Eurovision Song Contest 2026 – Second Semi Final Review

Thursday, May 14

Today it’s finally time for the second semi final of the Eurovision Song Contest 2026!

Which countries will qualify for the Grand Final? Which songs could surprise Europe LIVE on stage? And which countries might see their Eurovision dream end tonight?

Let’s take a closer look at the studio versions and my expectations for the LIVE performances!

01 DARA – Bangaranga (Bulgaria)

OH YES! What an explosive opening for the second semi final! WOW!

This song instantly gives massive energy and makes you want to jump around. Is it original? Not really. But does it matter? Absolutely not.

This track is insanely radio friendly and could easily become one of the biggest Eurovision party songs of 2026.

I REALLY hope Bulgaria reaches the finals with this because for me this is absolutely Top 5 material!

02 JIVA – Just Go (Azerbaijan)

Most people know I worked with an Azerbaijan Eurovision entry many years ago, so I always pay extra attention to their songs.

Sometimes I doubt the quality of their recent entries, but this power ballad is genuinely impressive. Strong emotion, solid production, and very Eurovision-friendly.

Honestly, I wish I had worked with this team myself.

This should qualify for the finals without problems and could even become a Top 10 contender.

03 Alexandra Căpitănescu – Choke Me (Romania)

I know many people had strong opinions about the title and lyrics of this song.

But musically? WOW.

For me, this is a possible WINNER of Eurovision Song Contest 2026. The atmosphere is incredible, the vocals are outstanding, and the overall vibe feels fresh and powerful.

This song absolutely deserves to compete for the victory.

04 Eva Marija – Mother Nature (Luxembourg)

The competition in Luxembourg’s national selection was probably weaker than Eva’s vocals at the start of the song, because unfortunately she does sing out of tune at times.

BUT… sometimes an artist simply has something special that makes you want to support them anyway.

So yes, I really hope Eva Marija reaches the finals tonight — and hopefully the LIVE vocals will be much stronger!

05 Daniel Zizka – CROSSROADS (Czechia)

Not a bad song at all, but personally I find it a little too safe and boring.

Still, if Daniel delivers a strong LIVE performance, this could unexpectedly finish inside the Top 10 in the Grand Final.

06 SIMÓN – Paloma Rumba (Armenia)

When I first saw the title, I expected a happy Latin or reggaeton-style summer song.

Instead, Armenia surprised me completely!

This track has a unique atmosphere and a very interesting vibe. If the LIVE performance works well, Armenia should qualify for the finals for sure.

I really love this style.

07 Veronica Fusaro – Alice (Switzerland)

I honestly still don’t know what to think about this song.

It could become a huge success… or completely disappear during the show without making any impact at all.

I think Switzerland might still qualify for the finals, but I’m definitely not fully convinced yet.

08 Antigoni – JALLA (Cyprus)

My goodness… THIS is a summer hit!

Actually, this could become THE summer anthem of 2026.

The energy, the rhythm, the atmosphere… everything works here. For me, this is absolutely worthy of a Top 3 result in the Grand Final!

09 Atvara – Ēnā (Latvia)

She can definitely sing very well.

But unfortunately, this is exactly the kind of Eurovision song where people might suddenly decide to grab a drink, visit the toilet, or check their phone for a moment.

For me, it’s simply too sleepy and forgettable.

10 Søren Torpegaard Lund – Før Vi Går Hjem (Denmark)

A lot of people immediately recognize similarities between the intro of this song and another well-known track.

But honestly… is that really a problem? Not for me.

Because WOW, what an amazing song this is! Denmark absolutely delivers here.

This is easily Top 5 worthy in the Grand Final.

11 Delta Goodrem – Eclipse (Australia)

Sending a globally known artist should help Australia return to the finals, right?

The song itself is definitely strong. But the real question is: do Eurovision viewers still care enough about Australia to vote for them?

I’m honestly not sure if it will be enough for qualification.

Still, I personally LOVE this song.

12 LELÉKA – Ridnym (Ukraine)

The song itself is not bad at all, and the vocals are actually very solid.

But is it strong enough for the finals? Personally, I don’t think so.

Whether Ukraine qualifies probably depends more on public support for the country than on the song itself.

13 Alis – Nân (Albania)

I constantly have the feeling that I’ve heard parts of this song before somewhere else.

Still, if the LIVE vocals stay in tune during the semi final, Albania absolutely deserves a place in the finals.

For me, this could definitely become a Top 10 Eurovision entry.

14 AIDAN – Bella (Malta)

This is another song that sounds extremely familiar, almost like a cover version you’ve already heard many times before.

Even the music video gives that same feeling.

Still, the song itself is beautiful. The big question is whether the Eurovision audience will connect with it strongly enough.

15 JONAS LOVV – YA YA YA (Norway)

The official studio version already sounded fantastic, so I immediately checked a LIVE performance as well.

And honestly? YES!

The LIVE version sounds amazing too.

This gives me huge White Stripes vibes — probably one of the reasons why I love it so much.

For me, this is absolutely Top 3 worthy in the Grand Final. WOW!

Already Qualified Finalists

There are also a few countries already qualified for the Grand Final that will probably perform tonight as well.

COSMÓ – Tanzschein (Austria)

Sometimes you can hear when a country secretly does NOT want to host Eurovision next year… and this song feels like a perfect example of that.

It’s not a bad song at all, but for me this is definitely not Top 10 material.

Monroe – Regarde! (France)

Great song. Interesting style. Strong singer.

There’s a lot to appreciate here.

But is it enough for a Top 5 result? Personally, I don’t think so.

Don’t get me wrong — I really LOVE this track. I’m just not convinced that the wider Eurovision audience will connect with it strongly enough.

LOOK MUM NO COMPUTER – Eins, Zwei, Drei (United Kingdom)

Every single year I keep wondering why the United Kingdom still struggles so much at the Eurovision Song Contest.

It often feels like they simply send an entry because they HAVE to participate, not because they truly want to win Eurovision again.

But then… suddenly THIS happens.

This song is so weird, chaotic, and unexpected that it actually becomes incredibly cool. The energy is completely insane, the style is unique, and somehow it just works perfectly.

And yes… I genuinely LOVE this track. Can you believe it? Because honestly, I can’t either!