How to live stream Eurovision 2022 semi-final 2 online and for free

Sheldon Riley during performance for Australia's entry
(Image credit: AAP: Darren England)

Bonjour, hola, and willkommen as Eurovision’s next round of semi-finals gets underway! Ukraine, Greece and Norway have already secured their spot on Saturday, so can we expect Australia, San Marino, or Finland’s The Rasmus to join them? Read on and find out as we explain how to live stream Eurovision 2022 semi-finals 2 online and 100% FREE in the UK and Australia.

Eurovision 2022 semi-final 2 live stream

Date: Thursday, May 12 (UK, US)

Time: 9pm CEST (local) / 8pm BST / 3pm ET / 12pm PT / 5am AEST

Venue: Palasport Olimpico, Turin, Italy

FREE Eurovision live stream: BBC iPlayer (UK) | SBS On Demand (AU)

Watch anywhere: try ExpressVPN 100% risk-free for 30-days

Of Tuesday’s performers, only 10 went on to the grand finale. Greece impressed audiences with the thunderously romantic “Die Together”, Ukraine’s musical medley “Stefania” received rapturous applause, and everybody loved Norway’s delightfully weird “Give That Wolf a Banana” and the band’s mischievous frontmen.

Now 18 more acts fight for the chance to perform to a worldwide TV audience of 180 million this Saturday. And we can't wait to watch!

Among them are Australia’s 23-year-old Sheldon Riley with “Not the Same” and singer Brooks’ pop banger “That’s Rich”, representing seven-time Eurovision winner Ireland. Georgia, Montenegro, Israel, Poland and Azerbaijan will be hoping to rock the PalaOlympico too, while Achille Lauro delivers a ballsy rock ballad for San Marino, featuring outlandish lyrics like “I love Britney / She’s the devil in a Birkin.” (I mean…of course!)

So, keep reading for further information on how to live stream Eurovision 2022 semi-final 2 online. Because surely it’s time to be “making your minds up!” and voting for your favorites!?

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How to live stream Eurovision online in the UK: stream semi-final 2 for FREE

Thursday, May 12 at 8pm BSTFREE via BBC iPlayer

Grab your friends and get ready for one heck of a night in! The second round of Eurovision “qualifiers” is being broadcast on BBC Three on Thursday, May 12 at 8pm BST. Or you can stream it FREE via BBC iPlayer.

It’s possible to tune in through most live TV providers, or log into the iPlayer web app through your smart TV (or smart TV streaming sticks), iPhone, Android phone, tablet, PlayStation, Xbox, or laptop. 

And if you miss any of the semi-final spectacle – including a live performance of UK hopeful Sam Ryder – you can stream it on-demand for FREE with BBC iPlayer, where it will be available to the service after its initial TV broadcast.

If you're outside of the UK when the musical extravaganza kicks off, you can still access BBC iPlayer with have a VPN account, allowing you to connect as if you were back home. Not only that, but ExpressVPN is also offering a 30-day all-your-money-back guarantee, allowing you to try before you buy.

Use a VPN to watch BBC iPlayer from abroad.

How to live stream Eurovision 2022 semi-finals from outside your country

In this guide we recommend some of the best places to live stream the Eurovision 2022 semi-finals. But, if you’re abroad right now, you’ll likely encounter some annoying geo-blocking restrictions.

You can get around this problem with a VPN, which is a fantastic bit of software that lets you virtually port your device back to your country of residence – thereby letting you gain access to all the streaming services and content you’d normally enjoy at home.

Use a VPN to live stream Eurovision 2022 semi-finals from anywhere

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How to use a VPN to watch the Eurovision 2022 semi-finals

Using a VPN for BBC iPlayer while abroad is as easy as one-two-three...

1. Download and install a VPN - as we say, our top choice is ExpressVPN

2. Connect to the appropriate server location - open the VPN app, hit 'choose location' and select the appropriate location, eg: 'UK' for BBC iPlayer.

3. Go to the broadcaster's stream - head to your home broadcaster's site or app and watch as if you were at home - BBC iPlayer for UK citizens abroad.


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How to live stream Eurovision 2022 semi-final 2: watch in Australia for FREE

Friday, May 13

G’day, Eurovision fans! You can watch the remaining 18 countries perform in the semi-finals 2 live on SBS or SBS On Demandfrom Friday, May 13 at…crikey...5am AEST! Fortunately, the considerate broadcaster will rerun the semis later in the day at 8:30pm to appease us night owls.

As well as apps for Android and iOS, you can access SBS On Demand with Android TV, Amazon Fire TV stick, Apple TV and most smart TVs.

And if you’re out of the country when the iconic competition airs? You can simply purchase a VPN and connect to your home streaming service to watch Eurovision 2022 online from wherever you are.

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Live stream Eurovision 2022 semi-final 2 in the US without cable

Peacock

NBC streaming service Peacock provides US audiences with exclusive access to Europe’s iconic music competition, with all the Eurovision 2022 action available to stream here live. 

The second semi-final will air on Thursday, May 12 from 3pm ET / 12pm PT, and American fans can enjoy commentary from Eurovision superfan and former Olympic figure skater Johnny Weir.

From just $4.99 a month you can get Eurovision and lots of other premium content. Both the Premium and Premium Plus tiers offer access to 50+ always-on channels and more than 60,000 hours of hit films and TV shows, plus live events, live sports, and next-day access to current NBC shows. 

As already noted, if you're looking to access your Peacock account while abroad you'll likely find geo-blocks stop you streaming your usual film and TV content. You can use a VPN to alter your IP address, however, and keep streaming as if you were right at home.

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How to watch Eurovision 2022 online in Canada

While OMNI provided Eurovision for the Canadian masses in 2021, there’s no confirmed broadcaster this year and so no TV coverage of the show.

However, in better news, Canadian’s can access the Eurovision Song Contest YouTube channel and stream a ‘clean’ (no-commentary) version of all semi-finals and the grand final too. The second round of semi-finals will available on Thursday, May 12 at 3pm ET / 12pm PT.

However, if you want to bask in wit of a national TV presenter like the BBC's Graham Norton, or are simply travelling abroad, you can change your IP address by downloading a VPN. They’re easy to use and will let you watch the Eurovision 2022 semi-finals no matter where you are.

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Can you watch Eurovision in New Zealand?

Eurovision hasn't been televised in New Zealand for a few years, and it's business as usual for the 2022 edition. As explained above, your best option could be to use a VPN to tap into another country's coverage. 

If you do fancy going down that route, note that the second semi-final starts at 7am NZST on Friday morning.

Daniel Pateman

Daniel Pateman is a freelance writer, producing articles across the cultural spectrum for magazines like Aesthetica, Photomonitor, The Brooklyn Rail and This is Tomorrow. He also provides text-writing services to individual curators and artists worldwide, and has had work published internationally. His favourite film genre is horror (bring on Scream 5!) and he never tires of listening to Absolute 80s on the radio.