The “Eurovision 2026” contest kicked off in Vienna: what makes the ceremony special
11 May 04:01
The official opening ceremony of the 70th Eurovision Song Contest took place on Sunday evening, May 10, in Vienna. The participants of Eurovision 2026 walked down a 170-meter-long turquoise carpet. It stretched from the Burgtheater to the City Hall of the Austrian capital, where the artists were greeted by Vienna Mayor Michael Ludwig and the contest organizers, reports "Komersant Ukrainian" citing DW.
FBI to Prevent Cyberattacks and Response to Israel’s Participation
Preparations for this year’s “Eurovision” were among the most difficult in the contest’s history. Broadcasters from five countries—the Netherlands, Ireland, Iceland, Spain, and Slovenia—announced a boycott of “Eurovision” due to Israel’s participation.
Watch us on YouTube: important topics – without censorship
But in the square in front of City Hall, which holds between 15,000 and 30,000 people, no dissenting shouts were heard when Israel’s representative, Noam Bettan, stepped onto the red carpet. A few protests took place that day or the day before, outside the main festivities.
Their participants are calling for Israel’s exclusion from “Eurovision” due to Israel’s military operation in the Gaza Strip, which has resulted in numerous Palestinian casualties. The war was a response to the October 2023 attack by Hamas terrorists on Israel, which killed approximately 1,200 people. Special security measures have been implemented to protect the Israeli delegation in Vienna, in addition to those already in place in the city during the “Eurovision” contest. According to Austrian authorities, they are cooperating with the U.S. FBI to prevent potential cyberattacks.
However, the opening ceremony went off without a hitch. Fans greeted every public appearance by the contestants by raising their smartphones in unison to the Eurovision music.
Favorites of “Eurovision 2026”
The opening ceremony is the only event during the contest when all participants gather together. Some of them will leave Eurovision following the results of the first two semifinals on May 12 and 14. In the final, which will take place on the stage of the Wiener Stadthalle on Saturday, May 16, viewers will see 25 of the 35 contestants entered in this year’s contest.
The opening ceremony is the most glamorous event at Eurovision. Performers select special outfits for it. This year’s ceremony was no exception. Its trending colors were black and red.
According to bookmakers, a week before the final, the Finnish duo consisting of violinist Linda Lampenius and singer Pete Parkkonen had the best chances of winning the contest. Their main competitors are considered to be Akylos from Greece, Søren Torpegaard Lunn from Denmark, Monroe representing France , and Delta Goodrem from Australia. The project LELÉKA, representing Ukraine, is vying for a spot in the top ten. Sarah Engels is representing Germany at Eurovision 2026.
Where to watch Eurovision
Broadcasters from Belarus and Russia were excluded from Eurovision in 2021 and 2022, respectively. The main reason was their disregard for the contest’s values: universality, inclusivity, and diversity. Viewers from countries that do not broadcast Eurovision can watch it on the organizer’s channels—the European Broadcasting Union—online and on social media. Live broadcasts of the contest’s semifinals and final begin at 9:00 p.m. Central European Time (10:00 p.m. Kyiv time).
Read us on Telegram: important topics – without censorship
