The semifinal allocation draw for the 69th Eurovision Song Contest just took place in Basel, Switzerland. This crucial event determined how the participating countries will be allocated across the two semifinal nights.
The Official Handover Ceremony
In addition to the draw, the Host City Insignia handover ceremony took place. Last year’s Swedish organizers officially passed the hosting responsibilities to Switzerland, marking the beginning of Eurovision 2025 preparations.
Presenters and Broadcast Details
The allocation draw was hosted by renowned Swiss presenter Jennifer Bosshard and Jan van Ditzhuijzen. Despite having no prior television experience, Jan has been involved in Eurovision through his academic studies. The event was broadcast with the support of students from the “Multimedia Production” program at the University of Applied Sciences of Graubünden.
Eurovision 2025: Participating Countries
This year, 37 countries will compete in Eurovision 2025, following Moldova’s recent withdrawal. Out of these, 31 nations will battle it out in the semifinals for a chance to secure one of the ten spots in the grand final. The BIG 5 countries—France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and the United Kingdom—along with host country Switzerland, have automatically secured their places in the grand final.
Allocation Process: How Countries Were Distributed
To ensure fairness and prevent “friendly” voting, organizers divided participating countries into five groups based on historical voting patterns.
The countries’ semi-final distribution as decided following the draw
The final running order of performances will be announced after all songs and staging plans have been submitted. This approach aims to create an optimal viewing experience for audiences.
Voting by the BIG 5 and Switzerland
Although the BIG 5 and Switzerland do not participate in the semifinals, they have the right to vote and influence the results. It has been decided that Switzerland, Italy, and Spain will vote in the 1st semifinal, while Germany, France and United Kingdom will vote in the 2nd semifinal.
What are your first thoughts of the allocation draw? Stay tuned to ogaegreece.com for the latest updates for Eurovision 2025!
[Source: eurovision.tv]
Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter and YouTube, to stay up-to-date on what’s happening in Eurovision!
