On the stage of the Wiener Stadthalle, 15 countries competed for a place in the final, including favourites Sweden, Croatia, and Finland. However, the main focus of attention was Israel’s representative, Noam Bettan, who performed the romantic song “Michelle.” Despite the political tension, the 28-year-old singer managed to qualify for the final, but his performance was met with highly polarised reactions.

While part of the audience enthusiastically supported the artist, chanting his name, others loudly booed him and shouted anti-Israeli slogans. The contest was once again drawn into international political controversy amid the ongoing conflict in Gaza. As a result, several countries boycotted this year’s edition, including Ireland, one of the competition’s historical record holders.

Organisers had warned in advance that they would not hide or suppress audience reactions, so the protests were clearly audible during the live broadcast. Later, representatives of ORF and the European Broadcasting Union confirmed that several spectators were removed from the venue by security for disturbing order.

But the evening’s problems did not end there.

A major wave of anger was triggered by serious sound issues during the broadcast. Almost immediately after the show began, social media was flooded with furious comments from viewers complaining about poor audio quality.

Users on X wrote:
“Why is the sound mixed so badly? The music is louder than the hosts!”
“BBC, sort out your sound department — the commentary is barely audible!”
“The background music sounds so weird, like it was generated by AI.”
“Does anyone else feel like the sound is flat and muffled tonight?”
“The sound is a disaster. It’s ruining the performances and feels unfair.”
“Why does everything sound so dirty? This is the worst quality in years.”

Some fans of the contest directly stated that the technical issues ruined even the strongest performances of the night.

An additional blow for the British audience came with Boy George’s defeat. The legendary artist, appearing as a guest performer in San Marino’s entry, failed to help the country reach the final. His setback disappointed fans who had hoped for a triumphant return of the star to the international stage.

Against this backdrop, Finland—represented by the duo Pete Parkkonen and Linda Lampenius—secured its place as one of the leading contenders for victory, successfully qualifying for the final stage of the contest.

Thus, the Eurovision 2026 semi-final turned out to be less of a musical celebration and more of a reflection of modern global conflicts, social tensions, and technical challenges.