By Neil Durham

WHEN? 16 May 2026 HOW TO WATCH? BBC1 in the UK at 8pm

WHERE? Wiener Stadthalle, Vienna

The 2nd semi final of the 70th Eurovision Song Contest is over and we’ve updated this preview with our predictions for the qualifiers joining the host country and remaining Big 4 after Spain’s boycott.

• Read on for reasons including predictions for France’s Monroe and the UK’s Look Mum No Computer

1. DENMARK Søren Torpegaard Lund Før vi går hjem (Before we go home) (Clara Sofie Fabricus, Søren Torpegaard Lund, Thomas Meilstrup, Valdemar Littauer Bendixen) PREDICTION: 6th to 10th

A big favourite but we think the language will be a barrier. Very much the style that Olly Alexander may have been aiming for with the UK in 2024 although this feels more authentic. Out-there gay doesn’t often do well at Eurovision and this may struggle from this running order position as show opener.

2. GERMANY Sarah Engels Fire (Dario Schürmann, Luisa Heinemann, Raphael Lott, Sarah Engels, Valentin Boes) PREDICTION: 21st to 25th

Not the disaster that is Austria but Eurovision by numbers rhyming ‘Fire‘ unimaginatively with ‘liar’, giving us onstage flames without the tinder to generate any sparks. Germany may have backed Israel’s participation this year but clearly has neither the Fire nor ‘desire’ to host in 2027.

3. ISRAEL Noam Bettan Michelle (Nadav Aharoni, Tzlil Klifi, Yuval Raphael) PREDICTION: 6th to 10th

Given the 5 country boycotts at Israel’s participation it is perhaps ironic that its entry is quite so middle-of-the-road. Its co-write credit for the participant who finished 2nd last year is perhaps the most notable thing about it. Performed and presented well.

4. BELGIUM Essyla Dancing On The Ice (Alice Van Eesbeeck, Barbara Petitjean, Emil Stengele, Nicolas d’Avell) PREDICTION: 21st to 25th

The promo video presents the song and its striking bass hook in a pleasantly eerie and realised form. A difficult and rather shrill live performance. Presented well with snow and use of light illuminating the length and height of the stage.

5. ALBANIA Alis Nân (Mother) (Alis Kallaçi, Desara Gjini) PREDICTION: 6th to 10th

Albania’s 22nd entry has to go higher than the 5th of Rona Nishliu’s Suus (So) in 2012 to record its best ever performance and we think this is strong enough to do that. Needs to lose the sunglasses earlier from the semi performance but this is an impressively bombastic song with a strong vocal that will benefit from the fact that there’s little else like it here.

6. GREECE Akylas Ferto (Bring it) (Akylas Mytilinaios, Orpheus Nonis, Theofilos Pouzbouris, Thomas Papathanasis) PREDICTION: 6th to 10th

There’s an irreverence about the computer game final staging that reminds of Estonia’s Tommy Cash who finished 3rd last year. Happy for Akylas that he has a moment here to impress vocally. The song feels a little all over the place and in no way reflecting its current strong showing in the odds.

7. UKRAINE Leléka Ridnym (Relatives) (Adama Cefalu, Jakob Hegner, Viktoria Leleka, Yaroslav Dzhus) PREDICTION: 11th to 15th

Putting the lack into lacklustre with the studio version but really coming into its own in the live performance. Australia’s Goodrem will want to come a long way after this in the running order (although that didn’t happen – again!) so as not to take anything from her superior nature-based entry which is perhaps lacking in the soul we have offered here.

8.AUSTRALIA Delta Goodrem Eclipse (Delta Goodrem, Michael Fatkin, Jonas Myrin, Ferras Alqaisi) PREDICTION: 1st to 5th

Our song of the month for March and we wrote: ‘It starts with fingers plucking at a harp and some naturalistic imagery creating a Florence and The Machine vibe before exploding into an insanely catchy chorus of ‘1 touch, 1 kiss, all my life for a night like this …’

‘You don’t come close to evoking Kylie Minogue’s astonishing On A Night Like This, particularly if you’re Australian, without some confidence in your own material and Goodrem’s Eclipse really delivers. There’s also an idiosynchratic piano-led middle 8 which reminds of the music this worldwide artist is most known for.’

Goodrem comes into Eurovision as 1 of the favourites to win and we see her taking the jury vote in the final and knocking the live vocal out of the park. The rest is in the hands of the voting public …

9. SERBIA Lavina Kraj Mene (End of me) (Lavina, Ivan Jegdić) PREDICTION: 21st to 25th

Serbia won Eurovision on its debut in 2007 in Helsinki with Marija Šerifović’s Molitva (Prayer) and we made the trip to Belgrade the following year for a memorable final where Russia won. Serbia failed to make the final last year and this is dark rock facing a similar fate but bettering it. A very long 3 minutes which accurately reflects how the listener feels in its final 60 seconds.

10. MALTA Adrian Bella (Beautiful) Aidan Cassar, Joep van den Boom, Sarah Bonnici) PREDICTION: 16th to 20th

We appreciate Adrian’s persistence to represent his country and choosing of an old school Italian-style ballad which showcases his ability to sing. However, it’s lyrically weak and lacking in the originality we like to see from our Eurovision entries.

11. CZECHIA Daniel Zizka Crossroads (Daniel Žižka, Viliam Béreš) PREDICTION: 16th to 20th

Starts off slow and dreary but builds into something with a challenging vocal that has the moments needed to mark its progress although jury reliant.

12. BULGARIA Dara Bangaranga (Anne Judith Wik, Cristian Tarcea, Darina Nikolaeva Yotova, Dimitris Kontopoulos) PREDICTION: 6th to 10th

Turkey hasn’t competed at Eurovision since 2013 and this reminds of some of the sounds from that country. It’s a welcome return to Bulgaria who haven’t taken part since 2022 because of financial constraints and this is a fantastically contemporary ethno-banger that could be a dark horse for the win depending on its performance. The country’s best finish is 2nd in 2017 with Kristian Kostov’s Beautiful Mess. Co-songwriter here Dimitris Kontopoulos has written for a number of countries including Ukraine in 2008 where Shady Lady was a runner-up for Ani Lorak.

13. CROATIA Lelek Andromeda (Filip Lacković, Lazar Pajić, Tomislav Roso, Zorica Pajić) PREDICTION: 16th to 20th

5-strong female folk group create a witchy vibe while wearing markings reminiscent of the Catholic folk custom sicanje, tattoos worn by ethnic Croats to ward off Ottoman violence or forced conversion. The lyrics speak of the subjugation of women. It’s a little bit shouty, staged with fire and candles while reminding of Czechia’s similar Vesna which finished 10th in 2023 with My Sister’s Crown.

14. UK Look Mum No Computer Eins, Zwei, Drei (1, 2, 3) (Julie Aagaard, Lasse Midtsian Nymann, Sam Battle, Thomas Stengaard) PREDICTION: 16th to 20th

An English musician known for making and playing unusual, esoteric, and eccentric electronic musical devices made from vintage technology. Sam Battle runs This Museum Is (Not) Obsolete in Ramsgate, Kent and this is the daring switch to indie we were expecting from the BBC. There’s a Blur quality to the lyric (‘that’ll be a pony’, ‘got me feeling okey dokey’ and ‘mustard … roly-poly with custard’), Pet Shop Boys feel to the 80s keyboards and sense of Europe as escape. We love it but wonder what Eurovision will make of it. It’s so niche and leftfield any result is possible for it apart from winning … probably.

15. FRANCE Monroe Regarde (Look at) (Christopher Cohen, Fredie Marche, Maxime Morise, Fred Savio) PREDICTION: 1st to 5th

17-year-old Monroe won a France 2 talent show last year performing The Queen of the Night from The Magic Flute. Born in Salt Lake City to a French mother and an American father, p-opera is the style which triumphed at Eurovision last year but isn’t a genre we much appreciate. If your idea of Eurovision is London’s West End theatre, here is your winner. So desperate to ape the genius that is Rosalia. Clearly in contention for the win and needs to be snuffed out by the public rather than the, we anticipate, fawning juries.

16. MOLDOVA Satoshi Viva Moldova! (Vlad Sabajuc) PREDICTION: 2nd to 5th

5 countries – Spain, Ireland, the Netherlands, Iceland and Slovenia – withdraw in protest at Israel’s participation and Moldova is 1 of 3 countries returning. Moldova didn’t compete in 2025 due to economic reasons and Viva Moldova! is predominantly in Romanian. It’s uptempo turbo folk – including a ‘Moldova is on duty’ hook – that will be familiar from some of the country’s most successful top 10 Eurovision placings. Love the nod to a past visually memorable moment.

17. FINLAND Linda Lampenius & Pete Parkkonen Liekinheitin (Flamethrower) (Antti Riihimäki, Lauri Halavaara, Linda Lampenius, Pete Parkkonen, Vilma Alina Lähteenmäki) PREDICTION: 1st to 5th

The runaway victor in its national final and current favourite to take home the whole thing. There are flames, an uptempo song with a strong female fiddler and some memorable staging. It’s in Finnish which may be to its detriment and we wonder whether a few sections may switch to English although it doesn’t currently look to need it. The fiddle is occasionally live.

18. POLAND Alicja Pray (Alicja Szemplińska, Sinclair Alan Malcolm, Weronika Gabryelczyk) PREDICTION: 11th to 15th

Alicja was set to represent Poland in the Eurovision Song Contest 2020 with the song Empires before the event was cancelled. She won season 10 of The Voice of Poland in 2019. The song is an improvement and this is bluesy and gospelish and performed brilliantly.

19. LITHUANIA Lion Ceccah Sólo quiero más (I just want more) (Aurimas Galvelis, Tomas Alenčikas) PREDICTION: 21st to 25th

Now here’s an oddity. No Spain this year and we have a chorus at least in part in Spanish. A meandering effort which appears to only have 1 gear change. We spent the entire national final performance worrying how the Tin Man was going to get the silver facepaint off. Oversung in Semi 1.

20. SWEDEN FELICIA My System (Audun Agnar Guldbrandsen, Emily Harbakk, Felicia Eriksson, Julie Bergan, Theresa Rex) PREDICTION: 1st to 5th

FELICIA is the former Fröken Snusk, who performed in a balaclava and competed with Unga & fria (Young & Free) in Melodifestivalen in 2024, where she just missed out in the Andra Chanson. My System is captivating electronic dance music (EDM) which is spectacularly performed in the EDM genre which often doesn’t require it. A potential Eurovision winner.

21. CYPRUS Antigoni Jalla (More) (Antigoni Buxton, Charalambous Kallona, Connor Mullally-Knight, Demetris Nikolaou, Klejdi Lupa, Paris Kalpos, Trey Qua) PREDICTION: 11th to 15th

Bringing the party this year while also reminding of the country this is from. Definitely 1 you’ll be wanting to leap up on the table to before dancing. The sound is euphoric Eurovision dance and this is likely to go very well indeed. Antigoni can sing albeit huskily. Cyprus’ 42nd attempt to win Eurovision was a little underwhelming in semi 2. Antigoni is a British/Cypriot singer.

22. ITALY Sal Da Vinci Per Sempre Si (Forever yes) PREDICTION: 11th to 15th

Our predictions for Italy are notoriously too tight because we genuinely fail to understand the Eurovision fan desire (Fire, higher, liar …) for a San Remo win. Per Sempre Si could be beamed in from the 70s with Baccara waiting to bat it out of the park from the wings but is lacking in ambition, dripping in nostalgia and sung well. The vibe is cruise ship Barry Manilow and the dancers behind Sal are an unwelcome distraction.

23. NORWAY Jonas Lovv Ya Ya Ya (Jonas Lovv Hellesøy, Sondre Skaftun) PREDICTION: 16th to 20th

The surprise victor in Norway where former winner Alexander Rybak was competing with a song which very much reminded of his 2009 winner Fairytale. This is rock that’s not taking itself too seriously which is just as well.

24. ROMANIA Alexandra Căpitănescu Choke Me (Alexandra Căpitănescu, Călin Grajdan, Silitră Elvis Claudiu, Ștefan Condrea) PREDICTION: 16th to 20th

The Guardian reported campaigners have called for the song to be banned accusing it of ‘glamourising sexual strangulation’ a claim denied by the band. Lead singer Căpitănescu performs it impressively with p-opera elements while the vibe is emo grunge. Will the questionable lyrics trump the strong performance?

25. AUSTRIA Cosmo Tanzschein (Dance licence) (Benjamin Gedeon, Elias Stejskal, Ella Stern) PREDICTION: 25th

Is affecting a sinister deep voice ever a good look for a song? No production values in its final, a 1st year drama club vibe and a deep-throated, creepily voiced disaster of a song. Upgraded a little for its semi performance. Furiously Googling the word ‘Tanzschein’ for further clues to check whether this is the host broadcaster ORF actually competing to finish last.

• Main picture via Facebook courtesy Look No Computer and BBC Eurovision. Tickets
• Have you seen a Eurovision final before and what do you think of these entrants? Tickets
• Let us know what you thought in the comments below. Our predictions for the pre-qualified 2026 Eurovision Song Contest Semi 1 preview and predictions. Semi 2 preview and predictions Updated final predictions
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