during the first semi-final are Italy and Germany. The show will open with a journey through time, illustrating that the seven-decade history of the Eurovision Song Contest represents “70 Years of Love”.
A 70-member choir will then launch the first semi-final with a tribute to L’amour Est Bleu – one of the most beloved Eurovision hits of all time. The song was notably performed by Vicky Leandros when the city of Vienna first hosted the contest in 1967.
As the votes are tallied, the interval act will see hosts Victoria Swarovski and Michael Ostrowski finally putting to rest the age-old confusion between Austria and Australia, with a tongue-in-cheek musical number alongside Go-Jo – who represented Australia in 2025.
Rylan and Angela Scanlon will be on commentary duty for BBC viewers throughout both semi-finals, while Sara Cox takes charge of coverage on BBC Radio 2 and BBC Sounds.
The Eurovision semi-finals will air at 8pm on BBC One and iPlayer on Tuesday, May 12, and Thursday, May 14, ahead of the grand final at 8pm on Saturday, May 16