Eurovision final: Finland, Greece and Australia among favourites

The Eurovision Song Contest reaches its grand final on Saturday night, with Finland, Greece and Australia among the favourites to win.

The show is taking place in Vienna, which seems to have prompted half of the contestants to throw an operatic riff into their song, whether it needs it or not.

Elsewhere, you can expect death-defying dance moves, sexually suggestive rock anthems and the longest sustained note in Eurovision history.

You can watch the show live on BBC One and BBC iPlayer from 20:00 BST on Saturday.

Eight months ago, Greek singer Akylas was down on his luck. "I was in Athens, I was working as a waiter, and I quit my job to start singing in the streets," he tells the BBC. "I had so many people telling me that I was wasting my time. People would bully me in the street while I was busking, trying to pay my rent and my bills. I was struggling – so it's crazy that now I'm representing my country at Eurovision."

The 27-year-old is tipped for a top three finish with Ferto, a hyperactive dance anthem that smashes together rave synths, video game sound effects and traditional Greek instruments like the lyra.

Australia has been obsessed with Eurovision since Abba won in 1974. As a gesture of goodwill, they were invited to take part in the contest's 60th anniversary in 2015, as a one-off wildcard entry. They embraced the show with such enthusiasm they've been invited back every year since – but after crashing out in last year's semi-final, they're determined to win in 2026.

Taking no chances, they've sent actual platinum-selling pop star Delta Goodrem, with a power ballad so polished you can see the whites of her eyes in it. It's called Eclipse. It has a chorus that would make Celine Dion jealous, and features a baroque piano breakdown before an almighty key change in the final refrain.

After Thursday's semi-final, bookmakers slashed Delta's odds, making her a frontrunner for the trophy.

Finland are the current favourites to win, with their tempestuous love song, Liekenheiten. It's performed by pop star Pete Parkonnen and classical violinist Linda Lampenius. All the focus in the run-up to the final has been on the moment where Linda has to sprint the entire length of the catwalk in high heels while clutching her precious violin – a 1781 Gagliano, worth an estimated £500,000.

Moldova are delighted to be in the final after two years' absence from the competition. Their singer, Satoshi, has a very strict routine 30 seconds before he bursts onto the stage with his gregarious party anthem, Viva, Moldova! "I simulate rope jumping to get my energy levels up," says the 27-year-old, who's also an amateur boxer.

Five countries are boycotting Eurovision over Israel's participation, citing the country's actions in Gaza and the death toll of the war. At Tuesday's semi-final, the country's contestant Noam Bettan faced a mixture of cheers and booing from the audience. Four protesters were later removed from the arena.

Swedish star Felicia is known for wearing a protective face mask during her performances. During Tuesday's semi-final she suffered a wardrobe malfunction and the mask slipped off. Within 24 hours, she'd lost her voice and was put on strict vocal rest. "It's a catastrophe for me because I hate being silent!" she posted on social media.

The UK's recent track record at Eurovision has been terrible. This year's hopeful is Sam Battle – aka Look Mum No Computer - an inventor, YouTuber and museum curator from Ramsgate. He wrote his entry - Eins, Zwei, Drei - on a synthesiser he built in his garage, and it has sounds like Fat Les's Vindaloo, as performed by Kraftwerk.

Norwegian star Jonas Lovv was told to censor his performance of the rock song Ya Ya Ya after thrusting his hips one too many times during rehearsals. Specifically, the production team asked for a reduction in "sexualised movements" and rhythmic gestures.

Bulgarian singer Dara has the night's best staging on Bangaranga - a nonsensical typhoon of tropical pop, based around a word from Jamaican patois that means "a joyful kind of disorder". Romania's Alexandra Căpitănescu has provoked controversy with the lyrics to her song Choke Me. Ukraine's delicate ballad Ridnym includes a breathtaking 30-second-long high note; while Serbian band Lavina unleash a blood-curdling scream at the end of their metalcore ballad, Kraj Mene.

France's singer Monroe is this year's youngest contestant. The 17-year-old's track, Regarde! mixes elements of pop and R&B with a stunning operatic vocal. "Regarde is all about universal love," she tells the BBC. "It's about taking the busy moments in your life and just saying, 'Shhhh, everything is going to be fine'."