The Vienna showcase

As Vienna prepares to polish up the majestic Wiener Stadthalle, already home to the 2015 edition, the Eurovision Song Contest 2026 is shaping up to be a controversial one. The milestone of the 70th edition exposes the structural fragility of the European Broadcasting Union (EBU): with just 35 countries taking part, the contest is seeing its lowest turnout since 2003. The organization, handled by Austrian broadcaster ORF following JJ's win in Basel in 2025, is having to manage an unprecedented diplomatic exodus that could be just the beginning of an irreparable crisis.

The schedule includes three broadcasts, all airing at 9pm: the first semifinal on Tuesday 12 May; the second semifinal on Thursday 14 May; and the final on Saturday 16 May. Gabriele Corsi and Elettra Lamborghini host the Italian broadcast, airing on Rai.

A controversial edition, a crisis long in the making

The mass boycott by historic nations such as Iceland, Ireland, the Netherlands, Slovenia and Spain marks a seemingly irreparable rift tied to Israel's participation and to the controversy over government-backed advertising campaigns that have influenced televoting in past editions, likely skewing final results for propaganda purposes. For the first time since 2011, the "Big Five" are incomplete due to Spain's withdrawal: a strong signal that could also mark the start of a longer-lasting rethink of the event. Amid this climate, the EBU has tried to make amends by tweaking some of the competition's mechanisms, without however untangling the knot that led to the boycott. The inconsistency of including Israel while excluding Russia is hard to justify, and it has made this the most controversial edition of the Eurofestival yet, as well as a crisis that had been a long time coming.

An absolute protagonist: bad taste

In any case, for those of us who, like myself, will also be following this questionable seventieth edition, here's a big scorecard for the 35 songs in competition, in alphabetical order by country. A dive into kitsch, sometimes extreme, and into the kind of bombast that tips over into nauseating, which makes Eurovision a louder, often trashier, almost always more tacky, and occasionally deliciously camp version of Sanremo. At the Ariston theatre, bad taste is a regular guest, not always wanted or welcome, but who somehow always has the right connections to get past the bouncers; at Eurovision, though, it's the undisputed star, the digestif that lets you swallow down a feast of flames, high notes, diplomacy and sequins.

In this upside-down dimension where ugly and beautiful swap places, and where whatever is most jarring comes out on top, we're replacing the usual scores out of ten with Eurostars.

Big scorecard for the 35 competing songs.

Albania: Alis – “Nân” ★★☆☆☆

Albania gives it a shot with bombastic pop, clogged up by an overpowering choir, sung in Albanian. It explores urban territory, somewhere between operatic pomp and metropolitan scenery. Alis's vocals definitely stand out — he won the national "X Factor" in 2024 — but this is far from having international ambitions, aiming instead squarely at the domestic market. The song is dedicated to his mother, or rather to mothers in general: if nân means mum, then "yawn" in Albanian is gogëlloj.

Armenia: Simón – “Paloma Rumba” ★★★☆☆

We dive straight into trashy territory, one of the aesthetic categories that works best at Eurovision, courtesy of Simón, who studied Economics and comes from a family of doctors: basically, every parent's nightmare. Especially since he's ended up delivering a deafening electro-metal crossover with a hammering melody, backed in the video by frenzied dancing and an awful lot of Post-its. Deliciously over the top, complete with a heart-attack-inducing final acceleration: like the best rollercoasters, the more sensitive among us might just see their dinner again.

Australia: Delta Goodrem – “Eclipse” ★★☆☆☆

Australia is fielding a national superstar with a career spanning over two decades, despite having been born in 1984. She recorded the second of her seven albums while undergoing cancer treatment — truly unstoppable. "Eclipse" is a big orchestral ballad with piano front and centre, built around her powerful voice, but anchored to well-worn templates. She'll have no trouble giving it her all on stage, drawing on charisma, charm and sheer craft. Spectacular, in the dullest possible sense of the word.

Austria: Cosmó – “Tanzschein” ★☆☆☆☆

The host country enters with a (nearly) twenty-year-old who's practically just starting out. The song is an electronic pop nursery rhyme, a bit mechanical, sung in German: the strict Teutonic phonetics make it sound more serious than it actually is. A forgettable disco anthem, with a slightly queer twist.

Azerbaijan: Jiva – “Just Go” ☆☆☆☆☆

An indigestible compromise in the form of a bilingual English-Azerbaijani pop ballad: a leftover from the last century, reheated in the microwave a dozen times already. Jiva won the local "The Voice" back in 2016, and if she sang in Italian she could realistically aim for the relegation zone of a Carlo Conti-hosted Sanremo: that's not a compliment.

Belgio: Essyla – “Dancing On The Ice” ★★☆☆☆

Essyla is a flirtatious thirty-something who sings, in a supple and expressive voice, a track full of distorted synths and house rhythms. It's the kind of number that'll get more than a few heads nodding, even a hip or two swaying, but it's ultimately a bit of a letdown: it winks at you, teases your imagination, then leaves you hanging with some excuse right when you'd finally warmed up to it. Frustrating.

Bulgaria: Dara – “Bangaranga” ★★★★☆

A collision without a traffic light between Skrillex and the bumper cars, a deafening EDM track with rap inserts and a mutant tempo. Potentially an international hit, though hardly Conservatory material. She's a national star with plenty of successful singles under her belt, and is absolutely magnetic, with unsettling sinuousness and model-worthy looks. Gloriously kitsch.

Czech Republic: Daniel Zizka – “Crossroads” ★☆☆☆☆

A singer who's certainly talented but textbook-perfect, the kind who'll bring tears to any vocal coach's eyes, yet struggles to find an original sound of his own. He delivers an emphatic, clearly orchestral pop number, built as one long crescendo. Sometimes this kind of vocal showmanship works brilliantly at Eurovision, even when the song itself is missing, as is the case here.

Cyprus: Antigoni – “Jalla” ★☆☆☆☆

A musical postcard from the Mediterranean, with a touch of exotic atmosphere without giving up on international dancehall appeal. Cyprus doubles down on bilingualism and the epic-ethnic-Mediterranean cliché to reel in votes from the Greek-speaking bloc. Antigoni is a blonde bombshell who commands the screen, but the song sounds like the turbocharged version of "Al mio paese".

Croatia: Lelek – “Andromeda” ★★☆☆☆

An evocative ethno-electronic choral piece, sung entirely in Croatian by an all-female quintet formed in 2024. The lyrics are as pompous as a Christopher Nolan blockbuster, perfectly matched to the symphonic arrangement. The pathos will come through despite the language barrier, but the final result will hinge mostly on their stage presence.

Denmark: Søren Torpegaard Lund – “Før vi går hjem” ★☆☆☆☆

An electronic anthem perfectly suited to the LGBTQ+ community, delivered by an openly gay singer who will surely know how to move on stage. The Danish lyrics obviously limit comprehension, but we're not missing much. For the Eurovision context, it's the usual, deeply boring routine.

Estonia: Vanilla Ninja – “Too Epic To Be True” ★☆☆☆☆

An all-female rock band, they return to Eurovision after 21 years: back then, though, they were flying the Swiss flag. They might look like Tallinn's answer to Raggedy Ann, the Kaltsunukud. A blatant nostalgia operation, with teenage lyrics that just don't fit a bunch of women in their forties.

Finland: Linda Lampenius and Pete Parkkonen – “Liekinheitin” ★★★☆☆

"You're a flamethrower" is a line that promises a stage show worthy of Rammstein. The song combines Lampenius's shimmering violin with Parkkonen's bombastic rock style. It's a crossover aiming for a wide audience, despite Finnish lyrics steeped in religious imagery. The live performance will be a triumph of fire, wind, intense stares and dramatic peaks where voice and violin come together for the utterly predictable final climax. A song tailor-made for Eurovision — no wonder it's among the bookmakers' favourites.

France: Monroe – “Regarde !” ★☆☆☆☆

France enters a seventeen-year-old of Mormon background, essentially a newcomer, and saddles her with a grandiose operatic pop number, stuffed with French-for-foreigners phrasing. A vocal style that's certainly very showy, but the song is basically just an excuse to lay the epic and the emphatic on as thick as possible. Cloying even by Eurovision standards, not least because there isn't a shred of irony in it.

Georgia: Bzikebi – "On Replay" ★★☆☆☆

This trio won Junior Eurovision in 2008, when its members were barely ten years old. They're the Tbilisi answer to Gazosa, but now that they've grown up they've revealed themselves to be beasts of deafening techno on loan to pop. Without the narrative framing, it's hard to say what could possibly travel beyond Georgia's borders, or whether this is the start of a new career or just a publicity stunt. Either way, it falls into the kind of bad taste that always goes down fine at Eurovision, like pizza.

Germany: Sarah Engels – "Fire" ★☆☆☆☆

There was a time when global pop was dominated by the sound of Diplo's Major Lazer, only that was some fifteen years ago. Sarah Engels is a huge star at home and already went through the Free European Song Contest in 2020, staged as an alternative to the Eurovision edition cancelled due to the pandemic. This is squarely in generic-2012-hit territory, and it'll join the pile of other German flops at the competition.

Greece: Akylas – "Ferto" ☆☆☆☆☆

Akylas is a TikTok star who leans on a techno-rap track with a high BPM count. A salad of already-heard ideas that never manages to go so over the top it becomes enjoyable. The fact that he says the title more than seventy (!) times doesn't help at all: it might be bearable in a 30-second clip, but making it to the end of the track on Spotify is an act of self-harm on the ears.

Israel: Noam Bettan – "Michelle" ☆☆☆☆☆

The entry that sparked the boycotts is a chaotic linguistic stew blending French, Hebrew and English. A song you listen to and forget, one that will get attention mainly for the flag it represents. In other words, the controversy isn't even remotely justified by any artistic urgency.

Italy: Sal Da Vinci – "Per sempre sì" ★★☆☆☆

Let's just say it outright: Sal Da Vinci is so out of step with the present, and this song is so conservative, backward-looking and camp, that Eurovision might actually be the perfect stage for it to shine. It will nicely represent the fantasy image foreign tourists have of Italy, as an anachronistic society, traditionally monogamous, tied to the values of the past. It will certainly stand out: whether that's a good thing is another matter.

Latvia: Atvara – "Ēnā" ☆☆☆☆☆

Atvara opts for hermeticism in Latvian with operatic overtones, for a heart-tugging sentimental ballad that's also brutal on the gonads. She can certainly sing, but that alone won't make listening to it preferable to getting a parking ticket.

Lithuania: Lion Ceccah – "Sólo quiero más" ☆☆☆☆☆

Active on the drag scene, Lion Ceccah offers a track with an absurdly over-the-top Spanish title, packed with ill-advised techno injections and overblown orchestration, sung in Lithuanian and English: too many ingredients, thrown together with no real sense of order. At Eurovision, kitsch reigns supreme; here, we're simply in the realm of bad.

Luxembourg: Eva Marija – “Mother Nature” ★☆☆☆☆

The whiff of socio-environmental PR that hangs over this song is almost tangible: you half expect a voice-over to kick in any second, announcing the latest green initiatives from some oil company. Eva Marija's entry is a sweet, downright sugary, nature-themed pop-rock number, markedly emotional, tailor-made for greenwashing. It's crowd-pleasing, so it'll probably work better than I'd like it to.

Malta: Aidan – “Bella” ☆☆☆☆☆

In this edition of no-shows, there's also room for Aidan, who has tried his luck more times than Jalisse. A classic case of a title that contradicts the song itself: an orchestral pop number that would sound dusty even at a Sanremo hosted by a resurrected Pippo Baudo, let alone in the Eurovision context. Unlistenable.

Moldova: Satoshi – “Viva, Moldova!” ★★★★☆

The Prodigy, but at a funfair in Chișinău, with a double dose of folk melodies and rap verses that sound like they've been pulled from the trashiest mashups of fifteen years ago. A frantic lyric, full of lines to scream at the top of your lungs like “Salute a tutti, Moldova is on duty”, perfect for when you've had enough to drink that driving is no longer an option. Triumphant finale: it keeps accelerating until your heart bursts with kitsch. A transnational anthem to excess.

Montenegro: Tamara Živković – “Nova Zora” ★★★☆☆

The banger you don't see coming, a dynamite-charged EDM track, pompous yet capable of making a statue dance. It's got the right drops, a chanted title that drives the chorus home, and every time it seems to have given everything, it manages to grab your attention all over again. One of this edition's real surprises, even if it's very unlikely Montenegro can hope for a good final placing.

Norway: Jonas Lovv – “Ya Ya Ya” ★☆☆☆☆

A rare example of pop-rock attitude and sound on this year's Eurovision stage, thoroughly aligned with the Anglo-American sound that's been internationalised for decades now. It wouldn't be strange to hear it playing on Virgin Radio, and that's not a good sign.

Poland: Alicja – “Pray” ★☆☆☆☆

It was meant to compete in the ill-fated 2020 edition. Despite Alicja's vocal power, shaded with soul inflections, the song simply feels outdated, belonging to an R&B world that's been overtaken by more sophisticated hybrids or has simply moved elsewhere. Another example, unfortunately, of the homogenisation plaguing a good chunk of this year's entries, evident from the use of English alone.

Portugal: Bandidos do Cante – “Rosa” ★☆☆☆☆

As has happened in previous editions, Portugal goes straight for tradition, this time showcasing Cante Alentejano, a traditional musical form that wouldn't even call for instrumental accompaniment. Rather than a contamination that speaks to the present, though, this feels closer to the kind of thing ministerial funds for cultural heritage preservation are made for.

United Kingdom: Look Mum No Computer – “Eins, Zwei, Drei” ★★☆☆☆

Don't get confused: the title is in German but the lyrics are in English, and the flag being waved is that of the United Kingdom. What we have here is robotic pop, which in the chorus leans on distorted synths and a militaresque marching beat. Disappointing for the country it represents, but there's decidedly worse in the running.

Romania: Alexandra Căpitănescu – “Choke Me” ★★★★☆

One of the most over-the-top entries, all sadomasochistic winks and screams that verge on metal. Romania brings a big rock number that's part Lacuna Coil, part Miley Cyrus, and a (good) part Halloween. At the heart of the lyrics is a tormented passion, an overwhelming erotic desire. Not exactly an existential reflection that will change your life, or even your week, but rather a spectacular mix of excess and virtuosity: Alexandra Căpitănescu will just need to manage to replicate live the impressive vocal performance heard on the recording.

San Marino: Senhit – “Superstar” ★☆☆☆☆

The special guest is Boy George, but it's little more than a cameo. The track, however, is only really fit to be served in a summer disco, and even better if it's gay friendly. Sober, at home, on a Tuesday afternoon, it's honestly bland.

Serbia: Lavina – “Kraj mene” ★☆☆☆☆

The gothic quota, as gloomy and metal as this stage allows. It features one very long scream, the problem is not falling asleep while waiting for it. The most disappointing thing is that, for all the black-and-anguish staging, the song wouldn't manage to scare anyone who has ever actually listened to three dark metal songs in their life.

Sweden: Felicia – “My System” ★★★☆☆

Back in the days of the Fröken Snusk project, she was a singer whose identity was hidden behind a pink balaclava. Now, with her face concealed by a less intrusive mask, she offers up an aerobic slice of EDM that would get even the laziest among us dancing once it launches into a chorus made to be shouted along to. Pure, instantly recognisable fun, but around these parts it's vital just to survive the sentimental ballads and the more overwrought ideas. Live, it risks going off-key in the trickiest passages.

Switzerland: Veronica Fusaro – “Alice” ★★☆☆☆

With Italian roots on her father's side, Switzerland's Veronica Fusaro offers up a mannered soul number that sticks in your head after just a couple of listens and should also win over a more rock-oriented audience (there's even an electric guitar solo!). What's missing, though, is the locura: an essential ingredient at Eurovision, and its absence makes for an uphill battle in the contest.

Ukraine: Leléka – “Ridnym” ★★☆☆☆

One of the most refined entries, if that adjective even makes sense in this list. Ukraine returns to the strategy of bilingualism and modernised folklore, banking on a dizzying vocal performance. A song of hope, which counts double given the flag it flies, but one that never quite manages to be fully daring.

Ride the wave of great music

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