Eurovision 2026 final: Air date and confirmed performers

The wait is over!!

A blone man wearing pink boiler suit pulling a shocked expression behind a DJ deck.

Tobias SCHWARZ/AFP/Getty Images

Published: Saturday, 16 May 2026 at 7:25 pm

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The Eurovision 2026 grand final is happening TONIGHT, with a total of 25 countries through to the final.

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Earlier this week saw two semi-finals take place where all 35 competing countries took to the stage to perform their Eurovision entry in the hopes of making it through to the last stage of the competition. But 10 of them unfortunately said goodbye to their chances of performing on Saturday night after the public vote.

While the odds are currently in favour of Finland taking home the trophy, anything could happen as the final awaits us.

So, when is the grand final? Read on for everything you need to know about the big night.

When is the Eurovision 2026 final?

Delta Goodrem wearing a sparkly gold gown, singing into a microphone with one arm stretched out.

Delta Goodrem. Christian Bruna/Getty Images

The Eurovision Song Contest 2026 grand final will take place tonight, Saturday 16 May.

This year's competition is being held in Austria, marking the third time the nation has hosted the song contest.

Twenty-five acts will perform on the night, all of whom will be vying for the chance to be crowned the Eurovision champion.

Eurovision Song Contest 2026 finalists

Five acts automatically went through to the final, due to being a member of the Big Five or winning last year's competition.

Spain are not taking part in this after withdrawing from Eurovision last year due to Israel's inclusion in the song contest.

The Spanish broadcaster RTVE said: "The board of directors of RTVE agreed last September that Spain would withdraw from Eurovision if Israel was part of it.

"This withdrawal also means that RTVE will not broadcast the Eurovision 2026 final... nor the preliminary semi-finals."

In addition, 20 acts qualified from the semi-finals, they are as follows:

How to watch the Eurovision 2026 final

Victoria Swarovski and Michael Ostrowski.

Victoria Swarovski and Michael Ostrowski. ROLAND SCHLAGER / APA / AFP via Getty Images

For those tuning from the United Kingdom, the grand final will air tonight, Saturday 16 May at 8pm on BBC One and iPlayer.

Graham Norton will providing viewers with commentary on the night for the BBC, while Victoria Swarovski and Michael Ostrowski will present live from Vienna

How to vote in the Eurovision 2026 final

Voting opens during the Eurovision grand final just before the first song is performed, and remains open until approximately 40 minutes after the last song has been presented.

The Eurovision Song Contest has faced significant criticism over its decision to allow Israel to take part in the event due to the ongoing war in Gaza.

This year, a number of countries will boycott the contest following the European Broadcasting Union’s decision not to expel Israel from the competition.

At the EBU general assembly in December 2025, a vote was held to introduce new rules that would stop governments and third parties from disproportionately promoting songs to influence voters. No vote was held on Israel’s participation.

The EBU said in a statement: "A large majority of members agreed that there was no need for a further vote on participation and that the Eurovision Song Contest 2026 should proceed as planned, with the additional safeguards in place."

Following this, Ireland, Spain, the Netherlands, Slovenia and Iceland confirmed they would not participate in this year’s Eurovision.

Irish broadcaster RTÉ said: "RTÉ feels that Ireland’s participation remains unconscionable given the appalling loss of lives in Gaza and the humanitarian crisis there, which continues to put the lives of so many civilians at risk."

The BBC, which broadcasts the competition in the UK, has said it supports the decision made by the EBU. "This is about enforcing the rules of the EBU and being inclusive," it said in a statement.

The Eurovision Song Contest 2026 final will take place on Saturday 16 May 2026.

You can also check out the full list of Eurovision winners and how many times the UK has won Eurovision.

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Authors

Black and white cut-out portrait headshot of Katelyn Mensah, smiling against a lime green background.

Katelyn MensahSenior Entertainment Writer

Katelyn Mensah is the Senior Entertainment Writer for Radio Times, covering all major entertainment programmes, reality TV shows and the latest hard-hitting documentaries. She previously worked at The Tab, with a focus on reality TV and showbiz news and has obtained a BA (Hons) in Journalism.

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