It's nearly time for the Grand Final, and whether you're watching or not this year, we wanted to celebrate songs that conjure up the feeling of pan-European unity and joy that Eurovision truly represents. Inspired by a listener postcard, we go through a playlist of songs that have something to say about the world, or about Eurovision itself. Jeremy's a man in a hamster wheel, Dimitry risks it all to give Portugal douze points, and Oscar picks a song because he feels good. 

Read our song guide for this year's contest on Pop Heist: https://popheist.com/eurovision-2026-song-guide

Read The Eurovision 2026 Boycott Explained on Pop Heist

Send the EBU an email re: your concerns about their Eurovision decisions: [email protected]

List of 2026 alternative viewing options & watch parties (send more if you have them!)

This week's companion playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5DSdZqdp8JgNZlVz8EAvPV

 Help support this show and unlock bonus content! Become a member at https://maximumfun.org/joineurovangelists

Eurovangelists is an American Eurovision podcast, made in the US for Eurovision fans worldwide. The Eurovangelists are Jeremy Bent, Oscar Montoya and Dimitry Pompée.

The theme was arranged and recorded by Cody McCorry and Faye Fadem, and the logo was designed by Tom Deja.

Production support for this show was provided by the Maximum Fun network.

The show is edited by Jeremy Bent with audio mixing help was courtesy of Shane O’Connell.

Find Eurovangelists on social media as @eurovangelists on Instagram and @eurovangelists.com on Bluesky, or send us an email at [email protected]. Head to https://maxfunstore.com/collections/eurovangelists for Eurovangelists merch. Also follow the Eurovangelists account on Spotify and check out our playlists of Eurovision hits, competitors in upcoming national finals, and companion playlists to every single episode, including this one! 

Eurovision season wouldn't feel complete without a visit from Tobias Larsson, Eurovision fan & historian, to tell us the backstory of another ESC luminary. This time it's Udo Jürgens, the man who gave Austria their first win and sold over a hundred million records worldwide. It's a fun look at one of the most successful singers & songwriters in ESC history, and we're glad to celebrate Udo just before the contest returns to Vienna for Eurovision 2026 60 years after his win. Jeremy's mixing gin & rum, Dimitry thanks the jury, and Tobias is sticking with some Greek wine.

Read Tobias's Eurovision blog, Tobson och alla bidragen, here (translation available on site!): https://allaeurovisionsbidrag.blogspot.com/

Watch many of the Udo Jürgens songs discussed in this episode on YouTube here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-2kzuDfVXpE&list=PLd2EbKTi9fyWXqeHvk0Yx5D2mbtii9t0U&pp=sAgC

This week's companion playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/458lJsAOGpxZyXc2w7BCmX

 Help support this show and unlock bonus content! Become a member at https://maximumfun.org/joineurovangelists

Eurovangelists is an American Eurovision podcast, made in the US for Eurovision fans worldwide. The Eurovangelists are Jeremy Bent, Oscar Montoya and Dimitry Pompée.

The theme was arranged and recorded by Cody McCorry and Faye Fadem, and the logo was designed by Tom Deja.

Production support for this show was provided by the Maximum Fun network.

The show is edited by Jeremy Bent with audio mixing help was courtesy of Shane O’Connell.

Find Eurovangelists on social media as @eurovangelists on Instagram and @eurovangelists.com on Bluesky, or send us an email at [email protected]. Head to https://maxfunstore.com/collections/eurovangelists for Eurovangelists merch. Also follow the Eurovangelists account on Spotify and check out our playlists of Eurovision hits, competitors in upcoming national finals, and companion playlists to every single episode, including this one! 

While we're not doing as much predicting this year, you better believe we've got opinions about our favorites, so we're welcoming back pop music expert Dave Holmes of International Waters to take a look at what we're liking in 2026. Jeremy's dancing on the table, baby, Dimitry is always mindful of his Croatia history, Dave shocks us with his #1 pick, and Oscar just wants more.

Linda Lampenius on Baywatch in 1999: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ELYPQ7tw7mE

This week's companion playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0ipIZVcS6eqQ0h0NZ5vk03

 Help support this show and unlock bonus content! Become a member at https://maximumfun.org/joineurovangelists

Eurovangelists is an American Eurovision podcast, made in the US for Eurovision fans worldwide. The Eurovangelists are Jeremy Bent, Oscar Montoya and Dimitry Pompée.

The theme was arranged and recorded by Cody McCorry and Faye Fadem, and the logo was designed by Tom Deja.

Production support for this show was provided by the Maximum Fun network.

The show is edited by Jeremy Bent with audio mixing help was courtesy of Shane O’Connell.

Find Eurovangelists on social media as @eurovangelists on Instagram and @eurovangelists.com on Bluesky, or send us an email at [email protected]. Head to https://maxfunstore.com/collections/eurovangelists for Eurovangelists merch. Also follow the Eurovangelists account on Spotify and check out our playlists of Eurovision hits, competitors in upcoming national finals, and companion playlists to every single episode, including this one! 

Hey Eurovision fans: we're in the middle of the MaxFunDrive, Maximum Fun's annual fundraising drive to keep the lights on and help support our show. We've got a taste of our episode with film critic Alonso Duralde of Maximum Film watching an absolutely terrible VHS version of an arguably worse musical, Cliff Richard's Heathcliff. We didn't like it, but we did like talking about it. Take a listen to part of the ep, and if you'd like to hear the rest, click the link below and become a member!

 Help support this show and unlock bonus content! Become a member at https://maximumfun.org/joineurovangelists

Eurovangelists is an American Eurovision podcast, made in the US for Eurovision fans worldwide. The Eurovangelists are Jeremy Bent, Oscar Montoya and Dimitry Pompée.

The theme was arranged and recorded by Cody McCorry and Faye Fadem, and the logo was designed by Tom Deja.

Production support for this show was provided by the Maximum Fun network.

The show is edited by Jeremy Bent with audio mixing help was courtesy of Shane O’Connell.

Find Eurovangelists on social media as @eurovangelists on Instagram and @eurovangelists.com on Bluesky, or send us an email at [email protected]. Head to https://maxfunstore.com/collections/eurovangelists for Eurovangelists merch. Also follow the Eurovangelists account on Spotify and check out our playlists of Eurovision hits, competitors in upcoming national finals, and companion playlists to every single episode, including this one! 

If we're going to talk about all the music videos from Eurovision 2026, we need another opinionated Eurovision fan in the mix, so we're joined this week by ESC Ben! He's chatting with us from the UK about all our music video faves (and least faves) from the class of 2026. Jeremy has Fuego at home, Dimitry is sick to his stomach at the sight of AI fakery, Ben wants one video to Just Go, and Oscar's choreomaxxing.

Find ESC Ben on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@itsescben

Watch all the music videos from 2026: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b9AdRrA554o&list=PLd2EbKTi9fyVFOasv4LXA7gUf5tq1DaoD&pp=sAgC

Vote in the Shadow Bracket every day on our Instagram page! You can listen to the competing songs on Spotify or watch the performances on YouTube.

This week's companion playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4SMdBK4qmAq9g09iXIAVRx

 Help support this show and unlock bonus content! Become a member at https://maximumfun.org/joineurovangelists

Eurovangelists is an American Eurovision podcast, made in the US for Eurovision fans worldwide. The Eurovangelists are Jeremy Bent, Oscar Montoya and Dimitry Pompée.

The theme was arranged and recorded by Cody McCorry and Faye Fadem, and the logo was designed by Tom Deja.

Production support for this show was provided by the Maximum Fun network.

The show is edited by Jeremy Bent with audio mixing help was courtesy of Shane O’Connell.

Find Eurovangelists on social media as @eurovangelists on Instagram and @eurovangelists.com on Bluesky, or send us an email at [email protected]. Head to https://maxfunstore.com/collections/eurovangelists for Eurovangelists merch. Also follow the Eurovangelists account on Spotify and check out our playlists of Eurovision hits, competitors in upcoming national finals, and companion playlists to every single episode, including this one! 

It's MaxFunDrive. And here, for the first time, we give you an exclusive look (well, listen) at the craft of podcasting: presenting Casters on Casters.

Three different coasts are represented in this episode. Recording from Los Angeles is Sequoia Holmes (Black People Love Paramore) on the West Coast of the U.S. Dimitry Pompée (Eurovangelists) joins the conversation from the D.C. area on the East Coast. And nearly 4000 miles east of him, is Ella McLeod (Comfort Creatures) from London. The trio share what it's like behind the scenes, how they got into podcasting, and what they all have in common. Plus, the various challenges they've encountered making their shows.

If this glamorous, in-depth journey into what makes your favorite hosts tick inspires you, support them by joining as a member at maximumfun.org/join.

Edited and Produced by Laura Swisher for Maximum Fun.

 Help support this show and unlock bonus content! Become a member at https://maximumfun.org/joineurovangelists

Eurovangelists is an American Eurovision podcast, made in the US for Eurovision fans worldwide. The Eurovangelists are Jeremy Bent, Oscar Montoya and Dimitry Pompée.

The theme was arranged and recorded by Cody McCorry and Faye Fadem, and the logo was designed by Tom Deja.

Production support for this show was provided by the Maximum Fun network.

The show is edited by Jeremy Bent with audio mixing help was courtesy of Shane O’Connell.

Find Eurovangelists on social media as @eurovangelists on Instagram and @eurovangelists.com on Bluesky, or send us an email at [email protected]. Head to https://maxfunstore.com/collections/eurovangelists for Eurovangelists merch. Also follow the Eurovangelists account on Spotify and check out our playlists of Eurovision hits, competitors in upcoming national finals, and companion playlists to every single episode, including this one! 

This week we're joined by Eurovision royalty, and it's the delightful Daniela Simmons, Switzerland's second place competitor from the 1986 Eurovision Song Contest. Daniela shares stories from her early days as a singer and songwriter, the whirlwind of competing in '86, and her long career after the contest. Jeremy can't get enough of that rock piano sound, Dimitry debunks a Swedish ESC rumor, and Oscar loves a Eurovision love story.

Watch the performances discussed in this week's episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UpQyQQE3bP0&list=PLd2EbKTi9fyX8qVbJdXhnjYEAXJUgAtba&pp=sAgC

Vote in the Shadow Bracket every day on our Instagram page! You can listen to the competing songs on Spotify or watch the performances on YouTube.

This week's companion playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4jjBk7QlioF6lZCElVpxvs

 Help support this show and unlock bonus content! Become a member at https://maximumfun.org/joineurovangelists

Eurovangelists is an American Eurovision podcast, made in the US for Eurovision fans worldwide. The Eurovangelists are Jeremy Bent, Oscar Montoya and Dimitry Pompée.

The theme was arranged and recorded by Cody McCorry and Faye Fadem, and the logo was designed by Tom Deja.

Production support for this show was provided by the Maximum Fun network.

The show is edited by Jeremy Bent with audio mixing help was courtesy of Shane O’Connell.

Find Eurovangelists on social media as @eurovangelists on Instagram and @eurovangelists.com on Bluesky, or send us an email at [email protected]. Head to https://maxfunstore.com/collections/eurovangelists for Eurovangelists merch. Also follow the Eurovangelists account on Spotify and check out our playlists of Eurovision hits, competitors in upcoming national finals, and companion playlists to every single episode, including this one! 

We're heading back in time and to Bergen, Norway for the 1986 Eurovision Song Contest alongside the hilarious Siobhan Thompson of Dimension 20, Rick & Morty and Krapopolis. It's a goofy one, and we've got the irascible Terry Wogan's commentary to guide us. Jeremy documents the rise of the Steinbergers, Dimitry looks for his love in capital letters, Siobhan tells us why we're at peak Eighties, and Oscar's just one of the (European) girls.

Follow Siobhan on IG: https://www.instagram.com/vornietom/

Watch Eurovision 1986 with Terry Wogan commentary on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZN9_6CVVmw0

Vote in the Shadow Bracket every day on our Instagram page! You can listen to the competing songs on Spotify or watch the performances on YouTube.

This week's companion playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3LjtFAxpw7nqxhkkvynrBF

 Help support this show and unlock bonus content! Become a member at https://maximumfun.org/joineurovangelists

Eurovangelists is an American Eurovision podcast, made in the US for Eurovision fans worldwide. The Eurovangelists are Jeremy Bent, Oscar Montoya and Dimitry Pompée.

The theme was arranged and recorded by Cody McCorry and Faye Fadem, and the logo was designed by Tom Deja.

Production support for this show was provided by the Maximum Fun network.

The show is edited by Jeremy Bent with audio mixing help was courtesy of Shane O’Connell.

Find Eurovangelists on social media as @eurovangelists on Instagram and @eurovangelists.com on Bluesky, or send us an email at [email protected]. Head to https://maxfunstore.com/collections/eurovangelists for Eurovangelists merch. Also follow the Eurovangelists account on Spotify and check out our playlists of Eurovision hits, competitors in upcoming national finals, and companion playlists to every single episode, including this one! 

If we're talking Spain's Benidorm Fest 2026, who better to join us than the two native Spaniards that host one of our favorite ESC podcasts, the Eurovisionphiles? Dr. Barbara Barreiro Leon and Maria Zapata are on the show this week, talking about Spain's former national final that's now a celebration of Spanish pop music. Jeremy isn't feeling very quinqui, Dimitry longs to be a turista, Barbara's sporting two new tattoos, Maria wants to know why men sing so high, and Oscar needs an ear worm surgically removed.

Listen to the Eurovisionphiles podcast: https://www.theeurovisionphiles.com/

Watch Benidorm Fest 2026 on RTVE's website: https://www.rtve.es/play/videos/benidorm-fest/benidorm-fest-2026-final/16938786/

Get ready for the Shadow Bracket by listening to the songs on Spotify or watching the performances on YouTube

This week's companion playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0BB6SnwkDZNbqg8S5DeuKG

 Help support this show and unlock bonus content! Become a member at https://maximumfun.org/joineurovangelists

Eurovangelists is an American Eurovision podcast, made in the US for Eurovision fans worldwide. The Eurovangelists are Jeremy Bent, Oscar Montoya and Dimitry Pompée.

The theme was arranged and recorded by Cody McCorry and Faye Fadem, and the logo was designed by Tom Deja.

Production support for this show was provided by the Maximum Fun network.

The show is edited by Jeremy Bent with audio mixing help was courtesy of Shane O’Connell.

Find Eurovangelists on social media as @eurovangelists on Instagram and @eurovangelists.com on Bluesky, or send us an email at [email protected]. Head to https://maxfunstore.com/collections/eurovangelists for Eurovangelists merch. Also follow the Eurovangelists account on Spotify and check out our playlists of Eurovision hits, competitors in upcoming national finals, and companion playlists to every single episode, including this one! 

We've had a sea change in regards to answering our mail: we've decided to answer postcards mid-national final seasons when the questions are relevant as opposed to waiting until the middle of summer where it no longer matters much either way. So come listen to us try and answer some of the big questions about this year's crop of songs! Jeremy's setting off on the San Francisco Bay, Dimitry reveals one of his most hated songs of all time, and Oscar's out his brain, out his mind.

This week's companion playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4FlGKmbOMRXfmhiz97LReM

 Help support this show and unlock bonus content! Become a member at https://maximumfun.org/joineurovangelists

Eurovangelists is an American Eurovision podcast, made in the US for Eurovision fans worldwide. The Eurovangelists are Jeremy Bent, Oscar Montoya and Dimitry Pompée.

The theme was arranged and recorded by Cody McCorry and Faye Fadem, and the logo was designed by Tom Deja.

Production support for this show was provided by the Maximum Fun network.

The show is edited by Jeremy Bent with audio mixing help was courtesy of Shane O’Connell.

Find Eurovangelists on social media as @eurovangelists on Instagram and @eurovangelists.com on Bluesky, or send us an email at [email protected]. Head to https://maxfunstore.com/collections/eurovangelists for Eurovangelists merch. Also follow the Eurovangelists account on Spotify and check out our playlists of Eurovision hits, competitors in upcoming national finals, and companion playlists to every single episode, including this one!