Veronica Fusaro, who is competing for Switzerland in Vienna, on Sunday.Image: keystone
ESC
The 70th Eurovision Song Contest started with an opening ceremony on Sunday evening in Vienna.
May 11, 2026, 4:00 a.mMay 11, 2026, 4:00 a.m
The artists from 35 countries walked over a 200 meter long turquoise carpet from the Burgtheater to the town hall and presented themselves to the fans.
The Swiss participant Veronica Fusaro presented herself on Sunday evening in a partially transparent black dress, as pictures from the Austrian news agency APA showed. The Thun native will represent Switzerland in Vienna with the song “Alice”. Fusaro will compete in the second semifinal on May 14th.
Sarah Engels plunged into the ESC adventure for Germany in a red flaming robe. At the opening of the 70th Eurovision Song Contest, she walked across the Burgtheater carpet in the eye-catching dress, which was not easy to walk in. It was “not quite as comfortable as it looks,” the 33-year-old confessed in the ORF interview about her dress – which was supposed to be the fashionable addition to her song “Fire”.
Israel’s singer appeared very relaxed
Celebrated by several thousand fans, the singers from 35 nations presented themselves in a two-hour ceremony. The audience’s reaction to the Israeli singer Noam Bettan was eagerly awaited. Israel’s participation had been controversially discussed in advance. Five nations are boycotting the ESC in protest against Israel’s actions in the Gaza Strip.
The 28-year-old singer, who is entering the competition with the multilingual song “Michelle”, received a warm welcome. He shook the fans’ hands in a good mood. He was having the time of his life and asked everyone: “Let’s have fun.”
Police heavily armed
Due to the explosive international situation, strict security measures apply to the ESC. You are not allowed to bring bags to the shows in the town hall. Numerous surveillance cameras were installed. The opening show area was guarded by heavily armed officers. During the ESC week, the police are on duty with several hundred officers every day. On the final day, probably the largest pro-Palestinian demonstration will take place.
Engels is working on a surprise
The ESC competitions begin on Tuesday with the first semi-final. Israel also competes in this round. Engels wants to use the semi-finals as a “surprise”, as the broadcaster SWR explained. “She’s working on that right now,” it said. There is speculation among the fan community as to whether the song “Fire” will be enhanced with a piano intro.
After countertenor JJ’s victory in Basel, Vienna is the venue for the music spectacle for the third time. This time Austria is sending the 19-year-old singer Cosmó into the race with the song “Tanzschein”. (sda/dpa)