Belgium has recorded its lowest audience for a Eurovision Song Contest final since the 2018 contest in Lisbon, Portugal.
An average of 908,796 viewers watched the final of the 70th edition of the Eurovision Song Contest live from Vienna, Austria, on Saturday night. The figure is down 43,838 viewers compared to the 2025 final, despite Belgium qualifying for the Grand Final for the first time since 2023 in Liverpool.
An average of 323,931 viewers watched RTBFโs coverage, while 584,865 viewers watched VRTโs coverage. RTBFโs audience is the largest for a final since 2022 in Turin, Italy, while VRTโs was the smallest audience since 2012 in Baku, Azerbaijan.
Essyla competed in the final of Eurovision 2026 with โDancing on the iceโ, placing 21st with a score of 36 points, all of which came from the jury, including 12 points from Italy.
Source: CIM
Belgium was one of the seven nations who participated in the first edition of the Eurovision Song Contest in 1956. To date, the country has won the contest only once in 1986. Sandra Kim won the contest with the song โJโaime la vieโ. Her victory was not without controversy when it emerged that Sandra was just 13 years old, two years younger than the age restriction at the time. In the late 00s, Belgium struggled in the contest, failing to reach the final annually from 2005 until 2010, when Tom Dice finished 6th in the final with 143 points. Belgium has finished last at the contest eight times, including two sets of nul points.
