LONDON (AP) 鈥� The is turning 70, with a few political clouds hanging over its glitter-drenched party.
The annual musical extravaganza that has been likened to a pop music Olympics takes place , May 12-16. It will see singers and bands onstage for the continent鈥檚 musical crown 鈥� but with some high-profile absentees who are boycotting to protest Israel鈥檚 participation.
Here鈥檚 a guide to all things Eurovision: What it is, who to watch for and how to take part.
A contest to unite a continent
Eurovision is an founded in 1956 to test new live-broadcasting technology and foster unity after the trauma of World War II. From an initial seven contestants, it grew to include dozens of nations from across Europe, as well as farther-flung Israel and Australia.
The contest is a campy yet heartfelt celebration of diversity, national pride and the joyous power of pop with a global fanbase. Organizers say last year鈥檚 competition was watched by 166 million people around the world, and fans from 75 countries have bought tickets for the live shows in Vienna.
The contest has displayed moments of supreme silliness 鈥� winning songs 鈥淟a, La, La鈥� and 鈥淏oom Bang-a-Bang,鈥� anyone? 鈥� as well as pieces of pop perfection like 鈥檚 1974 winner 鈥淲aterloo.”
Other memorable winners include Canadian chanteuse 鈥� who competed for Switzerland in 1988 鈥� Austrian drag diva in 2014, Italian rock band in 2021 and Ukrainian folk-rap group in 2022.
United by music, divided by politics
Eurovision鈥檚 motto is 鈥淯nited by Music,鈥� but it has repeatedly been embroiled in world events. Russia was expelled in 2022 after its .
The 2024 contest in , and last year鈥檚 event in , saw that called for Israel to be expelled over its conduct of its war against Hamas in Gaza and allegations it tried to manipulate voting in favor of its contestant.
Tensions came to a head in December when five countries 鈥� Iceland, Ireland, the Netherlands, and Spain 鈥� pulled out of the contest after organizers decided to allow Israel to compete.
Bulgaria, Moldova and Romania have returned after skipping the event for artistic or financial reasons in recent years, meaning 35 countries will compete in Vienna, down from 37 in 2025. Several pro-Palestinian protests are planned during Eurovision week.
Finnish favorites and a Boy George cameo
Eurovision historian Dean Vuletic said 鈥淓urovision is Europe鈥檚 biggest election,鈥� with winners decided by a mix of national juries and viewers’ votes.
Finland is the oddsmakers鈥� favorite with 鈥淟iekinheitin鈥� (鈥淔lamethrower鈥�), a high-intensity mashup featuring violinist Linda Lampenius and pop singer Pete Parkkonen.
Also highly rated are 17-year-old French singer Monroe with pop-operatic love ballad 鈥淩egarde!鈥� and Denmark鈥檚 S酶ren Torpegaard Lund with the sultry 鈥淔酶r Vi G氓r Hjem鈥� (鈥淏efore We Go Home鈥�).
Australia, a keen Eurovision participant despite being thousands of miles from Europe, has sent established star with 鈥淓clipse,鈥� a slick midtempo ballad. Greece鈥檚 Akylas is becoming a fan favorite with party-rap track 鈥淔erto鈥� (鈥淏ring It鈥�).
Vuletic also tipped Cyprus’ entry, the folk-influenced dance-pop song 鈥淛alla鈥� by Antigoni. It’s already a hit on YouTube and 鈥渃ould be the up-tempo feelgood song that people vote for,鈥� he said.
Israel, which has won Eurovision four times and came second in 2025, has sent crooner Noam Bettan with the ballad 鈥淢ichelle.鈥� Singer Senhit, representing tiny San Marino, has enlisted 1980s icon Boy George to make a guest appearance on party anthem 鈥淪uperstar.鈥�
Paul Jordan, an expert known as Dr. Eurovision, said the contest has moved beyond its reputation for 鈥渟ugary pop.鈥� This year’s entries range from classically influenced 鈥減opera鈥� to electro-pop, power ballads and folk-influenced songs.
鈥淭here鈥檚 not a lot of cheesy pop numbers,鈥� Jordan said. 鈥淭here鈥檚 such diversity that I don鈥檛 think there is such a thing as a 鈥楨urovision sound鈥� anymore.鈥�
How it works and how to vote
Traditionally the competition is hosted by the previous year鈥檚 winner, and last year鈥檚 victor was with pop-opera song 鈥淲asted Love.鈥� The 2026 contest is being held at the Wiener Stadthalle in Vienna, the third time Austria鈥檚 capital has hosted Eurovision.
The competition will be aired by national broadcasters in participating nations, on streaming service Peacock in the United States and on the Eurovision YouTube channel in some countries.
Participating countries each enter a singer or band with an original song that can be no more than three minutes long and is performed live, often with spectacular staging.
Two semifinals, on May 12 and 14, will winnow the field of competitors down to 25 who will compete in the grand final on May 16, hosted by Austrian singer/crystal heiress Victoria Swarovski and actor Michael Ostrowski.
Viewers in participating countries can vote during the live final by phone or text message, but aren鈥檛 allowed to vote for their own country鈥檚 act. Viewers in the U.S. and other nonparticipating countries can vote online at .
Each country’s public vote is translated into points, on a scale of one to 12, for the highest-ranked acts.
The European Broadcasting Union, which runs Eurovision, has toughened voting rules in response to vote-rigging allegations, halving the number of votes per payment to 10 and tightening safeguards against 鈥渟uspicious or coordinated voting activity.鈥�
After a voting interval, each country in turn announces its jury and public voting results, with the points tallied on-screen until a winner emerges. The fast-changing rankings and suspense about whether any country gets the dreaded 鈥渘ul (zero) points鈥� are all part of the excitement.
Questions hang over Eurovision’s future
The withdrawal of countries including seven-time winner Ireland and Spain 鈥� one of the 鈥渂ig five鈥� nations that pay the most to the contest 鈥� is a major blow at a time when many public broadcasters face funding pressures and social media has lured away some eyeballs.
Eurovision is looking to the future, and to other continents, with the first Eurovision Song Contest Asia in November.
Jordan said that, at 70, Eurovision is 鈥減art of our European culture鈥� and can weather the latest storm.
鈥淚t still gets people talking. It still brings us all together. It still gets huge viewing figures, it鈥檚 still creating hits,鈥� he said. 鈥淎t a time when broadcasting is changing, people still make a date with their television set on that Saturday night.鈥�
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