Every year, the Eurovision Song Contest brings together music lovers in front of their screens. Following the 2025 edition, won by Austrian artist JJ, the Eurovision Song Contest returns this spring. After two semi-finals held on May 12 and 14, the Eurovision grand final is not to be missed on Saturday, May 16, 2026. As always, the event will be broadcast live on France 2 from Vienna, Austria.
Since the first and then the second semi-final aired, the rankings of the favorites have changed considerably. France is no longer in the Top 5 and has dropped to ninth place. By contrast, bettors now give Australia a 15% chance of winning the contest, putting it in second place. Finland is still at the top of the favorites ranking, with 44% of the votes. So, who will come out on top in this latest edition of Eurovision? Does France stand a chance? Just hours before the grand final, here are the 5 favorites in the 2026 edition of the Eurovision Song Contest, according to the bookmakers.
“Liekinheitin”, the song by Linda Lampenius and Pete Parkkonen —the Finnish representatives—seems to be delighting viewers! Since the song was unveiled, the Nordic duo has been in first place according to the bookmakers. As of May 15, 2026, the act has a 44% chance of winning the contest. Better yet, it has a 63% chance of finishing in the Top 3. It remains to be seen whether the bookmakers have got it right and whether the duo formed by Linda Lampenius and Pete Parkkonen will be crowned the big winners this year.
Linda Lampenius and Pete Parkkonen are already well known in their home country of Finland. On the one hand, Linda Lampenius is a celebrated classical violinist. After joining the Helsinki Junior Strings orchestra at just eight years old, Linda Lampenius—also known by her stage name, Linda Brava — toured extensively in North America, Europe and Asia as a teenager. Since then, the musician has released several solo albums, some of which have charted in Finland, Sweden and the UK. On the other hand, singer Pete Parkkonen first came to wider public attention on the TV show “Idols,” where he finished third in 2008. He has released several albums since then.
For the 70th edition of Eurovision, the two artists have decided to combine their talents in the song “Liekinheitin,” which blends rock, classical music and dance.
This year, for the 70th edition of Eurovision, Australia has decided to put its faith in Delta Goodrem and her song “Eclipse.”
Australian singer-songwriter, pianist and actress Delta Goodrem first came to prominence in 2002, when she appeared in the Australian soap opera "Neighbours" ("The Neighbours"). The artist soon released her debut album, "Innocent Eyes", in 2003. Since then, Delta Goodrem has released six more albums. A testament to her fame in Australia, eight of her singles from her first three studio albums reached No. 1 in her home country. This spring, Delta Goodrem was chosen to represent Australia at the Eurovision Song Contest.
Just hours before the grand final, Delta Goodrem is now second in the bookmakers’ rankings, with a 15% chance of winning the contest and a 45% chance of finishing in the Top 3.
In third place is Greek contestant Akylas, with an 8% chance of winning this year. So, will Akylas manage to climb to the top of the podium with his song “Ferto ”? It’s still too early to say. But according to bookmakers, the Greek representative also has a 30% chance of finishing in the top three.
It should be noted that Akylas first made a name for himself in his home country in 2021 with cover videos posted on TikTok. Later, the young artist took part in the eighth season of The Voice of Greece. A self-taught musician from Serres, Akylas crafts a contemporary, multicultural sound imbued with Greek identity. This spring, the Greek singer will perform the song “Ferto” in a bid to stand out.
Since appearing in the first Eurovision semi-final, Israel seems to have gained ground and joined the bookmakers’ top five favorites. Noam Bettan is now ranked fourth, with a 6% chance of winning the contest and a 29% chance of finishing in the top three.
It bears reminding that Noam Bettan was born into a French family. But it was in Ra'anana, Israel, that he grew up. A singer-songwriter, Noam Bettan released his debut album in 2023, as well as a series of singles that have amassed millions of streams on streaming platforms. This Saturday, the artist will perform the song "Michelle".
A new entry in the bookmakers’ Top 5 favorites! Romania is now in fifth place, with a 4% chance of winning the contest, thanks to its representative Alexandra Căpitănescu and her song "Choke Me".
It was in 2023 that the singer made a name for herself in her home country, winning 'The Voice of Romania'. A few months later, the artist released her debut EP, titled "Căpitanu’". Born in 2003, the young singer is particularly passionate about rock. During her appearance on the eleventh season of "The Voice of Romania", Alexandra Căpitănescu performed "Welcome to the Jungle", the legendary Guns N' Roses song, in her blind audition.
For the 70th edition of Eurovision, Alexandra Căpitănescu has gone for a track blending rock and opera vocals, titled “Choke Me.” Will it be enough to put her on the podium? We’ll find out this Saturday!
So, can bookmakers be trusted? Will Finland’s representative win the 2026 edition of the Eurovision Song Contest? We’ll find out on May 16!
As a reminder, in 2021 the bookmakers had placed Italy’s Måneskin in first place, followed by France’s Barbara Pravi. And the predictions proved accurate, with Italy and France finishing first and second in the contest, respectively. In 2023, the Swedish favorite Loreen was also ranked first by the bookmakers. Meanwhile, the flamboyant Käärijä came second with his song “Cha Cha Cha”—another ranking that matched the predictions. The bookmakers, however, got it wrong in 2024. They had placed Baby Lasagna in first place, but it was Switzerland’s Nemo who ultimately won the contest. The predictions were also off in 2023. La Zarra, the French contestant ranked third by the bookmakers, ultimately finished 16th in the contest. Last year, bettors backed the Swedish group KAJ. In the end, Austria’s JJ took it all. So anything can still happen and change!
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Eurovision returns with a fresh, 70th edition! While some are tipped as favorites, such as Finland or Australia, can France break onto the podium thanks to Monroe and her song "Regarde!"? Tune in this Saturday, May 16, 2026 to discover the results from Eurovision's grand final. But, what time and on which channels will this major musical evening be broadcast live? Here’s everything you need to know. [Read more]
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eurovisionworld.com
Eurovision 2026: here's the running order for the 25 finalist countries — what position for France?
Eurovision 2026: meet the 25 finalist countries vying for a spot this Saturday
Eurovision 2026 : the 10 countries that didn't make the final
Eurovision 2026: what time does the final start and which channels will broadcast it this Saturday?
