Greece is set to take part in the grand final on Saturday (16/5), as Akylas with Ferto secured qualification after an impressive performance in the Eurovision A semi-final.

Akylas could not hide his joy and excitement at qualifying and, in a statement to ERT1, stressed how much strength the audience gave him in the stadium.

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“I am very happy and excited. I believed it, but it’s different when you really hear it! And on Saturday we’re going to give it our all!” said Akylas after qualifying.

About how he felt he said: “I don’t know, I didn’t understand it. When I came down on stage I was like ‘what did I do? I don’t remember anything. I want to watch the video to understand what happened, but the feeling was great. People were screaming and it gave me incredible strength. Nothing like rehearsals, where the place is empty. The crowd was crazy, with people wearing caps.”

Akylas was asked by gossip-tv to whom he dedicates the qualification, which although it was expected, is still a step towards the top, he replied that he dedicates it to his family, his mother, the people who supported him at ERT, his record label and the world in general. But he stressed that first of all he dedicates it to himself, for not giving up on his dreams and goals.

Akylas: “We’re going to the final on Saturday to show them how it’s done”

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On his expectations from now on, Akylas was full of enthusiasm: “We’re going to the final on Saturday to show them how it’s done.”

Finally, he spoke of the love of the crowd during his performance in the First Semi-Final, and the unprecedented images he encountered watching the Eurofans dancing rhythmically to his song, Ferto, wearing his signature caps with… ears.

Eurovision 2026: The countries that have qualified for the final

The finalists who have made it through to the final round of the competition.
The countries that have qualified for the final are: Greece, Finland, Belgium, Sweden, Sweden, Moldova, Israel, Serbia, Croatia, Croatia, Lithuania and Poland. Estonia, Georgia, Montenegro, Montenegro, Portugal and San Marino were eliminated from the final.

Estonia, Serbia, Poland, Croatia, Lithuania, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Poland, Slovenia, Sweden, Poland, Poland and Slovenia

We are now out of the final.

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Vicky Leandros and the Akylas show

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In the first semi-final, the start of the night had a nostalgic note with Vicky Leandros, who before taking to the stage was moved to meet Akylas.

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Akylas (Akylas Mytilineos) impressed with the song “Ferto”, presenting a concept reminiscent of a modern arcade game, under the direction of Fokas Evagelinou.

Wearing the characteristic orange attire and “cat ears”, he started his act by pressing a virtual “Start” on stage. The presentation included mirror tunnels and room constructions. In one of them, Parthena Horozidou, dressed as a knitting lady (also with ears), danced with him, creating one of the most viral moments of the night.

During the show, Akylas used a roller skate on the catwalk, and in a gesture of homage to Elena Paparizou (2005), he used Konstantinos Makrypidis as a “human lyre”.

On the bridge of the song, he climbed onto a revolving stage to send a personal message to his mother, before ending the show with the “Korean heart”.

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Twitter praised Akylas and Ferto

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“Ferto”, which is about greed and over-consumption, seems to have won over the audience, with social media recording thousands of mentions immediately after the performance.

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Many “X” (formerly Twitter) users called the result “incredible” and “one of the best performances of the night”. Among the comments that stood out was the feature: “Thank you standing.”