The second semi-final of “Eurovision 2026” is over, and all 25 finalists have been confirmed for the grand final in Vienna on Saturday. The evening featured 18 acts, 10 of whom received enough votes to secure a spot on Saturday night’s stage. All the pre-tournament favorites arrived, setting up what will be a tight race at the weekend.According to the BBC, the ten acts that qualified for Thursday’s semi-final have been confirmed, joining the countries that secured places in Monday’s first semi-final.
The 10 countries qualified from the second semi-final
Albania: Alis – ‘Nân’Australia: Delta Goodrem – ‘Eclipse’Bulgaria: Dara – ‘Bangaranga’Cyprus: Antigoni – ‘Jalla’Czech Republic: Daniel Zizka – ‘Crossroads’Denmark: Søren Torpegaard Lund – ‘Før Vi Går Hjem’Malta: Aidan – ‘Bella’Norway: Jonas Lovv – ‘Ya Ya Ya’Romania: Alexandra Căpitănescu – ‘Drown Me’Ukraine: Leléka — ‘Ridnym’Joining them are Belgium, Croatia, Finland, Greece, Lithuania, Moldova, Poland, Serbia and Sweden, all of whom qualified from Monday’s first semi-final. The UK, Italy, Germany and France automatically qualified as the Big Four, while Austria automatically secured a spot as this year’s host nation.
Who are the favorites heading into Saturday’s final?
With the 25 finalists now confirmed, the bookies have their top three well-stocked:Finland: Linda Lampenius and Pete Parkkonen – ‘Liekinheitin’ (37% chance of winning)Greece: Akylas — ‘Ferto’ (11% chance of winning)Australia: Delta Goodrem – ‘Eclipse’ (11% chance of winning)Goodrem is proving to be a particularly strong contender for the weekend. Her song, a classic ballad in the style of Celine Dion, is seen to have great appeal in both the public vote and the professional songwriter’s panel, each accounting for half of the final score. His odds have also shortened over the course of the week, suggesting growing confidence in his chances.There is also the possibility of Israel playing strong in the public vote, something that has become a model and point of contention in recent years, with some countries accusing the Israeli government of trying to influence the outcome through ad campaigns. “Eurovision” organizers insist that this is not the case.
Where is the UK?
Great Britain finds itself with two events in contention for Saturday’s final. The official UK entry, Look Mum No Computer, is currently ranked 21st by the bookmakers. Sitting above them in 16th place is Cypriot Antigoni, born and bred in London, giving British viewers the second official horse in the race.The grand final will take place in Vienna on Saturday, with commentary available at the same time. All signs point to a competitive and unpredictable evening.
