The 70th edition of the Eurovision Song Contest reaches its climax tonight as 25 participating countries perform live for the coveted trophy and the honor of hosting the 2027 contest. The Grand Final is held at Wiener Stadthalle, Vienna, Austria, starting at 21:00 CEST, with live broadcasts available, including on YouTube.

The show is hosted by Victoria Swarovski, Michael Ostrowski, and Green Room host Emily Busvine. The running order was decided by Austrian broadcaster ORF, based on a prior allocation draw.

Participating Countries

Twenty-five countries qualified for the Grand Final. The event opens with a special film revisiting last year’s winner, JJ from Switzerland, showcasing his journey from Basel to Vienna. This is followed by a performance by the ORF Radio-Symphonieorchester Wien and JJ performing his new single "Unknown."

The tradition of the Flag Parade continues, with each finalist country introduced by a giant national flag on screen. After the 10th country, Malta, JJ returns for an additional performance of "Wasted Love," featuring a dramatic show with dancers and acrobats in red and white costumes.

Show Structure and Features

  • Hosts formally explain the voting system in English and French.
  • Viewers can vote right from the start of performances.
  • There are three commercial breaks featuring thematic video segments, including reviews of the most successful Eurovision songs, introductions to Junior Eurovision 2026 in Malta, the upcoming Eurovision Asia in Bangkok, and highlights of the Eurovision week events in Vienna.
  • After the 15th and 22nd songs, the show features recaps of performances to keep viewers engaged.

Interval Acts

The first interval act, "Celebration!", features a medley performed by Eurovision all-stars such as Lordi, Alexander Rybak, Ruslana, Verka Serduchka, Max Mutzke, Kristian Kostov, Erika Vikman, and Miriana Conte, delivering a mashup of iconic Eurovision hits. Their vocals are pre-recorded.

The second interval spotlights electro swing artist Parov Stelar, a pioneer in blending jazz and swing with modern electronic music.

The third interval act features César Sampson, Austria's 2018 Eurovision representative, performing a rendition of "Vienna," followed by a montage of previous Eurovision winners.

Voting Procedure

Voting involves 35 participating countries, each with a jury and televote contributing 50% to the final points. The nuanced process includes:

  • Each jury awards 1-8, 10, and 12 points.
  • Televoting results follow the same points pattern, aggregated and announced in order starting from the country with the fewest jury points.
  • Online votes from the "rest of the world" carry the weight of one country.

The points from the jury spokespersons are announced live, whereas the televoting results are revealed in bulk. Detailed results and voting breakdowns will be published shortly after the show.

As the evening unfolds, viewers can expect an engaging mixture of nostalgia, state-of-the-art music, and live entertainment culminating in the announcement of the Eurovision Song Contest 2026 winner.