Rylan and Angela Scanlon lead Eurovision Semi Final 1 TV guide
eurovision semi final 1 starts at 8pm BST on Tuesday 12 May, and the has laid out exactly how UK audiences can follow it across television, streaming and radio. The first of two live semi-finals is one of the contest’s gatekeeping nights: 15 countries compete for 10 places in the Grand Final.
Rylan and Angela Scanlon will front the iPlayer and One coverage on both semi-final nights, while Sara Cox will oversee the radio and Sounds broadcast. For viewers who need access support, live Audio Description will run on iPlayer and One, and live British Sign Language interpretation will be available on the Red Button and iPlayer.
Tuesday 12 May on One
15 countries will take part in the first semi-final, but UK viewers cannot vote in this show. Italy and Germany, which are among the pre-qualified countries, will still perform and vote during the night, so the broadcast is not just a qualifier for the nations chasing a final place.
The opening show also carries extra staging around the broadcast itself. It will begin with a film called 70 Years of Love, followed by a 70-member choir paying tribute to L’amour Est Bleu. Victoria Swarovski and Michael Ostrowski will appear in the interval act with Go-Jo, who represented Australia in Basel, Switzerland in 2025.
Thursday 14 May voting night
Another 15 countries compete in the second semi-final at 8pm BST on Thursday 14 May, and this is the night when UK audiences can vote. France and the United Kingdom will perform and vote as part of the pre-qualified group, while Austria will also perform in the show.
That split matters because the two semi-finals do not work the same way for British viewers. Tuesday is watch-only in the UK; Thursday turns the audience into part of the outcome, with the vote deciding which acts move into the final 10 spots from that night.
Graham Norton on 16 May
Graham Norton will present the Grand Final on One and iPlayer on Saturday 16 May, when 25 countries will compete for the contest title. France, Germany, Italy, the UK and Austria are already in the final field, and the two semi-finals will supply the remaining qualifiers.
For UK viewers, the practical choice is simple: use One or iPlayer for the main pictures, Radio 2 or Sounds for audio, and the Red Button or iPlayer if accessibility features are needed. If you want to take part in the contest rather than just watch it, Thursday 14 May is the only semi-final night that gives the UK a vote.
