The first semi-final of Eurovision 2026 will take place on May 12 in Vienna (Austria). The broadcast of the competition will begin at 22.00 on all Suspilny platforms – television, radio and the Internet.
On television and on the Internet, the broadcast will be accompanied by translation into sign language. Songs in sign language will be performed by Anfisa Khudashova, Lada Sokolyuk and Alexander Rudik, and Tatyana Zhurkova will translate the dialogues.
Which countries will perform in the first semi-final
Representatives from 17 countries take part in the first semi-final, two of which automatically qualify for the final as Eurovision sponsoring countries – Italy and Germany. Another 10 countries will be chosen by voting.
- Moldova.
- Sweden.
- Croatia.
- Greece.
- Portugal.
- Georgia.
- Finland.
- Montenegro.
- Estonia.
- Israel.
- Belgium.
- Lithuania.
- San Marino.
- Poland.
- Serbia.
Where is Ukraine
Ukraine is represented at the competition by singer Leleka (Victoria Leleka) with the song Ridnym. She will appear on stage together with the Ukrainian bandura player, founder of the Shpilyasti Kobzari group Yaroslav Dzhus in the second semi-final on May 14 at number 12.
How vote
Ukraine can vote only during the second semi-final, when its representative will perform – each country casts its vote in the semi-final in which its representative performs. You cannot vote for your country.
You can vote for your favorite artist’s performance in the official Eurovision Song Contest App, as well as via SMS, phone call (the numbers will be known during the live broadcast) and on the esc.vote website, which is active only on broadcast days.
Context
The second semi-final will take place on May 14, and the grand final will take place on May 16. A total of 35 countries are participating in the competition.
