Anti-work anthems, Boy George and bold lyrics: Your guide to all 35 Eurovision songs

Like a burst of light piercing through dark skies, the 2026 Eurovision Song Contest has landed to brighten a tired world.

Featuring 35 nations, it is the tightest field since 2003, thanks to a partial boycott linked to Israel's involvement.

Setting aside the politics - which some fans cannot - the event delivers its signature blend of chaos and dazzle.

Standouts this year feature a silver-painted performer, a faux gorilla, a genuine Boy George appearance, and Eurovision's longest sustained high note ever.

As semi-finals kick off in Vienna on Tuesday, this overview covers all 35 entries, grouped into loose musical styles - since no precise classification could capture this wild array.

Fandoms of the opera

Operatic fans, take note - we are diving in.

Recent champions from Switzerland's Nemo and Austria's JJ used soaring operatic flourishes, sparking a wave of imitators this year.

Leading the pack is French sensation Monroe, the contest's youngest at 17.

Her track Regarde! fuses urgent strings, stuttering drums, and stratospheric vocals reminiscent of Rosalía's flair - a true highlight.

Billed as a tribute to France's diverse musical heritage, it surges to a seismic peak with flawless live singing. Strong visuals could land it in the Top 10.

Montenegro's Tamara Živković goes big, layering a Greek-style chorus over pounding techno in Nova Zora.

Co-authored by opera vocalist Vesna Aćimović, it champions women shattering stereotypes for a brighter future.

Montenegro has not advanced since 2015 - might this end the drought?

Latvian artist Liene Atvara offers Ēnā, a devastating ballad on the scars of parental alcoholism.

Subdued synths shroud the verses until a raw operatic outburst brings release.

Expect tears across the arena.

Lyrical controversies

Romania's Choke Me faces backlash as "dangerous" for lines hinting at risky sexual practices that risk serious harm.

Alexandra Căpitănescu, a physics graduate student, clarifies the intent.

"Choke Me symbolizes self-imposed pressures," she explains.

"It explores inner anxieties, doubts, and emotional suffocation from personal standards - nothing sexual was meant."

Undeniably potent, fierce guitars underpin her gritty voice for gripping tension. Romania's return after two years is welcome.

Swiss performer Veronica Fusaro's Alice masquerades as a sweet waltz of romance.

Underneath lies a chilling stalker narrative, elevating a solid tune to brilliance.

Uncomplicated bops

Occasionally, pure fun is all it takes - Eurovision obliges.

A top pick is Bulgaria's Bangaranga by Dara, a chart-topping pop force brimming with wild energy.

"I'm an angel, I'm a demon, I'm a psycho for no reason," she belts over glass-shattering beats, mirroring feline chaos.

Shallow, with an indulgent dance segment - pure delight.

Germany's Sarah Engels aims for Euro-dance glory with Fire, echoing Dua Lipa minus the spark.

Docking points for lazy rhymes, yet its earworm quality endures. Televoters may propel it.

"Call me queen, though I'm not royal," boasts Essyla in Belgium's sleek Dancing On the Ice.

Mesmerizing but chorus-weak, it falls short of victory.

Cypriot Antigoni, known from Love Island, invites dance with Jalla's sunny Mediterranean vibe.

Referencing Tsifteteli belly dance, it blends Shakira-esque rhythms and allure.

Her video drew ire from Cypriot critics as "crude" and culturally offensive - boosting its appeal.

Complicated bops

Three minutes demand bold risks; some overload with concepts.

Finland's Linda Lampenius & Pete Parkkonen stun in Liekinheitin, shifting from tender ballad to fiery electro with violin fireworks.

A domestic chart-smasher, its scorching love metaphor - "Every time we're skin to skin/ You give me third-degree burns" - ticks like a detonator.

Current frontrunner, though Greece lurks.

Akylas merges Greek folk sounds, video game chiptunes, and house thumps in Ferto ("Bring It").

Starting as a fame chase - "I want glory, eternity, and cash" - it pivots to gratitude for his single mother's crisis-era sacrifices.

"[I'll] make sure we never lack again," he vows.

Poland's Alicja teases with Pray's gospel start flipping to rap - inventive yet messy.

Lithuania's Lion Ceccah, silver-clad, delivers multilingual Sólo Quiero Más on AI's dehumanizing grip.

Staging pits human vs. machine; ambitious but heavy-handed.

Sticking it to 'the man'

Two tracks rebel outright: "Quit your job."

Armenia's Simón Hovhannisyan, 31, rages in rock grinder Paloma Rumba.

"This meeting could have been an email / Free coffee won't keep me here, man."

He scatters papers, flips, backed by duduk and dohl amid burnout frenzy - draining despite theme.

UK's Look Mum No Computer gripes similarly: "The office cubicle has trapped me again" in Kraftwerk-Kaisers synth-punk.

A European road trip yields German chorus Ein, Zwei, Drei - EU vote bait we crave.

Polarizing: risky genius or annoyance? Staging decides.

The ballads

Activate fog, winds, soft lights - slow song season.

Australia's Delta Goodrem channels Celine in Eclipse, a sun-eclipsing passion epic. Vocals sell the implausibility; winner material.

Denmark's Søren Torpegaard Lund seethes through toxic love in Før Vi Går Hjem.

"Kiss me, take my heart, break it again" over electro throbs, trapped in a dancers' "sweat box." Intense, if chorus-basic.

Azerbaijan's Jiva coldly cuts ties in Just Go: "I don't love you anymore / I will erase you from my soul." Dramatic but generic.

Malta's Aidan aches elegantly in Bella, name-dropped 20 times with heartfelt charm.

Israel's Noam Bettan reels from Michelle: "dancing with pain," "trapped in a carousel" - desperate but distant, Spanish guitar notwithstanding.

Ukraine's Leléka's Ridnym evokes war's despair neutrally: a soul's survival cry amid hopelessness.

Subtle, with a 30-second high note that steals breath.

Culturally loaded lyrics

Albania's Alisha grips with Nân, a mother's longing amid mass emigration post-1991.

X Factor alum Alis pours unmatched emotion.

Croatia's Lelek harmonize Andromeda on Ottoman-era Christian women's cross tattoos against abduction.

Portugal's Bandidos do Cante showcase cante Alentejano in Rosa - bull-herders' flock songs, simply radiant.

Moldova's Satoshi blasts Viva, Moldova! - Tubthumping plus panpipes, celebrating independent youth.

"A cheer for our vibrant culture, dances, tunes, food to share," he beams.