After two wildly different semi-finals, the stage is finally set for what feels destined to become one of the most unpredictable Eurovision Grand Finals in years. If Semi-Final One felt like a cautious warm-up, Semi-Final Two blew the contest wide open — and now the bookmakers, fan polls, and even long-held assumptions about the winner suddenly feel far less certain.

The first semi-final ultimately proved rather lacklustre overall. While there were strong moments scattered throughout the night, too many performances failed to truly ignite, and several heavily tipped entries left viewers underwhelmed. One of the evening’s biggest success stories was undoubtedly Poland’s ALICJA, who massively raised her game live. Pray transformed from a respected qualifier contender into something far more formidable, with Alicja suddenly looking every inch a potential Top 5 finisher on Saturday night thanks to one of the strongest vocals of the week.

Meanwhile, both Finland and Israel emphatically demonstrated why the bookmakers have remained firmly behind them throughout the season. Finland’s chaotic energy translated effortlessly to the arena, while Israel delivered a polished, emotionally charged performance that felt built for both jury and televote appeal.



On the flipside, Greece’s Ferto — despite arriving as one of the contest favourites — felt strangely flat on stage. The cartoonish chaos that worked so well in studio form came across far more generic live, and questions now linger over whether its lofty odds position was ever truly justified. Estonia, too, dramatically improved on expectations and arguably delivered one of the night’s biggest glow-ups, but ultimately fell frustratingly short of qualification. Georgia’s slick pop effort suffered a different fate entirely: despite being catchy enough on record, the staging simply lacked a memorable hook, and the entry disappeared in a packed running order.

Then came Semi-Final Two — and suddenly Eurovision exploded into life.



Where the first semi-final often felt safe, the second delivered genuine winner moments from multiple countries. Most notably, Australia’s Delta Goodrem absolutely eclipsed the competition. Eclipse arrived with pressure, expectation, and huge jury hopes — and somehow exceeded all three. The performance felt cinematic, vocally flawless, and emotionally enormous, with bookmakers rapidly slashing Australia’s winning odds almost immediately afterwards.

But Australia were far from alone. Norway delivered a late-running adrenaline burst that really clicked live, Bulgaria’s chaotic Bangaranga became one of the contest’s biggest talking points, and both Cyprus and Romania emerged looking far more dangerous than many had predicted. Czechia also benefited enormously from atmospheric staging that finally gave CROSSROADS the emotional payoff many fans had been waiting for.

Among the automatic qualifiers, however, France may have stolen the entire week. France’s Regarde! felt sophisticated, dramatic, and utterly assured — exactly the kind of performance that can dominate a jury vote while still connecting emotionally with audiences. Yet despite all the polish elsewhere, it remains almost impossible to resist Austria’s gloriously quirky entry, which continues to carve out its own wonderfully bizarre lane in the competition.



Denmark, while still undeniably strong, perhaps did not elevate their performance quite as dramatically as expected. The staging looked excellent, but compared to some of the semi-final’s truly explosive moments, the impact felt slightly muted. Switzerland and Armenia both ultimately missed out despite intriguing concepts, while Luxembourg’s stunning entry may simply have suffered from those persistent Birdy comparisons that became impossible to shake as the season progressed.

Even the interval acts reflected the contrast between the two semi-finals. The second semi-final delivered a genuinely memorable showcase that added to the sense of occasion, while the first’s interval offering felt far more questionable and oddly subdued. Eurovision now desperately needs a true Grand Final spectacle moment to tie the entire week together – and given the calibre of performers still in contention, there is every reason to believe the producers are saving something huge for Saturday night.

And what a final it promises to be!

This year’s Grand Final line-up feels unusually open. Finland, Israel, Australia, France, Romania, Poland, Cyprus, and perhaps even Czechia all have plausible paths to victory, but none feel unbeatable. The televote looks fragmented, the juries could split dramatically, and several entries appear capable of generating massive momentum on the night itself.

For perhaps the first time in years, the winner may not become obvious until the final few countries reveal their points – setting the stage for a truly nerve-shredding Eurovision climax.