Oh, Vienna. The buildup to Eurovision 2026 in Austria has been beset by controversy. Five nations – including Spain, the Netherlands and seven-time winners Ireland – have boycotted the event in protest at Israel’s participation. The first semi-final on Tuesday saw chants of “free Palestine” echoing around the Wiener Stadthalle venue. The song contest’s slogan, “United by music”, feels increasingly ironic. Hardly ideal preparation for the annual pop party’s 70th anniversary.
Still, the cheesy Euro-pop show must go on and Saturday night’s grand final is primed to be as compelling as ever. In fact, surprises have already been sprung. Rather randomly, Boy George co-wrote San Marino’s entry and provided guest vocals, but failed to make it through Tuesday’s semi-final. Do you really want to hurt me? For voting viewers, it seemed the answer was yes. Nul points for you, former Culture Club frontman.
