Anti-work anthems, Boy George and controversial lyrics: A guide to all 35 Eurovision songs

Key developments are emerging from the global stage. Anti-work anthems, Boy George and controversial lyrics: A guide to all 35 Eurovision songs7 hours ago Share Save Add as preferred on GoogleMark SavageMusic CorrespondentBBC / EBUSome of this year's Eurovision hopefuls (L-R): Cosmó, Felicia, Boy George, Antigoni and Lion CeccahLike a ray of sunshine on a cloudy day, the 2026 Eurovision Song Contest has arrived to dispel the gloom of a weary world. With 35 countries taking part, it's the most compact competition since 2003 - due to a partial boycott over Israel's presence. If you can put the politics aside (and many fans feel they can't), the competition presents its usual mix of mayhem and spectacle.

This year's hopefuls include a man entirely covered in silver paint, a fake gorilla, an actual Boy George - and the longest high note in Eurovision history. With the semi-finals starting in Vienna this Tuesday, here's a guide to all 35 songs, sorted into poorly defined musical categories - because no functionally accurate system could define this madness. Fandoms of the operaFrance TélévisionsFrench contestant MonroeAria paying attention?

The Details

The last two Eurovision winners – Switzerland's Nemo and Austria's JJ – both deployed operatic vocal runs in their songs. So, naturally, there's a whole Liszt of copycats in 2026. Best of the bunch is French prodigy Monroe – who, at the age of 17, is this year's youngest entrant.

, combines a frenetic string section, glitching drum beats and Queen of the Night vocals in a way that suggests, "Hello, I have listened to the output of Spanish recording artist Rosalía" (this is a compliment). Described as a "celebration of the richness of all of France's musical cultures," it builds to an earth-quaking climax, with stunning live vocals. With the right staging, it looks set for a Top 10 finish.

Montenegro's Tamara Živković takes a maximalist approach, plonking a Greek Chorus onto a jack-hammer techno beat on Nova Zora. Co-written by actual opera singer Vesna Aćimović, it's all about women breaking free of gender stereotypes and striding towards a new dawn. Montenegro haven't qualified from the semi-finals since 2015.

What Experts Say

Could this be the song to break their losing streak? Finally, we have Latvian singer Liene Atvara, whose heart-rending ballad, Ēnā, addresses the lifelong impact of growing up with an alcoholic parent. Full of sorrow and restraint, the opening verses are entombed by muffled synths before Liene explodes into an operatic wail of catharsis in the dying moments.

There won't be a dry eye in the house. Lyrical controversiesEBURomanian entry Alexandra CăpitănescuRomania's Eurovision entry, Choke Me, has been labelled "dangerous" and "reckless" for lyrics that appear to reference sexual strangulation, an unsafe practice that can lead to brain injury and death. But Alexandra Căpitănescu, a Master's student at the Faculty of Physics in Bucharest, says campaigners have got it all wrong.

The development has drawn wide international attention, with diplomatic circles watching closely.