We’re just hours away from the beginning of the Eurovision Song Contest – so what does The Model say would happen if it was held today? James Stephenson analyses the final projection before the Contest really begins, and what could lie in store for us in Vienna.

James Stephenson sits down with Søren Torpegaard Lund, Denmark’s Eurovision 2026 entry, to talk about the ideas behind his staging, using performance to create his own world, and why he’s focused on staying authentic while writing what he calls a “pop diva banger”.

The shift between Semi-Final and Grand Final results reveals that the Eurovision Saturday audience is not just larger, but fundamentally different in its voting behavior. This analysis explores how casual Saturday night viewers alter the Eurovision scoreboard, but also how even the most diehard Eurovision viewers may increasingly be voting tactically throughout Song Contest week itself.

As rehearsals continue in Vienna, James Stephenson sits down with Leléka, Ukraine’s entry for the Eurovision Song Contest 2026.

While many host cities use Eurovision to reinvent themselves, Vienna is simply opening up its world-class tourist destination package to the world to host one of the biggest Song Contests in history. But what does Vienna want visitors to take away from their time in Austria this year?

On this episode, James prepares to head to Vienna for Eurovision 2026 by explaining all the ways The Model could be wrong, as he takes a deep dive into all the elements that are difficult to predict at the Eurovision Song Contest