Every year, Eurovision brings a wave of music lovers in front of their screens. After the 2025 edition was won by Austrian artist JJ, the European Song Contest makes its grand return this spring. Following two semi-finals held on May 12 and 14, the Grand Final of Eurovision is not to be missed on Saturday, May 16, 2026. As always, the event will be broadcast live on France 2, from Vienna, Austria.
So, as we wait to watch the performances of all the contestants during the two semi-finals, what's the current standings of the favorites? Who will win this new edition of the Eurovision? Does France have a shot? With seven days to go until the grand final, here are the 5 favorites of this 2026 edition of the Eurovision Song Contest, according to bookmakers.
“Liekinheitin”, the song by Linda Lampenius and Pete Parkkonen— Finland’s representatives — seems to be winning over viewers! Since the track was unveiled, the Nordic duo has been leading the pack according to the bookmakers. As of May 9, 2026, the duo holds a 35% chance of clinching the contest. Even better, they’re given a 57% shot at landing in the Top 3. The question now is whether the bookmakers are right and whether the duo formed by Linda Lampenius and Pete Parkkonen will be crowned this year’s big winner.
Linda Lampenius et Pete Parkkonen sont déjà bien connus chez eux en Finlande. D'un côté, Linda Lampenius est une violoniste classique particulièrement en vue. À huit ans à peine, elle intègre l’orchestre Helsinki Junior Strings, puis, sous le nom de scène Linda Brava, elle part en tournées en Amérique du Nord, en Europe et en Asie pendant son adolescence. Depuis, la musicienne a publié plusieurs albums solo qui ont trouvé leur public en Finlande, en Suède et au Royaume-Uni. De l'autre, le chanteur Pete Parkkonen s’est fait connaître du grand public grâce à l’émission de télé-réalité Idols, où il a terminé à la troisième place en 2008. Depuis, il a publié plusieurs albums.
For the 70th edition of Eurovision, the two artists have come together to showcase their talents with the song "Liekinheitin", a vibrant fusion of rock, classical music, and dance.
In second place is now the Greek contender, Akylas. The country has a 14% shot at winning this year, moving up from fifth to second. So, can Akylas climb to the top step of the podium with his song “Ferto”? It’s still early to tell. But according to the bookmakers, the Greek representative also has a 40% chance of finishing in the Top 3.
Know that Akylas has been making a name for himself in his homeland since 2021, thanks to his 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 multicultural, contemporary sound imbued with Greek identity. This spring, in a bid to stand out, the Greek singer will perform the track "Ferto".
There is no French text to translate here—the block is just an HTML paragraph embedding a YouTube video. The structure stays the same, and no translation is needed. If you’d like, I can add a journalistic caption in English around it, while preserving the HTML structure.Søren Torpegaard Lund : remember his name, because you’ll be hearing a lot about him. Born in 1998, the artist — who represents Denmark this year — has always been passionate about music. At 17, he was admitted to the Musicalakademiet, a branch of the Danish School of Performing Arts. He thus became the youngest student ever admitted to that academy. It’s ultimately in musical theatre that Søren Torpegaard Lund begins his artistic career.
In 2023, the young singer ventures into Eurovision by taking part in the Dansk Melodi Grand Prix, Denmark's national selection for the famed contest. His song "Lige here" isn’t selected at that time. But Søren doesn’t give up and ultimately wins the Dansk Melodi Grand Prix in 2026 with his track "Før vi går home". The question remains whether this piece will win over all Eurovision fans in May. As of May 9, seven days before the final, bookmakers credit him with an 11% chance. According to bettors, he has a 34% chance of finishing in the Top 3.
Once again, France looks well poised to clinch the 70th edition of the Eurovision according to the bookmakers. Year after year, the hexagon sits among the Top 5 favorites. So, will this 2026 edition finally strike gold thanks to the rising star Monroe? Could France recapture the crown, 49 years after Marie Myriam’s triumph? We’ll know on May 16.
At present, bettors place the French contestant in fourth. The tricolor representative has slipped a few spots; just a few weeks ago she was second in the standings. According to them, Monroe now has a 7% chance of winning the contest this spring, and a 29% chance of finishing in the Top 3.
Discovered by the wider public in 2025 after winning the show « Prodiges » on France 2, Monroe has chosen to showcase her vocal power and modernity with the song "Regarde!." A classically trained opera singer who grew up between France and the United States, she was introduced to singing and piano at an early age. Building her career step by step, Monroe is forging a distinct, contemporary artistic identity.
Will her song "Regarde !" be enough to land her the top spot on May 16th? Stay tuned to find out! It's worth noting that France is part of the renowned "Big-4", along with Italy, Germany, and the United Kingdom. This status automatically secures them a spot in the final.
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This year, for the 70th Eurovision Song Contest, Australia decided to put its faith in Delta Goodrem and her song "Eclipse."
Australian singer-songwriter, pianist and actress Delta Goodrem burst onto the scene in 2002 while starring in the Australian soap "Neighbours" ("Les Voisins"). It wasn’t long before she released her debut album, "Innocent Eyes", in 2003. Since then, Goodrem has issued six more records. Demonstrating her staying power Down Under, eight of her singles have reached No. 1 in Australia, from her trio of studio albums. This spring, Delta Goodrem has been tapped to represent Australia at the Eurovision Song Contest.
Seven days before the grand final, Delta Goodrem is fifth in the bookmakers' rankings, with a 6% chance of winning the contest and a 25% chance of finishing in the Top 3.
There isn’t any French text to translate here—the snippet is just an embedded YouTube video within a paragraph. If you’d like, I can supply a natural English caption to accompany this video, while keeping the iframe tag exactly as shown.So, can we trust the bookmakers? Will the Finnish entry win the 2026 edition of the Eurovision? We’ll know the answer on May 16.
As a reminder, in 2021, bookmakers had predicted Italy's Måneskin to win, with France's Barbara Pravi closely behind. Their predictions proved accurate, as Italy and France finished first and second respectively. In 2023, the Swedish contender Loreen also topped bookmakers' forecasts, while the flamboyant Käärijä came in second with his hit "Cha Cha Cha." Again, the outcome matched expectations. However, in 2024, the bookmakers were way off. They had favored Baby Lasagna to win, but it was ultimately the Swiss artist Nemo who took home the victory. A similar misjudgment occurred in 2023, when La Zarra, the French contestant predicted to finish third, ultimately landed in 16th place. Last year, bettors backed the Swedish band KAJ, but it was the Austrian artist JJ who swept the competition. So, anything can still happen and shake things up!
Eurovision 2026: Meet the 35 Songs Competing in This Year’s Contest
Following the grand final scheduled for Saturday, May 16, 2026, in Vienna, Austria, we will find out who will take home the trophy at the 70th edition of Eurovision. In the meantime, take a moment to explore the 35 songs competing this year. [Read more]
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Eurovision 2026: Meet the 35 Songs Competing in This Year’s Contest
