Eurovision fever hits host city Vienna
- Last updated: May 10, 2026 | 09:27
Eurovision fever was set to hit Vienna on Sunday with events planned for thousands of fans in advance of the song contest's grand final on May 16, with the build-up once again facing calls for a boycott over Israel's participation.
The Austrian capital is pulling out all the stops to host the 70th edition of the world's most-watched song contest, with many side events scheduled in the run-up.
On Sunday afternoon, it will roll out the carpet -- which at Eurovision is not red but turquoise -- to welcome a parade of the 35 delegations from participating countries, as part of a colourful opening ceremony set to begin at 1200 GMT.
On the agenda: the best - and worst - from seven decades of the music competition on a giant screen in front of the neo-Gothic city hall, in a square turned into a secured area reserved for fans.
Today, the contest reaches more than 170 million people on television and online around the world, and its content generates billions of views across digital platforms.
Finland is the heavy favourite this year, hoping to hit the jackpot with an entry pairing brooding singer Pete Parkkonen with radiant violinist Linda Lampenius.
Instruments are usually pre-recorded but organisers the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) have made an exception to allow Lampenius to play live, according to the Nordic country's media.
Agence France-Presse