BBC viewers took to social media in droves on Tuesday evening to voice their frustration over audio difficulties during the first Eurovision semi-final.
Fans struggled to hear the commentary by hosts Rylan Clark and Angela Scanlon, who was making her Eurovision debut, during the broadcast from Vienna, prompting social media complaints about the show.
Within moments of the show's opening, criticism flooded X, with one viewer complaining: "Can the @BBC sort out their sound department. I can't hear the commentary at all!"
Someone else asked: "Is the sound terrible for everyone?"
Angela Scanlon made her Eurovision debut
|BBC
Another frustrated viewer penned: "Why is the mixing so weird and making the backing music louder than the hosts.
"Really wish the @bbc was better at sound in general but the first year I've had an issue with #Eurovision."
"The background music is AWFUL," someone else agreed.
"The sound is awful already," wrote a different fan, while another echoed: "The sound on #eurovision is awful!" (sic)
Eurovision 2026 kicked off on Tuesday night
|BBC
The first semi-final saw 15 nations take to the stage in the Austrian capital, each vying for a coveted spot in Saturday's grand final.
Hosts Victoria Swarovski and Michael Ostrowski welcomed performers from Moldova, Sweden, Croatia, Greece, Portugal, Georgia, Finland, Montenegro, Estonia, Israel, Belgium, Lithuania, San Marino, Poland, and Serbia.
Of these competing countries, only 10 progressed, leaving five acts to fall short of the final.
The successful qualifiers joined the Big Four nations and host country Austria in the line-up for Saturday evening's finale.
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Bookmakers had Finland as the frontrunners heading into the semi-final at 4/7, with Greece following at 3/1.
Boy George, representing San Marino, faced uncertain odds at 7/2 to qualify, whilst Belgium and Georgia sat at 7/4. The singer was eventually voted out of the contest.
Despite the technical frustrations, the evening's opening sequence left fans moved by the touching performance.
A 70-strong choir launched the semi-final with a rendition of L'amour Est Bleu, paying homage to the contest's seven decades under the theme, 70 Years of Love.
Eurovision viewers complained about tech issues on Tuesday night
|BBC
The song was performed by Vicky Leandros when Vienna first hosted the competition in 1967.
The tribute prompted an outpouring of emotion on social media. "Sobbing at that opening," wrote one viewer on X.
"Also I was sobbing within 3 minutes," another confessed whilst a third remarked: "Omg what an emotional opening."
One fan admitted the performance caught them off guard, posting: "Welp this #eurovision opener is too emotional for my current mental state." (sic)