When the topic is music competitions, it is impossible not to think of the Eurovision Song Contest, one of the largest and most influential music events in Europe. The 70º edition of the event, whose semifinals took place on May 12 and 14 and whose grand final will happen on May 16 (Saturday), is taking place in Vienna due to Austria’s victory the previous year, with the singer JJ (Johannes Pietsch), who performed the song “Wasted Love”. The city already hosted the competition in 1967 and in 2015.
In 2026, the event brought together artists from 35 countries, the lowest number of participants in years. The reduced lineup comes amid controversy surrounding Israel’s participation in the contest, which led some countries and audiences to call for boycotts and sparked intense debate across Europe.
Beyond the competition itself, Eurovision 2026 once again proved how the event goes far beyond music. Known for combining cultural diversity, extravagant performances, and political undertones, the contest has become a reflection of current social and geopolitical tensions in Europe. Even before the final, this year’s edition has already generated significant discussion online, with fans divided between celebrating the performances and criticizing the controversies surrounding the event.
HOw it all began:
The creation of Eurovision was another consequence of the end of World War II. This is because the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) was founded in 1950 to promote cooperation in the broadcasting of news and programs from other countries after the war. Through this initiative, European countries began transmitting the same programs simultaneously, ranging from coverage of major events to entertainment programs.
So, in 1956, Marcel Bezençon, a Swiss journalist and director of Swiss television at the time, decided to create a music competition among European countries, entirely inspired by the Sanremo Music Festival in Italy, which had been started a year earlier. The first edition of Eurovision followed shortly thereafter, premiering on March 24, 1956, in the city of Lugano, Switzerland.
The inaugural event featured seven participating countries, with the host, Switzerland, emerging as the winner. Its successful debut attracted the attention of many other nations. The competition grew so large that a total of 52 countries have already participated in the event, with a record of 43 countries competing simultaneously in 2008.
THE COMPETITION:
The competition starts long before the first day of performances, as artists must go through a selection process to determine who will represent each country. This process was introduced in 1990, after the show grew in popularity and became increasingly attractive to performers. To participate, artists must be at least 16 years old, and both solo acts and bands may compete, as long as there are no more than six people on stage at the same time.
After qualifying, contestants move on to the semifinal stage, which takes place over two days. During this phase, each artist or band performs an original song that cannot exceed three minutes and can be performed in any language. Performance and originality are essential, since the results are decided exclusively by the audience vote. The contestants with the highest number of points advance to the final, alongside the “Big Five” — Germany, France, Italy, Spain, and the United Kingdom — and the host country, all of which automatically qualify.
In the Grand Final, the artists perform the same song presented in the semifinals, without changing the melody or lyrics. The main difference at this stage is the voting system, which combines the public vote with the votes of professional juries from each participating country. At the end of the night, the winner performs the song one last time, and the victorious country earns the right to host the next edition of the Eurovision Song Contest.
BIG NAMES THAT THE EUROVISION DISCOVERED:
1. ABBA – 1974:
With their musical success “Waterloo”, the Swedish pop group, composed of Agnetha Fältskog, Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson, and Anni-Frid Lyngstad, performed in 1974 at the 19th edition of the Eurovision Song Contest, representing Sweden. After winning the first place in the competition, the group achieved global fame and became one of the biggest sensations of the 1970s.
The hit “Waterloo”, performed at the contest, came in 6th place on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1974, and in 2005 the song was voted the best song in Eurovision history during its “Congratulations” special.
2. Celine Dion – 1988:
In 1988, the competition had the honor of welcoming Celine Dion, who, at just 20 years old, won the contest with the song “Ne partez pas sans moi”. Although she is Canadian, the singer performed on the show representing Switzerland after being invited by the Swiss broadcaster (SSR) to perform the French-language song.
Although the artist was already recognized for her talent in Canada and Europe, her participation in the competition was essential in boosting her global career and increasing her visibility.
3. Måneskin – 2021:
After many years without winning the contest, Italy won the 2021 competition thanks to the band Måneskin, which at the time was composed of Damiano David, Victoria De Angelis, Ethan Torchio, and Thomas Raggi.
Opting for classic Italian rock, the band performed their hit “Zitti e Bouni“, which won over the audience and secured them first place not only at Eurovision but also at the Sanremo Festival that same year, which they also won with this song. This string of victories helped the band to gain international recognition, while their cover of “Beggin” later became a worldwide success.
Fans favorites this year:
Even before the semifinal performances, the public had already formed clear favorites for this edition, often based only on the official music videos released on the Eurovision website months before the event. As a result, fans were able to anticipate which artists had the strongest chances of winning the competition, identifying early contenders that stood out in popularity, streaming performance, and online engagement.
Representing Finland, Linda Lampenius and Pete Parkkonen entered the competition with “Liekinheitin”, quickly standing out as one of the most discussed acts of the edition. The duo gained attention for their strong artistic identity and the impact of their music video, which helped build anticipation before the live performances.
Greece is represented by Akylas with “Ferto”, a performance that stood out early on for its emotional intensity and modern production. The song resonated with audiences for its expressive delivery and was widely shared online, placing the artist among the early favorites of the competition.
From Denmark, Søren Torpegaard Lund presents “Før vi går hjem”, a song that gained recognition for its introspective tone and distinctive musical style. Its more subtle approach compared to other entries helped it attract attention from fans looking for a more emotional and reflective performance.
Boycotted competition:
This year’s Eurovision edition reinforced how music often intersects with political issues, as the competition was marked by an organized boycott by five countries.
Broadcasters from Spain, the Netherlands, Ireland, Iceland, and Slovenia canceled their participation in the contest, even though they were longtime participants with a strong tradition in the competition. Their absence was due to the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) authorizing Israel’s participation in the event, even amid the ongoing war in Gaza.
The EBU has been facing increasing pressure from broadcasters in participating countries as the contest takes on a political dimension. Many have questioned the Union’s position on Israel’s participation, considering that Russia was suspended from Eurovision after invading Ukraine in 2022.
In protest, some of the countries that refused to participate this year are also not transmitting the competition on their national television, instead airing alternative programming during the time Eurovision was scheduled to take place. Alfonso Morales, secretary general of the Corporación de Radio y Televisión Española (RTVE), states that Eurovision stops being a neutral cultural event when allows Israel to use the contest for political purposes in the midst of a war.
Pro-Palesntinian demonstrations night:
Amid the boycott of the competition, it was already expected that a part of the public would strongly reject Israel’s performance on the first night of the Eurovision semifinals.
During the performance of the Israeli artist Noam Bettan, with the song “Michelle”, some protesters shouted demonstrations against the war in Gaza. The phrase “stop the genocide” could be heard at least five times during the broadcast of the competition. Two protesters were identified and removed from the venue by event organizers, one of them had “Free Palestine” written on his body.
On the other hand, the Israeli singer qualified for the Grand Final after receiving many points from the public vote. Therefore, he will perform again on Saturday (16), competing for the first place in the competition.
The article above was edited by Rafaela Mina.
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