Overview
- Ten acts advanced Tuesday from the first semi-final in Vienna, including Israel, Finland and Sweden, while Portugal, Georgia, Montenegro, Estonia and San Marino went out.
- A five-country boycott by Spain, Ireland, Slovenia, the Netherlands and Iceland cut the field to 35 entries, the smallest since 2003, with some broadcasters refusing to air the shows.
- The European Broadcasting Union halved televotes to 10 per person and restored professional juries to the semi-finals, producing a 50-50 jury-public split for results.
- Organizers issued a formal warning to Israel’s broadcaster after videos urged fans to “vote 10 times,” which broke rules that limit third-party campaigning.
- Vienna police prepared for pro-Palestinian protests and tightened security around the arena, as the second semi-final arrives Thursday and the grand final follows Saturday.