With Eurovision 2026 set to take place in Vienna this May — marking the competition's landmark 70th anniversary — the contest is already taking shape amid a flurry of national selections, notable controversies, and logistical developments. Greece has emerged as one of the early frontrunners, while the field continues to evolve as broadcasters across Europe finalize their entries. The road to Vienna has been anything but smooth, with selection scandals, a high-profile broadcaster withdrawal, and geopolitical tensions all casting a shadow over the buildup.
The national selection season has produced a mix of clear victories and contentious outcomes. Greece's Akylas Mytilinaios secured his country's spot after winning the 'Sing for Greece' competition on February 15 with the song 'Ferto,' and has since established himself as one of the most talked-about contenders in the 2026 field. Elsewhere, Ukraine's selection final on February 7 produced a winner in LELÉKA, but the result was quickly overshadowed by public backlash over her team's post-victory conduct — a controversy that added tension to an already high-stakes entry from a country with significant recent Eurovision history. Bulgaria's Dara faced a similar storm: after winning her national selection, she encountered intense online criticism and calls to annul the vote before confirming in early February that she would proceed to Vienna. Both episodes underscore how national selection processes have become flashpoints for public scrutiny and voting integrity debates.
Several other countries filled out the Vienna lineup in the weeks that followed. Cyprus confirmed Antigoni Buxton with the song 'Jalla,' a track backed by the songwriter behind Eleni Foureira's celebrated 'Fuego.' Latvia's Atvara secured a clean sweep of both jury and public votes at the Supernova final, while Croatia selected the group Lelek with 'Andromeda' at the Dora national final. Host nation Austria added 19-year-old artist Cosmó to the roster, giving the home crowd a local act to rally behind. Romania launched its selection process with 101 submitted songs, and Germany confirmed a 20-person expert jury to choose its representative — though a submitted entry titled 'Yugoslavia' sparked political controversy across former Yugoslav nations before the process concluded.
Not all developments have been additive. Spain, one of Eurovision's so-called 'Big Five' automatic grand final qualifiers and a major EBU financial contributor, confirmed its withdrawal from the 2026 contest in early February. Its Benidorm Fest competition will continue as a standalone national event, but Spain's absence leaves a notable gap in the lineup. The BBC also faced embarrassment after axing its chosen UK act in late January following the discovery of past inappropriate comments during routine background checks — forcing the broadcaster to restart its search for a representative. Adding to the disruptions, the EBU cancelled its planned Eurovision Live Tour 2026, a summer celebration intended to mark the 70th anniversary, citing unforeseen challenges and leaving ticket holders to seek refunds.