The 5 Best Eurovision Songs of 2026

The grand final of the Eurovision Song Contest will take place in Vienna tomorrow. It is the 70^th edition of the annual competition, in which participating countries attempt to win the trophy through high theatrics, pyrotechnics, comic high jinks, and (occasionally) good songwriting.

American viewers can stream the competition on Peacock on Saturday, May 15, at 3pm ET.

TheaterMania’s chief critic has seen all of this year’s entries. Here are his top five:

5. “Ya Ya Ya” – Jonas Lovv – Norway
This unapologetically sexy rock number hugely benefits from the magnetism of its writer and lead performer. Jonas Lovv is a Viking rock god, with moves like Jagger and sass like Freddie Mercury. Just looks at that stache! I suspect he’ll seduce everyone in the arena, and quite a few home viewers. Will it be enough to clinch Norway its first win since Alexander Rybak in 2009? It’s very unlikely, according to the betting odds. But stranger things have happened, and in a year when everyone else seems to be doing dance pop, it helps to be a party rock band.

4. “Ferto” – Akylas – Greece
At first glance, this up-tempo ditty seems like a joke entry, Greek moussaka stuffed with Japanese candy and microplastics, guaranteed to give you the worst sugar rush of your life. Akylas delivers it decked out in Bengal stripes, headache-inducing vintage videogame projections swirling around him. But a closer listen reveals a song that is stealthily about the perils of manic consumerism. Diamond rings, Cuban links, submarines, jet machines—“Ferto,” our singer demands (“bring it”). But will it ever be enough? Will we ever fill the growing void in the Western soul with more stuff? Akylas manages to quench the Eurovision thirst for outrageous theatricality while sneaking in a deep philosophical quandary. How very Greek.

3. “Regarde!” – Monroe – France
Bridging the gap between chanson and opera, Monroe gives the audience a big taste of France in this irresistibly dramatic entry, which features her and a crew of dancers marching directly at the camera like they’re in a pandemic-era production of Les Misérables. It’s sure to be a big hit with the juries, but what about the televoters, who apportion half of the available points? They have been reluctant to vote for the “Big Five” countries in the past—that’s the UK, France, Italy, Germany, and Spain (which is boycotting the competition this year in protest of Israel’s participation). Since they contribute the most, those countries automatically qualify for the grand finale. Could this be France’s first victory since 1977?

2. “Liekinheitin” – Linda Lampenius and Pete Parkkonen – Finland
A song of deep longing about a hot-and-cold romance, “Liekinheitin” (translation: “flamethrower”) hits the Eurovision sweet spots: up-tempo enough to dance to, but malleable enough to spawn a thousand soulful covers. And the performance by Linda Lampenius and Pete Parkkonen is sure to be a showstopper. Fire and violins—what more could you want? Finland has been a consistent favorite in recent years, sending instant classic acts from Erika Vikman, Windows95man, and Käärijä (I will never get the sound of the arena crowd chanting “Cha Cha Cha” out of my head). The country has built up a lot of equity, and that might be enough to secure a win on Saturday. A lot of people are betting on it.

1. “Eclipse”– Delta Goodrem – Australia
Somewhat bizarrely, faraway Australia has participated in the Eurovision Song Contest since 2015. Avid Eurovision fans for whom camp is a national pastime, the Aussies were invited for the 60th anniversary and never left. And why should they when they keep us entertained with joke acts like last year’s “Milkshake Man?” This year, however, they’ve sent a real contender with Delta Goodrem’s “Eclipse,” a danceable banger that feels like vintage Céline Dion (fun fact: Goodrem is credited as a writer of “Eyes on Me,” which appeared on Dion’s 2007 album Taking Chances). But what if she actually wins? Would Australia really host a live televised competition at 5am in order to reach a prime-time audience in Europe? Apparently, it has long been understood that Australia would partner with one of the big five in the event of a victory (Goodrem has already expressed her preference for the BBC). I certainly wouldn’t mind another year hosted by Graham Norton.