Israel’s Noam Bettan walks the “turquoise carpet” at the opening ceremony of the 2026 Eurovision Song Contest in Vienna, Austria.
“I’m so honored to be here and thank you so much for the opportunity,” the singer tells interviewers at the event, after walking down with Israel’s delegation and a number of security guards, to the tune of “Hava Nagila” played by the live band.
“I’m having the most fun time I’ve had in my life. This experience is incredible. The stage is huge. I’m with an amazing crew of amazing dancers,” Bettan adds. “Thank you all for the support and the love.”
Unlike last year’s “turquoise carpet” opening ceremony in Basel, Switzerland, no Palestinian flags can be seen in the gathered crowd, although some unclear chanting could be heard on the livestream. One attendee could be seen waving a sign that said “Zero points for antisemitism.”
Bettan will perform “Michelle” on Tuesday evening in the Eurovision’s first semifinal, aiming to qualify for a spot in Saturday’s grand final.
Help us report truthfully on social media
As a multimedia journalist, my job is to take the quality, fact-based journalism produced by The Times of Israel newsroom and make it accessible across every platform — from Instagram posts to podcasts to short-form videos.
This is how many, especially young people, consume news these days. But misinformation is rampant on social media. Our team at ToI produces accurate, responsible short-form reporting on Israel and the Jewish world.
If you believe in the importance of factual social media journalism, please consider joining our reader support group, The Times of Israel Community. Your financial support is essential to sustain responsible multimedia reporting.
— Gabriella Jacobs, multimedia journalist
Support our work
Support our work
Already a member? Sign in to stop seeing this
You're a dedicated reader
We’re really pleased that you’ve read X Times of Israel articles in the past month.
That’s why we started the Times of Israel - to provide discerning readers like you with must-read coverage of Israel and the Jewish world.
So now we have a request. Unlike other news outlets, we haven’t put up a paywall. But as the journalism we do is costly, we invite readers for whom The Times of Israel has become important to help support our work by joining The Times of Israel Community.
For as little as $6 a month you can help support our quality journalism while enjoying The Times of Israel AD-FREE, as well as accessing exclusive content available only to Times of Israel Community members.
Thank you,
David Horovitz, Founding Editor of The Times of Israel
Join Our Community
Join Our Community
Already a member? Sign in to stop seeing this
From the Liveblog of
Sunday, May 10, 2026
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on Google
