Thousands of glammed-up fans were excitedly queueing Saturday ahead of the 2026 Eurovision Song Contest, where a fiery Finnish duo and an acclaimed Australian star are the favourites to win the glittering crown. This year marks the 70th edition of the world's biggest live televised music event, which despite the razzmatazz rarely escapes the politics in the background. Spain, the Netherlands, Ireland, Iceland and Slovenia are staging the biggest political boycott in Eurovision history over Israel's participation, citing the war in Gaza, while in Vienna, hundreds of demonstrators marched past the Wiener Stadthalle concert venue. Read moreSpain, Ireland, Slovenia will not broadcast Eurovision over Israel's participation The overwhelming favourites in the 25-country final are the Finnish double-act of violinist Linda Lampenius and pop singer Pete Parkkonen, with their song "Liekinheitin", or "Flamethrower". However, Australia's Delta Goodrem, who has sold nine million albums, was also coming in hot with her song "Eclipse". "It's going to come down to Finland and Australia," Fabien Randanne, a journalist at French news outlet 20 Minutes and a specialist on the contest, told AFP. But Bulgarian pop singer Dara has been gaining traction with her high-energy and highly-choreographed dancing on the catchy floor-filler "Bangaranga". Greece has been bringing the smiles with "Ferto", featuring singer Akylas in tigerprint coat, shorts and hat against a retro video game backdrop in a performance that also showcased knitting, a glitterball and a classical statue that came to life. Israel's Noam Bettan is also an outside bet with "Michelle", while 22-year-old Romanian singer Alexandra Capitanescu's heavy metal song "Choke Me" caused a minor furore in the Eurovision build-up over the oft-repeated lines "I want you to choke me". Party time Some 166 million viewers watched the contest on television last year when it was hosted in Basel, Switzerland. The final begins at 1900 GMT with more than 10,000 Eurovision fans in party mood set to pack out Austria's biggest arena. "I'm here to see my favourite singer, my idol, my queen: Delta," said Jeremy, 45, a teacher from Britain, who was lining up with other fans wearing ponchos in the pouring rain outside the Stadthalle. "The excitement inside of me is so beyond words that I'm here in the live grand final." Undeterred by rain in Vienna, many have taken musical cruises on the Danube and sung karaoke in the huge fan zone set up in front of the City Hall and aboard trams crisscrossing the city. Protest against Israel's slot But elsewhere, demonstrators were marching in protest. Hundreds marched through Vienna before the final shouting "Free, free Palestine" and "boycott Eurovision", under heavy police presence.