The Eurovision Song Contest reaches its grand final in Vienna with pop and protests

VIENNA (AP) — The Eurovision Song Contest final arrives Saturday with tight security and rainy weather failing to dampen fans' enthusiasm. Acts from 25 countries will compete in Vienna for the continent's pop crown. The event, marking its 70th anniversary, has been likened to the World Cup with songs instead of soccer. Political tensions continue as calls for Israel's exclusion persist, with five countries boycotting in protest. Finland is the favorite with a fiery duet, but surprises are common once the viewing public gets its say in voting. Moldova and Greece are also fan favorites. Despite political controversies over the years, Eurovision remains a global spectacle.

Recommended for you

Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Recommended for you

(0) comments

Welcome to the discussion.

Keep the discussion civilized. Absolutely NO personal attacks or insults directed toward writers, nor others who make comments.
Keep it clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
Don't threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Anyone violating these rules will be issued a warning. After the warning, comment privileges can be revoked.

Thank you for visiting the Daily Journal.

Please purchase a Premium Subscription to continue reading. To continue, please log in, or sign up for a new account.

We offer one free story view per month. If you register for an account, you will get two additional story views. After those three total views, we ask that you support us with a subscription.

A subscription to our digital content is so much more than just access to our valuable content. It means you’re helping to support a local community institution that has, from its very start, supported the betterment of our society. Thank you very much!

Want to join the discussion?

Only subscribers can view and post comments on articles.

Already a subscriber? Login Here