Eurovision Draws Semi-Finals Schedule As Contenders Are Set

Despite Ukraine winning Eurovision 2022 in one of the most emotional finals in recent memory, the 2023 contest is happening in the U.K. due to the Ukrainian capital of Maripol not being secure enough for a global dance party. This has the side benefit of the cash-strapped country, which needs to spend its dollars elsewhere, being able to lean on the BBC to host and fund many of the run-up parts of the contest, starting with the traditional yearly Allocation Draw that determines the semi-final schedule. Though the production is technically a joint one produced by the BBC and Ukraine’s UA:PBC, the BBC was front and center, with presenters Rylan and AJ Odudu running the show.

This year’s contest has 37 contenders atThe “Big Five,” the countries who provide the backbone of funding for the event — Italy, Spain, France, Germany, and the U.K. — and Ukraine, as last year’s winner/this year’s (co)host are given direct passes to the Grand Final without having to perform in the semis, leaving 29 countries to be divvied out over the Tuesday and Thursday night performances. The odd number also means an uneven spread, with Tuesday landing 15 performances while Thursday will have 16. Since only the countries competing can vote on their Semi-Final night, those with passes to the Grand Final also get drawn to see which semi-final they will vote in.