Today, May 10, the participants of Eurovision walked down a 170-meter turquoise carpet to a reception at the city hall located in the center of Vienna. There, the official opening ceremony of Eurovision took place, which was boycotted by several countries.
Latvia is represented at Eurovision 2026 by singer Atvara with the song "In the Shadow" ("Ēnā"). She will perform in the second semifinal.
The probability of Latvia winning is estimated at about 0.3%. This means that 333 contests need to be held for Atvara's only chance of victory to materialize.
The main problem with the song performed in Latvian is that it is considered too "quiet" and not very memorable for mass televoting compared to the bright and more "viral" numbers of the favorites. However, the main thing is not to win – the main thing is to participate.
However, there have been problems with participation. As early as the end of last year, Slovenia, along with Ireland, the Netherlands, and Spain, announced a boycott of Eurovision 2026 after the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) confirmed that Israel would remain a participant in the 2026 contest despite the genocide in Gaza. Later, Iceland also announced a boycott of Eurovision. Additionally, the ban on Russia's participation in the contest has been extended.
Among the remaining contestants, the list of favorites is led by the Finnish duo consisting of violinist Linda Lampenius and singer Pete Parkkonen with "Liekinheitin". Their chances of winning are estimated at 45%. Denmark (13%) and Greece (12%) also have high chances.
What is Eurovision without a scandal? The reason for the loudest musical scandal of this year's Eurovision is the lyrics of the Romanian representative Alexandra Căpitănescu's song "Choke me". Critics saw references to a sexual practice related to choking in the title and lines describing a lack of air and "exploding lung".
The Eurovision Song Contest 2026 is the upcoming 70th anniversary Eurovision Song Contest, which will take place on May 12, 14, and 16, 2026, at the Wiener Stadthalle in Vienna, Austria, following the victory of singer JJ with the song "Wasted Love" at the 2025 contest held in Basel, Switzerland.
