It’s that time of the year to don your most sparkling and bedazzled suit and sing along to the epic ballads at the Eurovision Song Contest 2026.
This year, the incredible Delta Goodrem is representing Australia at the storied competition. But not only that, she’s expected to take home the top prize with her song ‘Eclipse’.
Where is the Eurovision Song Contest 2026?
In 2026, the Eurovision Song Contest will be held in Vienna, Austria.
Whichever country’s artist wins the contest scores the hosting gig. So, last year, in 2025, the artist JJ won with their song ‘Wasted Love’ in Basel, Switzerland.
The show will take place at the Wiener Stadthalle in central Vienna.
When is the Eurovision Song Contest 2026?
The 70th Eurovision Song Contest starts on Tuesday, 12 May (semi-final), Thursday, 14 May (second semi-final) and Saturday, 16 May (grand final). So, we will see them the following day, thanks to time zones.
How can I watch the Eurovision Song Contest in 2026 from Australia?
I hope you like early mornings! Thanks to the time zones, the semi-finals and grand final all begin at 5.00 am AEST.
You can watch the broadcast live on SBS and SBS on Demand. And if you want to support Delta Goodrem, she’s performing in the second semi-final on Friday, 15 May at 5.00 am AEST.
If you miss the live broadcast, you can catch up later on in the day on SBS on Demand.
SBS will also be broadcasting prime-time ‘Access All Areas’ content from 15-17 May at 7.30 pm.
And if you want to watch previous years’ shows, you can catch them on the SBS Eurovision Hub or listen to all the hits on SBS PopEuro radio.
Who is representing Australia at this year’s Eurovision Song Contest?
As mentioned, Delta Goodrem is representing Australia with her song ‘Eclipse’. We spoke with Delta on the day of the announcement, and she shared how excited she was to represent her country on the World Stage.
“I’ve always believed in the power of music from the day I was born,” she says now. “I believed in what it could do for people. You know, in times of trouble, people turn to music. When happy moments occur, they turn to music. I’ve always been moved by music deeply, and I really believe in the healing power and the hope and unity that come with things like Eurovision.”
Read that exclusive interview here.
Who is through to the Grand Final of Eurovision 2026?
Delta Goodrem was successful in the semi-final and is through to the Grand Final!
Joining Australia in the Grand Final are:
- Albania
- Bulgaria
- Cyprus
- Czechia
- Denmark
- Malta
- Romania
- Ukraine
- Norway
- Greece
- Finland
- Moldova
- Belgium
- Croatia
- Israel
- Lithuania
- Poland
- Serbia
- Sweden
- United Kingdom
- France
- Italy
- Germany
- Austria.
Who is hosting the Eurovision Song Contest for Australian viewers?
After a successful hosting job last year, Courtney Act is returning to host the song contest.
Sadly, Courtney’s 2025 co-host, Tony Armstrong, is sitting this year out, and instead, Danny Estrin of Voyager will be joining Courtney as host.
Who is the official spokesperson for Australia?
The official spokesperson is none other than Eurovision darling, Dami Im!
“I can’t believe it’s been 10 years since my Eurovision journey!” Dami said in a statement. “It’s been such a privilege to be part of a passionate and joyful community that has opened so many doors for me as an artist. I’m really excited to return this year in the iconic role of Australia’s Eurovision spokesperson and share Australia’s points with the world.”
Listen out for Dami sharing points that Delta wins for Australia on Monday night.
How does voting work in Eurovision?
The Eurovision Song Contest has a professional jury with members representing each of the 35 countries. Additionally, viewers can vote for their favourite; however, there is a catch. You cannot vote for your own country. So, Australian viewers can’t vote for Delta Goodrem.
In order to vote for your favourite, you need to tune into SBS’s live broadcast and follow the prompts that appear on screen. Votes can be cast here. You can only vote during the live broadcast. However, you can vote up to ten times! There is a cost per vote of about $0.70 AUD.
Who has represented Australia in the past?
Australia has competed in Eurovision 11 times (including this year with Delta Goodrem). Australia first appeared via a guest song from the fabulous Jessica Mauboy in 2014. However, our first official entry was in 2015 with Guy Sebastian.
You can discover all our previous representatives here.
What is the controversy with the Eurovision Song Contest in 2026?
Five countries have boycotted the Eurovision Song Contest this year following the competition’s decision to allow Israel to compete.
Spain, the Republic of Ireland, Iceland, the Netherlands and Slovenia all announced early in the year that they would not be taking part.
The boycott is in response to the conflict in Gaza and the plight of the Palestinian people.
“Our message is: we will not participate in the ESC [Eurovision Song Contest] if Israel is there. On behalf of the 20,000 children who died in Gaza,” stated Natalija Gorscak, head of Slovenia’s national broadcaster, RTV.
Similarly, RTÉ, Ireland’s national broadcaster, stated 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”.
Instead of broadcasting the Grand Final, RTÉ will broadcast an episode of Father Ted, a popular comedy sitcom. The episode that they are showing is one where two of the main characters, priests, attempt to get chosen to represent Ireland in Eurovision with their song, “My Lovely Horse.”
You can read our full deep dive into the controversy here.
