Meet the Artists Taking on Eurovision 2026’s First Semi-Final Tonight
EurovisionPicks Team ·
Eurovision week is officially underway, and tonight the first 17 artists hoping to reach the Grand Final will take to the stage in Vienna for the First Semi-Final of the Eurovision Song Contest 2026.
Eurovision week is officially underway, and tonight the first 17 artists hoping to reach the Grand Final will take to the stage in Vienna for the First Semi-Final of the Eurovision Song Contest 2026.
The live show begins on Tuesday 12 May at 21:00 CEST, which is:
- 20:00 BST (UK)
- 15:00 ET (US East Coast)
- 12:00 PT (US West Coast)
If you want to listen to every competing song before the show starts, head over to https://eurovisionpicks.com/entries where you can explore all of this year’s entries in one place.
This year’s First Semi-Final brings together returning Eurovision names, viral performers, rising stars and some genuinely fascinating personalities. Here’s a closer look at tonight’s artists.
🇲🇩 Moldova: Satoshi – *Viva, Moldova!*
Moldova’s Satoshi is a huge fan of physical music collections and owns hundreds of CDs. While most people stream everything nowadays, he says listening to albums properly helps him connect with music without distractions.
🇸🇪 Sweden: FELICIA – *My System*
Sweden’s FELICIA says one song will always pull her onto the dance floor instantly: Rihanna’s Where Have You Been. She describes the drop as unbeatable.
🇭🇷 Croatia: LELEK – *Andromeda*
Croatian act LELEK love theatrical performances, so it makes sense their karaoke favourite is Queen’s Bohemian Rhapsody. The group says it turns any karaoke session into a full performance.
🇬🇷 Greece: Akylas – *Ferto*
Akylas still remembers Greece winning Eurovision in 2005 with Helena Paparizou. He describes the celebrations that night as unforgettable, with entire neighbourhoods celebrating together in the streets.
🇵🇹 Portugal: Bandidos do Cante – *Rosa*
Portugal’s Bandidos do Cante take inspiration from Cante Alentejano, one of the country’s most treasured musical traditions. The unique vocal style has even been recognised by UNESCO for its cultural importance.
🇬🇪 Georgia: Bzikebi – *On Replay*
Long-time Eurovision fans will definitely recognise Bzikebi. The group famously won Junior Eurovision in 2008 with their bee-themed performance that became one of the contest’s most memorable entries.
🇮🇹 Italy: Sal Da Vinci – *Per Sempre Sì*
Italy’s Sal Da Vinci has a surprisingly ordinary hobby for such a stylish performer: ironing shirts. Judging by his appearances so far this Eurovision season, it clearly pays off.
🇫🇮 Finland: Linda Lampenius x Pete Parkkonen – *Liekinheitin*
Linda Lampenius once performed in the ocean during an appearance on Baywatch, where she played a violinist and showcased her classical music background.
🇲🇪 Montenegro: Tamara Živković – *Nova Zora*
Tamara’s artistic inspirations come from mythology, symbolism and ancient storytelling, all of which influence the emotional style of her music.
🇪🇪 Estonia: Vanilla Ninja – *Too Epic To Be True*
Vanilla Ninja are not only back on the Eurovision stage, they also have their own bestselling ice cream brand in Estonia featuring flavours like peppermint, caramel and chocolate.
🇮🇱 Israel: Noam Bettan – *Michelle*
Noam Bettan says disco music is impossible to resist, especially Dua Lipa’s Levitating, which he says immediately gets him moving.
🇩🇪 Germany: Sarah Engels – *Fire*
Sarah Engels recalls one unforgettable concert where somebody proposed on stage in front of the audience. She says being part of such a personal moment was incredibly emotional.
🇧🇪 Belgium: ESSYLA – *Dancing on the Ice*
ESSYLA has dreamed of Eurovision since childhood after watching Junior Eurovision at just five years old. Tonight, that dream finally becomes reality.
🇱🇹 Lithuania: Lion Ceccah – *Sólo Quiero Más*
Lithuania’s Lion Ceccah combines music, fashion and drag performance into one creative identity. He is also the founder of performative fashion collective The House of Kulkidz.
🇸🇲 San Marino: SENHIT – *Superstar*
SENHIT once performed on the helipad of Dubai’s Burj Al Arab hotel, hundreds of feet above the ground in one of the world’s most unusual performance locations.
🇵🇱 Poland: ALICJA – *Pray*
ALICJA says one of her favourite Eurovision songs is Daði Freyr’s Think About Things. She was due to compete in the cancelled 2020 contest and nearly had the opportunity to meet him.
🇷🇸 Serbia: LAVINA – *Kraj Mene*
Metal band LAVINA have a surprisingly wide mix of hobbies outside music, including Olympic weightlifting, tattoo artistry, cooking Asian cuisine and triathlons.
With only ten qualification spots available, tonight’s First Semi-Final promises drama, surprises and plenty of unforgettable performances.
Make sure you’re ready before the show begins by listening to every Eurovision 2026 song now at https://eurovisionpicks.com/entries.
Photo Credit: Sarah Louise Bennett / EBU