Recommendations of the Editorial team
The ESC 2026 gets underway a week before the first semi-final. From May 10th to 17th, the square in front of the striking town hall on Ringstrasse will be transformed into the “Eurovision Village” – a colorful zone that serves as a meeting point for fans from all over the world, with gastronomy and a program with free entry.
In addition to daily events, the public viewings of the two semi-finals on May 12th and 14th and the final on May 16th on large screens are particularly attractive. The opening ceremony begins on Sunday, May 10th, with the traditional “Turquoise Carpet”: the turquoise carpet on which the delegations move from the neighboring Burgtheater to the town hall square.
The daily newspaper “Die Presse” headlines: “You won’t escape the song contest.”
Choking sex or “crushing love”
Musically and in terms of content, this year’s competition is already a topic of conversation in advance. Romania’s contribution “Choke Me” by Alexandra Căpitănescu in particular has been criticized for some time. Activists accuse the song of romanticizing sexual strangulation – a dangerous practice, as the tragic death of INXS singer Michael Hutchence in 1997 demonstrated.
The singer herself contradicts and emphasizes that it is more about “the intensity of overwhelming love”. There have been no consequences from the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) so far. The debate in the general construction hype is currently easing somewhat.
Israel: More than a heartbreak pop song?
The contribution from Israel is less glaring but no less controversial. After two politically charged ballads about the Hamas massacre in 2023, Noam Bettan is opting for an ordinary heartbreak pop song with “Michelle” – one might think.
However, an analysis of the text suggests that there could be much more resonate between the lines. The multilingual love song with a Beatles song title reference deals with themes such as identity and European culture. Written by a team led by Yuval Raphael, the work is “understood as a hopeful contribution in a politicized environment” despite personal hostility towards the performer in the media. Nevertheless, there will again be massive protests and boos against Israel’s participation in the ESC.
Georgia: bee nostalgia and a comeback
Georgia is providing nostalgic feelings: the trio Bzikebi, which won the Junior Eurovision Song Contest in 2008 with a legendary performance in yellow and black bee costumes, is returning. With “On Replay” they now want to score points at the big ESC. Whether they will succeed remains to be seen – Georgia has traditionally been more successful in the junior format than in the adult format.
Looking to Asia: Eurovision Song Contest Asia
While Europe is concentrating on Vienna, its eyes are turning to Asia: With the planned start of the Eurovision Song Contest Asia on November 14th in Bangkok, a long-held plan could become reality. Ten countries, including the Philippines, South Korea and Vietnam, have already agreed.
What impact this competition will have on the ESC landscape – including on “alternative” formats such as Vladimir Putin’s “Intervision” contest – remains an exciting question in the international hit cosmos.
