Eurovision 2023 already has finalists. The second semi-final, taking place this Thursday, has completed the quota of countries that will compete for the crystal microphone on Saturday 13th. This new qualification gala faced 16 countries, of which only 10 managed to get a place in the final. The participating delegations are Armenia, Estonia, Belgium, Cyprus, Poland, Slovenia, Austria, Albania, Lithuania and Australia. On Saturday they meet those who failed in the first semi-final: Sweden, Finland, Croatia, Moldova, Switzerland, the Czech Republic, Israel, Portugal, Serbia and Norway. They will be joined by members of the Big Five, the five countries who will go straight to the final without qualifying: United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy and Spain. Ukraine also secured their passport by winning the festival last year. The final can be followed on Saturday from 9:00 p.m. in La 1. Blanca Paloma, representative of Spain, will perform in the first half of the gala.
Although most of the bookmakers’ favorite countries were present at the first gala (or like Spain, France and Ukraine are among the candidates who do not have to advance to the semi-finals), they were also seen on the stage of the candidates on Thursday night to the taste of the Eurofans present at the M&S Bank Arena in Liverpool. Austria teamed up with the duo Teya & Salena for the catchy song Who The Hell Is Edgar? decided to combine pop and electronic music with lyrics that criticize the current music industry.
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Another qualifier of the evening was Australia, a country that has been participating in the Eurovision Song Contest since it was invited in 2015 due to the competition’s huge following in the Antipodes. Progressive rock band Voyager performed on the theme of Promise and made it to the finals. So did the Australian of Cypriot origin Andrew Lambrou, who represented Cyprus with the ballad Break a Broken Heart.
Albania will be in the final on Saturday with Albina & Familja Kelmendi performing the song Duje, which has Balkan ethno flair. The Lithuanian proposal, represented by the singer Monika Linkyté, who took part in the Eurovision Song Contest in 2015, also contains fragments inspired by the folklore of her country. Dance rhythms are what dominate in the Belgian variant, which also managed to sneak into the Eurovision final, just like Estonia, represented by Alika and her “Bridges” theme.
Denmark, Iceland, Greece, Georgia, San Marino and Romania stayed the course and maintained their commitment to rock, a genre well represented at Thursday’s gala.
A moment of the performance of Dilja, representative of Iceland who did not manage to reach the Eurovision final. DPA via Europa Press (DPA via Europa Press)
Ukrainian singer Mariya Yaremchuk focused on Ukrainian issues during a performance and claimed music in dark times. PAUL ELLIS (AFP)
Rock group Voyager is Australia’s representative at the Eurovision Song Contest 2023 and made it to the final on Saturday. PHIL NOBLE (Portal)
Lithuania has Monika Linkyte as a representative at the Eurovision Song Contest 2023. Martin Meissner (AP)
Albina & Familja Kelmendi are the representatives of Albania at the Eurovision Song Contest 2023. Martin Meissner (AP)
The duo Teya & Salena from Austria during their performance in the second semi-final of the Eurovision Song Contest. Martin Meissner (AP)
The rock band Piqued Jacks represents San Marino. Pictured, at a point in his performance in the second semi-final of the Eurovision Song Contest 2023. PAUL ELLIS (AFP)
Indie rock band Joker Out will represent Slovenia in the second semi-final of the Eurovision Song Contest.PAUL ELLIS (AFP)
A moment of the performance of Iru, representing Georgia, in the second semi-final of the Eurovision Song Contest 2023. PHIL NOBLE (Portal)
Singer and composer Victor Vernicos is the representative of Greece at the Eurovision Song Contest 2023.PAUL ELLIS (AFP)
Joker Out from Slovenia during his performance in the second Eurovision semi-final. PHIL NOBLE (Portal)
Dilja is the representative of Iceland at the Eurovision Song Contest 2023. Pictured, at a moment of her performance in the second semi-final of the European Song Festival. Martin Meissner (AP)
Blanka will represent Poland at the 67th edition of the Eurovision Song Contest in Liverpool. PHIL NOBLE (Portal)
Victor Vernicos is the representative of Greece in the Eurovision Song Contest 2023. PHIL NOBLE (Portal)
“Because of you” was the theme Gustaph chose to represent Belgium at the 2023 Eurovision Song Contest. Martin Meissner (AP)
Alika Milova from Estonia sang the song “Bridges” in the second semi-final of the 67th edition of the Eurovision Song Contest. DPA via Europa Press (DPA via Europa Press)
Gustavh is the representative of Belgium. Pictured during his performance in the second semi-final of the Eurovision Song Contest 2023. PHIL NOBLE (Portal)
Theodor Andrei is the candidate from Romania who took part in the second Eurovision semi-final. Martin Meissner (AP)
Estonia was represented by Alika in the second Eurovision semi-final, which took place in Liverpool this Thursday. PAUL ELLIS (AFP)
The brunette, whose real name is Elen Yeremyan, is the representative of Armenia with the song “Future Lover”. DPA via Europa Press (DPA via Europa Press)
Singer Reiley is Denmark’s representative at the Eurovision Song Contest 2023. Pictured at a point in his performance in the second semi-final.PAUL ELLIS (AFP)
Alesha Dixon, Julia Sanina and Hannah Waddingham, the three presenters of the Eurovision semi-final, at the gala this Thursday. PHIL NOBLE (Portal)
The two semi-finals were conducted by actress Hannah Waddingham, singer and presenter Alesha Dixon and Ukrainian singer Julia Sanina. They will be joined on Saturday by journalist Graham Norton, a regular commentator on the festival in the UK. This Thursday two more performances were added to the performances of the countries fighting for a place in the Eurovision final. One of them covered various Ukrainian topics to send a message of hope in dark times through music. Responsible for this were Mariya Yaremchuk, Zlata Dziunka and the rapper OTOY with the performance Music Unites Generations. Next, the stage turned into a party with the performance of three drags claiming the freedom to be whoever everyone wants to be, one of the mottos of this festival.
This Thursday it was also possible to see a one-minute preview of the performance by Blanca Paloma, representative of Spain, recorded during one of the festival’s rehearsals. We’ll have to wait until Saturday to see Eaea live, the lullaby with flamenco interludes and Lorca reminiscences, with which she will try to reach the top of the table. The bookmakers place Blanca Paloma in the top 5 with a proposal that has pleased Europe thanks to its originality and powerful staging.
The same bets have made Sweden the standout favourite, one of those who qualified in the first semi-final. Singer Loreen reaches the final on Saturday as the big favorite to confirm a win she already achieved in 2012 with Euphoria. In this case, the Swede of Berber descent has chosen the tattoo theme and a staging where she is between two large horizontal platforms. If he wins, he would achieve what Johnny Logan has achieved, an Australian nationalized Irishman who has been the only person to date to repeat his Eurovision win: he did so in 1980 and 1987. In 1992 a song he composed also won the Eurovision Song Contest Festival. One of the few countries that bookmakers believe Sweden has overshadowed in the final is Finland, another qualifier last Tuesday. Rapper-singer-songwriter Käärijä (stage name of Jere Pöyhönen) is popular with audiences thanks to the energetic Cha Cha Cha with a colorful and playful staging. Also in the top spots would be Ukraine and France, although their proposals will not be seen live until Saturday, as is the case with Spain.
These are all the qualifiers for the Eurovision 2023 final:
Spain
France
Great Britain
Germany
Italy
Ukraine
Sweden
Finland
Norway
Serbian
Portugal
Croatia
Swiss
Israel
Moldova
Czech Republic
Armenia
Estonia
Belgium
Cyprus
Poland
Slovenia
Austria
Australia
Albanian
Lithuania
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