BBC Eurovision 2026 semi-final fans say 'this is awful' as they issue same complaint

Fans of Eurovision were not impressed just minutes into the first semi-final. Hosts Victoria Swarovski and Michael Ostrowski kicked off the beloved song contest live from the Wiener Stadthalle arena on Tuesday (May 12).

15 countries took to the stage to compete for a place in Saturday's (May 16) grand final, where they will be joined by the Big Four and host nation Austria.

The countries that competed in the first semi-final were Moldova, Sweden, Croatia, Greece, Portugal, Georgia, Finland, Montenegro, Estonia, Israel, Belgium, Lithuania, San Marino, Poland, and Serbia - with five of them set to miss out on a place in the final.

However, fans quickly took to X (formerly Twitter) to complain about not being able to hear Rylan and Angela Scanlon's BBC commentary, with one person writing: "Can the @BBC sort out their sound department. I can't hear the commentary at all!"

Another added: "Is the sound terrible for everyone?" while a third said: "The background music is AWFUL."

Another person commented: "Why is the mixing so weird, and making the backing music louder than the hosts. Really wish the @bbc was better at sound in general, but the first year I've had an issue with #Eurovision."

A fifth viewer similarly shared: "The sound is awful already," with another adding: "The sound on # Eurovision is awful!"

The semi-final opened with a journey through time, demonstrating that the Eurovision Song Contest's 70-year history represents "70 Years of Love".

A 70-member choir then launched the first semi-final with a tribute to L'amour Est Bleu - one of the most popular Eurovision hits of all time. The song was notably performed by Vicky Leandros when Vienna first hosted the contest in 1967.

Viewers were moved during the opening segment, with many sharing their thoughts on social media. "Sobbing at that opening," one X user wrote.

Another added: "Also I was sobbing within 3 minutes," while a third said: "Omg what an emotional opening."

A fourth fan echoed the sentiment, saying: "Welp this #eurovision opener is too emotional for my current mental state," with another similarly sharing: "They started with such emotional damage omg."

Ahead of tonight's semi-final, Boy George, who is representing San Marino, was dealt a crushing blow as he faces the biggest danger of missing out on a place in the final. According to BOYLE Sports, San Marino are priced at just 7/2 to qualify. Belgium and Georgia are both 7/4, while Portugal and Estonia are also at risk of falling short when votes come in, with odds of 11/10 and 11/8, respectively.

Meanwhile, Finland are 4/7 favourites to win the semi-final, alongside Greece with odds of 3/1. Both countries are also favoured to take home the Eurovision trophy, as well as Denmark, Australia and France.

The Eurovision semi-finals will air at 8pm on BBC One and iPlayer on Tuesday, May 12, and Thursday, May 14, ahead of the grand final at 8pm on Saturday, May 16