How to watch Eurovision 2026 on TV and radio: All of the BBC's coverage

Eurovision 2026 has finally arrived, with the first semi-final kicking off the competition tonight!

Moldova will open the show, marking their first Eurovision performance since 2024 after the country had a one year break in 2025.

For those in the UK hoping to get in on all the action, there is a wealth of content across the BBC to get excited for with programming across television, radio and online lined up across the week.

Ready to get your Eurovision fix? Read on to find out where you can watch this year's competition and even more – and be sure to bookmark this page to refer back to!

Semi-final 1

Airing: Tuesday 12 May at 8pm on BBC One and iPlayer

The semi-finals will be broadcast live on BBC One and iPlayer, featuring commentary from Rylan Clark and Angela Scanlon, live from the Wiener Stadthalle arena in Vienna.

The first semi-final will feature performances from Moldova, Sweden, Croatia, Greece, Portugal, Georgia, Finland, Montenegro, Estonia, Israel, Belgium, Lithuania, San Marino, Poland and Serbia.

The pre-qualified Big Four countries performing and voting during the first semi-final are Italy and Germany.

Semi-final 2

Airing: Thursday 14 May at 8pm on BBC One and iPlayer

The second semi-final will see Bulgaria, Azerbaijan, Romania, Luxembourg, Czechia, Armenia, Switzerland, Cyprus, Latvia, Denmark, Australia, Ukraine, Albania, Malta and Norway all compete for a spot in Saturday's grand final.

The Big Four countries performing and voting in the second semi-final are France and the United Kingdom, with pre-qualified hosts Austria also performing.

Grand final

Airing: Saturday 16 May at 8pm on BBC One and iPlayer

The remaining 25 countries who have qualified for a spot in the grand final, including the UK's Look Mum No Computer will battle it out to win!

Graham Norton will once again guide audiences throughout the night, providing his much loved witty commentary.

BBC Radio 2

Tuesday 12 and Thursday 14 May

• Eurovision semi-finals with Sara Cox

Live from Vienna, Sara Cox will be providing commentary on the air waves for both semi-finals, kicking off at 8pm.

Wednesday 13 May

• Sara Cox's teatime show - live from Vienna

From 4pm to 7pm, Sara Cox will be getting listeners through teatime live from Austria. Fans can expect plenty of giggles, fab music, and all the Eurovision gossip in the run-up to the grand final.

Friday 15 May

• Sophie Ellis-Bextor's Eurovision Kitchen Disco

Sophie Ellis-Bextor is once again throwing the ultimate Eurovision party and listeners can expect back-to-back Europop, plus loads of previous winners and near misses.

This will air from 9pm to 11pm.

Saturday 16 May

• Dermot O'Leary

On Eurovision super Saturday, Dermot O'Leary will be blasting the Eurovision tunes as his World Cup of great sport TV themes continues, from 8am to 10am.

• Sophie Ellis-Bextor with ‘Your Ultimate Eurovision Superstar!’

From 1pm to 3pm, Sophie continues the Eurovision vibes with a countdown the Top 40 of 'Your Ultimate Eurovision Superstar!' The race for first place includes Celine Dion, Olivia Newton-John, Johnny Logan, Loreen, and ABBA.

• Richie Anderson

Following on from Sophie Ellis-Bextor, Richie brings the Eurovision excitement to Saturday afternoon.

• ‘All Request Eurovision’ with Ellie Taylor

From 6pm to 8pm, the countdown gets underway as the nation gets ready to cheer on the UK's Eurovision entry, and in the final two hours before the final begins, Ellie Taylor is ramping up the excitement and finding out how the UK is preparing for the world’s biggest music contest and playing your favourite party songs.

Text 88-2-91 to send in your song requests.

• Eurovision 2026 - The Eurovision Grand Final with Sara Cox and Rylan

Live from Vienna, Sara Cox and Rylan bring listeners to Eurovision 2026 grand final on BBC Radio 2!

• The Eurovision After Party with OJ Borg

As the final concludes for another year, OJ keeps the Eurovision party going for all those who aren't quite ready for bed yet!

The Eurovision Song Contest has faced significant criticism over its decision to allow Israel to take part in the event due to the ongoing war in Gaza.

This year, a number of countries will boycott the contest following the European Broadcasting Union’s decision not to expel Israel from the competition.

At the EBU general assembly in December 2025, a vote was held to introduce new rules that would stop governments and third parties from disproportionately promoting songs to influence voters. No vote was held on Israel’s participation.

The EBU said in a statement: "A large majority of members agreed that there was no need for a further vote on participation and that the Eurovision Song Contest 2026 should proceed as planned, with the additional safeguards in place."

Following this, Ireland, Spain, the Netherlands, Slovenia and Iceland confirmed they would not participate in this year’s Eurovision.

Irish broadcaster RTÉ said: "RTÉ feels that Ireland’s participation remains unconscionable given the appalling loss of lives in Gaza and the humanitarian crisis there, which continues to put the lives of so many civilians at risk."

The BBC, which broadcasts the competition in the UK, has said it supports the decision made by the EBU. "This is about enforcing the rules of the EBU and being inclusive," it said in a statement.

The Eurovision Song Contest 2026 final will take place on Saturday 16 May 2026.

You can also check out the full list of Eurovision winners and how many times the UK has won Eurovision.

Check out more of our Entertainment coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.