The Eurovision Song Contest got off to a tense start in Vienna on Tuesday (May 12) as Israel competed in the first semi-final amid a boycott by five countries over the Gaza war.

The contest, traditionally a good-natured celebration of pop music and high camp now in its 70th year, has become mired in crisis over Israel's military offensive in Gaza in response to the Hamas-led attack of October 7, 2023.

The public broadcasters of five countries - Spain, the Netherlands, Ireland, Iceland and Slovenia - are boycotting this year's event, making it the smallest since 2003 with 35 entries. That will also most likely reduce viewership from last year's estimated 166 million, more than the Super Bowl's 128 million.

Israel's was among the 10 entries, including Greece and Finland, that received enough points from national juries and a public vote on Tuesday to qualify for the final on Saturday, out of 15 competing.

The following acts are through to the final from this first semi-final:

Belgium: Essyla, Dancing on the Ice

Croatia: Lelek, Andromeda

Finland: Linda Lampenius x Pete Parkkonen, Liekinheitin

Greece: Akylas, Ferto

Israel: Noam Bettan, Michelle

Lithuania: Lion Ceccah, Sólo quiero más

Moldova: Satoshi, Viva, Moldova!

Poland: Alicja, Pray

Serbia: Lavina, Kraj Mene

Sweden: Felicia, My System

DESCRIPCIÓN DE IMÁGENES

VIENNA, AUSTRIA (MAY 12, 2026)

1. MOLDOVA'S SATOSHI PERFORMING 'VIVA, MOLDOVA!'

2. SWEDEN'S FELICIA PERFORMING 'MY SYSTEM'

3. CROATIA'S LELEK PERFORMING 'ANDROMEDA'

4. GREECE'S AKYLAS PERFORMING 'FERTO'

5. PORTUGAL'S BANDIDOS DO CANTE PERFORMING 'ROSA'

6. GEORGIA'S BZIKEBI PERFORMING 'ON REPLAY'

7. ITALY'S SAL DA VINCI PERFORMING 'PER SEMPRE SÌ'

8. FINLAND'S LINDA LAMPENIUS X PETE PARKKONEN PERFORMING 'LIEKINHEITIN'

9. MONTENEGRO'S TAMARA ŽIVKOVIĆ PERFORMING 'NOVA ZORA'

10. ESTONIA'S VANILLA NINJA PERFORMING 'TOO EPIC TO BE TRUE'

11. ISRAEL'S NOAM BETTAN PERFORMING 'MICHELLE'

12. GERMANY'S SARAH ENGELS PERFORMING 'FIRE'

13. BELGIUM'S ESSYLA PERFORMING 'DANCING ON THE ICE'

14. LITHUANIA'S LION CECCAH PERFORMING 'SÓLO QUIERO MÁS'

15. SAN MARINO'S SENHIT PERFORMING 'SUPERSTAR'

16. POLAND'S ALICJA PERFORMING 'PRAY'

17. SERBIA'S LAVINA PERFORMING 'KRAJ MENE'

18. FINAL COUNTRY, POLAND, BEING ANNOUNCED AS GOING THROUGH TO FINALS ON SIX-WAY SPLIT SCREEN

19. POLAND'S ACT ALICJA PLAYING, POLAND CELEBRATING