VIENNA, May 16, 2026, 22:05 (CEST)
Delta Goodrem brought Australia into the Eurovision spotlight Saturday night, taking the stage in Vienna’s grand final with her song “Eclipse” as the country chased a maiden victory. Twenty-five acts are vying for the trophy at Wiener Stadthalle, but now Goodrem’s firmly in the mix—no longer seen as a long shot. The Independent
It’s a key moment, with ballots being cast and betting shops bumping Australia up to second. Eurovisionworld’s odds aggregation puts Finland’s Linda Lampenius and Pete Parkkonen out front, at 39%. Australia is placed next, holding a 25% shot, while both Greece and Bulgaria each trail at 7%.
This year’s contest is happening amid political friction. Reuters reported that Spain, the Netherlands, Ireland, Iceland, and Slovenia are boycotting because Israel is competing, trimming the lineup to 35—Eurovision hasn’t had a field this small since 2003.
The European Broadcasting Union confirmed a 21:00 CEST kickoff for the grand final, with 25 acts taking the stage following two semi-finals. Fans get up to 10 votes each. The public voting window stays open during all performances and closes roughly 40 minutes after the final entry.
Goodrem, 41, has been around for years. The Australian pop singer and ex-“Neighbours” actor cemented her status at home with 2003’s “Innocent Eyes,” which landed at No. 2 in the UK charts. “Truly an honour,” she told The Independent of representing Australia. The Independent
Australia took the stage eighth—slotted between Ukraine and Serbia. According to The Independent’s live blog, BBC’s Graham Norton described Goodrem as “the one to beat” just ahead of her set, which, the outlet noted, was met with a notably strong response from the crowd. The Independent
Finland’s still the main roadblock. Reuters called “Liekinheitin”—that’s “Flamethrower”—the top contender, and Lampenius and Parkkonen were leading Australia in the betting markets right before the final edged toward its outcome. Reuters
The UK is aiming to dodge another poor result this time around. Sam Battle—better known as Look Mum No Computer—steps up for Britain with “Eins, Zwei, Drei.” Thanks to its “Big Four” status, as one of the major financial backers, the UK gets a direct spot. “I’m used to being an underdog,” Battle told The Independent. The Independent
Eurovision doesn’t tend to reward predictable picks. Dean Vuletic, a historian focused on the contest, told AP it’s “largely been a contest for underdogs.” The public’s votes often diverge from those of the national juries—the industry experts responsible for half the final tally. AP News
Boycotts have piled on more risk for organisers. University of Southern Queensland’s Jess Carniel flagged to ABC that the exits from Iceland, Ireland, the Netherlands, Slovenia, and Spain are “pretty significant.” She pointed out the contest just lost not only a founding participant but also one of its top financial backers in the Netherlands. ABC News
Australia made it through Thursday’s second semi-final, joining Bulgaria, Ukraine, Norway, Romania, Malta, Cyprus, Albania, Denmark and Czechia in the next round. The EBU said the outcome relied equally on jury and public votes, split 50-50.
If Goodrem pulls it off, the trophy heads to Australia—though the next contest probably won’t. According to AP, a European nation is expected to take on Eurovision 2027 hosting duties for Australia, an unusual setup that would make a Goodrem win a historic, if logistically odd, moment.
