Wednesday, May 20Wednesday, May 20Lithuania advanced to the Eurovision Song Contest 2026 final after singer Lion Ceccah qualified from the first semifinal with the song *Solo Quiero Más*. The performance secured one of the ten spots available in the semifinal, allowing Lithuania to compete in Saturday’s grand final in Vienna .
Estonia, represented by Vanilla Ninja, failed to qualify for the Eurovision 2026 final during the first semifinal. The group did not secure enough votes to advance, marking Estonia’s absence from the final stage this year .
The first semifinal saw several countries advance, including Lithuania, Greece, Croatia, Moldova, Poland, Serbia, and Sweden, alongside favourites Finland and Israel. However, the event was overshadowed by controversy, as five countries boycotted the contest due to Israel’s participation. During Israel’s performance, chants of *"stop the genocide"* were heard in the arena, leading to the removal of four individuals . Israel’s contestant, Noam Bettan, performed under heightened security .
> Background: **Eurovision 2026s First Semi-Final Marred by Protests Highlights Top Performances** — *3 hours ago*
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