Aliona Moon performs her song "Viva Moldova" with Satoshi from Moldova during a dress rehearsal for the Grand Final of the 70th Eurovision Song Contest.
Aliona Moon sings “ Viva Moldova ” during her featured performance with Satoshi from Moldova during the dress rehearsal for the Grand Final of the 70th Eurovision Song Contest in Vienna , Austria , Friday, May 15, 2026.
CORRECTS PERFORMERS NAME TO ALIONA MOON FROM SATOSHI. Linda Lampenius and Pete Parkkonen from Finland perform the song “Liekinheitin” during the first semifinal of the 70th Eurovision Song Contest in Vienna, Austria, Tuesday, May 12, 2026. Akylas from Greece performs the song “Ferto” during the dress rehearsal for the Grand Final of the 70th Eurovision Song Contest in Vienna, Austria, Friday, May 15, 2026.
Satoshi from Moldova performs the song “Viva, Moldova! ” during the dress rehearsal for the Grand Final of the 70th Eurovision Song Contest in Vienna, Austria, Friday, May 15, 2026. Delta Goodrem from Australia performs the song “Eclipse” during the dress rehearsal for the Grand Final of the 70th Eurovision Song Contest in Vienna, Austria, Friday, May 15, 2026.
CORRECTS PERFORMERS NAME TO ALIONA MOON FROM SATOSHI. Dara beat 24 other competitors during Saturday’s grand final in Vienna. The song’s infectious beats and tightly choreographed dance routine was a hit with both national juries and viewers who together decide the vote.
After a week’s buildup, acts from 25 countries took the stage at the Wiener Stadthalle arena in Vienna to battle for the continent’s pop crown. Millions of viewers around the world cast judgment on a fiery Finnish violinist, a Moldovan folk rapper, a Serbian metal band and many more at Eurovision’s 70th anniversary event.instead of soccer. And like global sports, it often becomes entangled in politics.
The contest has been clouded for a third year by calls for Israel to be excluded over its conflicts in Gaza and elsewhere, with five longtime participants —The political tensions have clouded a contest that over the decades has given the world the perfect pop of ABBA’s “Waterloo” and the ageless “Nel blu, dipinto di blu” — better known as “Volare” — along with a host of Euro-pop party anthems. The musicians had just 3 minutes to win over millions of viewers who, along with national juries of music professionals, pick the winner.
Serbian metal band Kravina offered hard rock angst, as did Romania’s Alexandra Căpitănescu with the provocatively titled “Choke Me. ” Albania’s Alis used a brooding choral sound to pay tribute to mothers on “Nân. ”British act Look Mum No Computer’s jokey novelty song “Eins, Zwei, Drei” was followed by Monroe, a soaring soprano from France with “Regarde!
” Female solo artists dominated: an empowering power ballad from Germany’s Sarah Engels, gospel-tinged R&B from Poland’s Alicja, ethereal beauty from Ukraine’s Leléka, techno-pop from Sweden’s Felicia. Male soloists were well represented too, by the likes of Aidan from Malta, Denmark’s Søren Torpegaard Lund, rock-edged singer Jonas Lovv from Norway, classic Italian crooner Sal Da Vinci and hometown hero Cosmo, representing Austria with a pleasing retro-techno sound.showed what a diva should be like with her slick midtempo ballad “Eclipse” — and a bravura performance that sees her raised into the air above a glittery piano.
A European country would likely host for Australia next year if she wins. Bettan was loudly cheered, though there was a smattering of boos as he performed “Michelle,” a rock ballad in Hebrew, French and English. Earlier in the week, four people were ejected for trying to disrupt his semifinal performance. Party rap with a political edge was in the house thanks to Moldova and Greece.
Rapper Satoshi’s ebullient “Viva, Moldova” was a love letter to Europe from a country moving toward the European Union after decades in Moscow’s orbit. Greek artist Akylas’ song “Ferto,” or “Bring It,” provides a playful take on conspicuous consumption in a country still scarred by the economic wounds of the 2008 financial crisis. Both are likely to score highly with viewers, though national juries, which tend to be more impressed by technical excellence, may be less impressed.
Winners are chosen by a mix of votes from the two, translated into points by a system confusing even to Eurovision fans. The act with the most points wins, and their country gets to host the competition next year.in betting odds with “Liekinheitin,” or “Flamethrower,” a fiery duet between the singing of pop star Pete Parkkonen and the fiddling of classical violinist Linda Lampenius.
“Eurovision has never really been a contest for big stars. It’s largely been a contest for underdogs,” said Eurovision historian Dean Vuletic.
“People like to see the underdog on stage. They like to the artist-in-the-making on stage or an artist from a smaller, poorer country on stage. ” Viewers around the world can vote for their favorites during and for a short time after the performances, before the results are tallied. Viewers in participating countries can vote up to 10 times but aren’t allowed to vote for their own country’s act.
Viewers in the U.S. and other nonparticipating countries can vote online atHundreds marched near the contest arena before Saturday’s final, some holding placards saying “Block Eurovision. ” Pro-Palestinian groups also staged an outdoor concert on Friday under the banner “No stage for genocide.
” “Inviting Israel on such a beautiful stage as the Eurovision Song Contest stage is an affront to all the people who believe in humanity, who believe in love and togetherness,” said Congolese-Austrian artist Patrick Bongola, one of the organizers. The five-nation boycott is a revenue and viewership blow to an event that organizers say was watched by 166 million people around the world last year.
Eurovision director Martin Green urged viewers to put politics aside and enjoy the “brilliant, wonderful, heartfelt show. ” Vuletic says political controversy is nothing new. The first Eurovision boycott was in 1969 — ironically, by Austria, which refused to send a delegation to Spain under dictator Francisco Franco.
“We’ve seen very politicized editions of the contest in the recent past,” Vuletic said. “All of them were very much mired in political controversy, yet Eurovision continues. ”
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