Every year, European countries (and Australia) prepare for months in hopes they make it to the grand final of the Eurovision Song Contest.
They each practice and prepare nonstop in hopes of making it past the semi-finals and into the sparkling final.
But five countries don't need to panic about semi-finals and qualifying; these are known as the Big 5.
The group, including the UK, France, Spain, Germany and Italy, automatically qualify for the final.
Who are the Big 5 at Eurovision?
The five nations are lucky enough to avoid the dreaded semi-finals by making large financial contributions to the Eurovision Song Contest.
The group was first formed in 2000 when a rule change saw the chance to pay to get to the grand final.
For 11 years, the Big Five consisted of just four, with the UK, Spain, France and Germany, but in 2011, Italy joined the group.
When did the Eurovision Song Contest start?
The annual singing contest, which is organised by the European Broadcasting Union, began in 1956.
The now highly anticipated calendar event was first held on May 24, 1956, in Lugano, Switzerland.
It was one of the earliest attempts to broadcast a live televised event to a considerable international market.
The first competition was not won on points, but by votes (which were given two per country), and only the winner was announced.
In 1956, Switzerland won the contest with the artist Lys Assia and the song 'Refrain'.
What are the 5 countries boycotting Eurovision 2026 and why?
The five countries that are boycotting Eurovision 2026 are:
- Iceland
- Ireland
- The Netherlands
- Slovenia
- Spain
It marks the largest number of boycotting countries in the contest's history since 1970.
The countries' omission from Eurovision is in response to Israel's participation and the Gaza war, which began in 2023.
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Calls for the country to be excluded and demonstrations against its participation happened at both the 2024 and 2025 Eurovision events.
Performers at both competitions were put under pressure by fans to pull out, with viewing figures also dipping over the last two years.
Will you be watching Eurovision this year? Let us know in the comments.
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