As every year, the parade of outfits worn by the national delegations appearing at Eurovision resembles a collection of graduate projects from fashion design departments. A futuristic look? There will always be one, or three, who want to make a statement on the subject. Memories of grandma’s sewing machine? Theatrical outfits? Dark knights and furry elves? At least one or two, usually from Eastern Europe and Scandinavia. None of these are absent from Eurovision 2026, which gets underway Tuesday evening in Vienna, Austria’s capital.
Photos and videos from rehearsals held over the past week revealed what is happening on the stage at Vienna’s Stadthalle. As part of the effort to capture viewers’ attention in three minutes, the stage has collapsed under the weight of too many gimmicks. The representatives of Italy and France, for example, looked as though they had emerged from two different weddings. France’s Munroe chose a light-colored dress with a silhouette that recalls a combination of futuristic cabaret and a Gothic bride, while Italian singer Sal Da Vinci takes the idea of romance to the extreme, with a stage that turns into a scene from a Neapolitan soap opera filled with tulle, grooms and ballroom dancing.
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A kind of Scandinavian Harry Styles: Norway’s representative Jonas Lovv during Eurovision rehearsals
(Photo: Alma Bengtsson/EBU)
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Host country Austria chose Cosmo with the song 'Tanzschein' and a futuristic zoo as accompaniment
(Photo: Corinne Cumming/EBU)
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Among this year’s bizarre leftovers: Serbia’s representatives
(Photo: Alma Bengtsson/EBU)
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The irritating song is only a preview of the disconnected Power Rangers costumes: Georgia’s Eurovision delegation
(Photo: Alma Bengtsson/EBU)
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A dazzling matching look: San Marino’s representative Senhit and Boy George
(Photo: Alma Bengtsson/EBU)
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A combination of futuristic cabaret and a Gothic bride: France’s representative during Eurovision rehearsals
(Photo: Corinne Cumming/EBU)
They join the bizarre performance by Armenia’s Simon, wearing a jacket covered in yellow sticky notes, while the British representative Look Mum No Computer — the stage name of Sam Battle — takes the stage in a pink overall surrounded by dancers with computer screens for heads and a set that looks like a cross between an escape room, a synthesizer lab and an episode of “Black Mirror.”
It is hard to ignore the feeling that Eurovision costume designers long ago stopped trying to look “fashionable” in the classic sense, and instead are trying to create a moment that will be seared into memory and TikTok. Here are 11 more looks you will not get out of your head this week.
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A jacket covered in yellow sticky notes: Armenia’s representative during Eurovision rehearsals
(Photo: Alma Bengtsson/EBU)
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Britain’s representative Look Mum No Computer during Eurovision rehearsals
(Photo: Alma Bengtsson/EBU)
Moldova
Satoshi and the infectious song “Viva Moldova” will open the first semifinal Tuesday night. On stage, he jumps around in a baseball shirt with the number 373 in an attempt to recreate the successful style featured in the song’s official video, where he wears contemporary street fashion and is surrounded by dancers in traditional-inspired clothing. The tension between the two styles created a colorful and exciting video, which cannot be said of the Moldovan representative’s casual stage look, which gets lost.
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An attempt to connect with street fashion: Moldova’s representative
(Photo: Corinne Cumming/EBU)
Israel
Noam Bettan’s black leather suit symbolizes sensual and soft masculinity, yet with a slightly rough edge — the kind one might want to rest a head on, or simply brush up against the leather. The suit, designed by Or Yair Bitton, allows Bettan to move comfortably and gives him a contemporary, fashionable look. The dancers are another story.
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A contemporary and fashionable look: Israel’s representative Noam Bettan during Eurovision rehearsals
(Photo: Corinne Cumming/EBU)
San Marino
This is the time to put on sunglasses. Yes, you are not mistaken: It is Boy George, representing San Marino this year together with singer Senhit, in a dazzling matching look for the song “Superstar.” He wears a silver mirrored-ball hat and a harness in the same color scheme over a black knit, while she went for the look of a silver squid in a dress that creates movement on stage. The final result looks like late-’90s clubwear, the kind that could once be scavenged at London’s Camden Market.
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San Marino’s representative Senhit and Boy George during Eurovision rehearsals
(Photo: Corinne Cumming/EBU)
Austria
Host country Austria chose Cosmo with the song “Tanzschein” and a futuristic zoo as accompaniment. The general concept is interesting, but how did the singer end up on stage in a kind of silver, futuristic torso corset that looks like leftovers from Hailey Bieber’s Met Gala look?
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A silver, futuristic torso corset: Austria’s representative Cosmo during Eurovision rehearsals
(Photo: Alma Bengtsson/EBU)
Lithuania
Another greeting from the future comes from Lion Ceccah, who will perform the song “Sólo Quiero Más” wearing a black pantsuit with a sharply shouldered jacket and silver body makeup. Ceccah comes from Lithuania’s drag and performance scene, and uses makeup and fashion to blur the boundaries of gender and identity. According to reports from rehearsals in Vienna, he paints his head and hands silver to look like a creature somewhere between human and machine. Some reporters even compared him to Blue Man Group, only in silver instead of blue.
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Using makeup and fashion to blur the boundaries of gender and identity: Lithuania’s representative
(Photo: Corinne Cumming/EBU)
Greece
And how can a year go by without a furry elf on stage? In an era in which Eurovision has become an algorithmic machine that produces TikTok moments, Akylas is a precise example of the spirit of the times. In his song “Perto,” he appears on stage in a leopard-print outfit with orange fur leg warmers, an aesthetic that recalls a video game character flickering on the screen behind him. The result is an almost avatar-like figure.
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A look made for TikTok: Greece’s representative during Eurovision rehearsals
(Photo: Corinne Cumming/EBU)
Norway
Norway’s Jonas Lovv will perform the song “Ya Ya Ya” in the second semifinal, set for Thursday. According to betting sites, he is expected to finish the final somewhere respectably in the middle — 19th out of 35 — but in the fashion arena, as far as we are concerned, he is one of the winners. Armed with a ticklish mustache, Lovv is a kind of Scandinavian Harry Styles. He took the stage in a glittering black overall that exposes his chest, alongside a boy band in red pantsuits. The result is contemporary and fashionable. The question is whether that will be enough to climb high in the standings.
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A winner in fashion terms, even if not musically: Norway’s representative
(Photo: Alma Bengtsson/EBU)
Georgia
It is doubtful that Georgian singer Bzikebi and the song “On Replay” will make it through the first semifinal. He is expected to finish second to last, according to the betting tables, and rightly so. The irritating song is only a preview of the disconnected Power Rangers costumes worn by Bzikebi and his escorts on stage, in a look that somewhat reminded us of the yellow worn by Lithuania’s representatives to Eurovision 2021 and the costumes of Subwoolfer, the group that represented Norway at Eurovision a year later.
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It is doubtful he will reach the final: Georgia’s representative
(Photo: Corinne Cumming/EBU)
Sweden
Felicia, with the song “My System,” gave us flashbacks to the COVID lockdowns. The Swedish representative’s neo-Gothic style is not innovative, but it is cohesive. Still, we struggle to understand how she can sing with a lace mask covering half her face.
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Flashbacks to the COVID lockdowns: Sweden’s representative during rehearsals
(Photo: Corinne Cumming/EBU)
Germany
Over the past week, Eurovision fashion columns reported that Germany was under pressure after the suitcase belonging to its representative, Sarah Engels, went missing. In retrospect, it is a shame it did not really disappear somewhere on the baggage carousels at Vienna’s airport. Germany is trying to recreate Cyprus’ success at Eurovision 2018 with Eleni Foureira’s song “Fuego,” which finished second, with the clothing also trying to refer to the same hypersexual style. Engels appears on stage with the song “Fire” wearing a gold bodysuit inspired by burning flames, but there is nothing new or exciting about it. Even the “electrifying” performance in rehearsals did not help her climb high in the betting tables, and she is expected to finish Eurovision near the bottom.
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A bodysuit inspired by flames: Germany’s representative
(Photo: Sarah Louise Benentt/EBU)
Serbia
More of this year’s bizarre leftovers: the band Lavina, with the song “Kraj Mene” and a look of dark Gothic knights wearing animalistic fur and futuristic robes. Escaping to fantasy realms in the current reality is not necessarily a bad thing, but we would prefer our fantasy wrapped in a little more escapism.
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A look of dark Gothic knights: Serbia’s band Lavina during rehearsals
(Photo: Sarah Louise Benentt/EBU)