SEMI-FINAL LINE UP FOR EUROVISION SONG CONTEST 2019 REVEALED AT HOST CITY INSIGNIA CEREMONY IN TEL AVIV

The line-up for the 2019 Eurovision Song Contest Semi-Finals has been revealed at the annual Insignia Ceremony in this year’s host city Tel Aviv.
The hotly anticipated draw, held at the Tel Aviv Museum of Art, revealed in which Semi-Final, 36 of the participating broadcasters will perform.

18 countries in each Semi Final will compete to qualify for the Grand Final and the chance to win the 2019 Eurovision Song Contest.

10 countries will progress from each Semi-Final, to join the six pre-qualified countries in the Grand Final which will be broadcast live, around the world from the Expo Centre Tel Aviv, on 18 May.

France, Germany, Italy, Spain, United Kingdom (the Big 5) and host country, Israel, automatically qualify for the Grand Final, however they are each required to broadcast, and vote in, one of the Semi-Finals*.

The ceremony was hosted by Israeli stars Assi Azar and Lucy Ayoub, who will be joined by Erez Tal and Bar Refaeli as the hosts of 64th Eurovision Song Contest which will be held in Tel Aviv on 14, 16 and 18 May.

The first part of the draw decided which of the Semi-Finals each of the Big Five would vote in and broadcast. It revealed that Spain, France, and Israel will vote in the first Semi-Final taking place on 14 May and Germany, Italy and the United Kingdom will vote in the second Semi-Final on 16 May (re Italy, Spain and the United Kingdom Germany, France and Israel)

The second part of the draw determined which of the 36 remaining broadcasters will perform in Semi-Final 1 and which in Semi-Final 2 with some intriguing results – full details below.

The draw was overseen by the Executive Supervisor of the Contest for the European Broadcasting Union, Jon Ola Sand and Thomas Niedermeyer from voting partner Digame.

In addition to the draw, the Deputy Mayor of Lisbon, Duare Cordeiro representing last year’s host city, Lisbon, took part in the traditional Insignia Ceremony.

He passed on of the official Eurovision key to the Mayor of Tel Aviv-Yafo, Ron Huldai, marking the official handover of hosting duties to the new Eurovision Song Contest host city.

The event was organised by Israeli host broadcaster KAN, and the European Broadcasting Union (EBU).

Jon Ola Sand said ‘The insignia ceremony is an important moment for the Eurovision Song Contest and an exciting celebration of the host city handover. It is also a key milestone for our participating broadcasters as they find out which Semi-Final they will perform in, and as the countdown continues to May, we look forward to welcoming them to Tel Aviv for Eurovision Song Contest 2019’

The first wave of tickets will go on sale later in February, through the Eurovision Song Contest 2019’s official ticketing company Leaan. Tickets will be available to purchase through the company’s website https://www.leaan.co.il/ Further details will be announced in due course.

As previously announced, accreditation for the Eurovision Song Contest 2019 is currently open until 1 March 2019. Further details can be found here https://eurovision.tv/press/accreditation

First Semi-Final (To be broadcast on 14 May)

First half
Slovenia
Belarus
Czech Republic
Montenegro
Cyprus
Serbia
Finland
Poland
Hungary

Second half
Estonia
Portugal
San Marino
Iceland
Georgia
Australia
Belgium
Ukraine
Greece

Second Semi-Final (To be broadcast on 16 May)

First half
Switzerland
Sweden
Ireland
Austria
Moldova
Latvia
Romania
Denmark
Armenia

Second half
Albania
Azerbaijan
F.Y.R Macedonia
Norway
Russia
Nertherlands
Croatia
Lithuania
Malta

The Insignia ceremony and semi-final allocation draw were broadcast live on the official Eurovision YouTube channel and KAN’s website and Eurovision Facebook page.      

For further information visit Eurovision.tv
Twitter: @Eurovision
Instagram: @eurovision
Facebook: @EurovisionSongContest