The Eurovision Song Contest returns to Vienna for the 70th edition (the third in the Austrian capital after 1967 and 2015) and does so after Austria’s victory with JJ in Basel 2025. Three evenings at the Wiener Stadthalle, 35 countries competing, a round anniversary and an Italy that arrives with more than one card to play.
The appointments are scheduled, with the first semi-final on Tuesday 12 May, the second semi-final on Thursday 14 May and the grand finale on Saturday 16 May. RAI will cover the entire event live: the semi-finals on Rai 2, the final on Rai 1, all available in simulcast on Rai Radio 2 and in streaming on RaiPlay and RaiPlay Sound. The Italian commentary will be entrusted to Gabriele Corsi, in his sixth consecutive edition, and Elettra Lamborghini, making her debut in the role.
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The event, already defined by the organizers as another “record show”, is preparing to welcome an extraordinarily international audience: 95 thousand tickets sold, fans from 75 countries, with 42% of purchases coming from abroad. Spectators are expected from the United States, Australia, Canada, Brazil, Japan, South Africa, the United Arab Emirates, Hong Kong and New Zealand. Vienna will be transformed into a widespread stage throughout the week, with the Eurovision Village at Rathausplatz, fan zones, public screenings and cultural events throughout the city.
Sal Da Vinci: when he sings and what he brings to the stage
Italy will be represented by Sal Da Vinci with Forever yesa song with which he won the 76th edition of the Sanremo Festival. Son of art (his father is Mario Da Vinci, Neapolitan singer and actor) Sal was born in New York during his father’s tour and built his career between music, theater and folk tales, with an identity strongly rooted in the Neapolitan tradition and Italian song.
On the streaming front, Forever yes it is already the most listened to song among all the participants in the 2026 edition, with over 24.2 million global streams, a decidedly clear gap on all the other competitors. In the last few hours, bookmakers have revised the odds in favor of Italy, even after the viral circulation of a video of the rehearsals on the Stadthalle stage.
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Sal Da Vinci will perform in the first semi-final on Tuesday 12 May out of competition, because Italy, as a member of the Big Five, is already qualified by right to the final. He will go on stage after Georgia and before Finland. The decisive event, however, is that of Saturday 16 May, when the Neapolitan artist will play everything in the final together with the other 24 qualified countries. Italy comes to this edition with eight consecutive Top 10 finishes: Sal Da Vinci will be looking for his ninth in a row.
The other artists with Italian connections
The Italian presence in Vienna is larger than the official representative alone suggests. Senhit will compete for San Marino with Superstar: born and raised in Bologna to an Eritrean family, she is already a Eurovision veteran, having represented the Titan in 2011 and 2021. This year she returns after winning the San Marino Song Contest and brings to the stage a powerful featuring with Boy George, icon of the 80s new wave with Culture Club, among the most anticipated presences of the entire edition. Senhit performs in the first semi-final on May 12.
Among the other Italian connections of the edition we can include Sarah Engels, competing for Germany, who has Sicilian roots, Veronica Fusaro, who represents Switzerland, Swiss by birth but Italian on her father’s side, and finally Leléka, representative of Ukraine, who collaborated with the Italian composer Stefano Lentini.
Where to watch Eurovision 2026 on TV and streaming
The semi-finals on 12 and 14 May will be broadcast live on Rai 2 from 9pm, with a preview at 8.15pm. The final on May 16th is on Rai 1. All evenings are available in streaming on RaiPlay and Rai Radio 2, with radio commentary entrusted to Diletta Parlangeli and Matteo Osso, with Martina Martorano sent from Vienna. RAI guarantees subtitles and audio description for all three evenings; the final will also be available on RaiPlay with a full translation into Italian Sign Language.
