The semi-final allocation draw takes place today in Lisbon, as the Eurovision Song Contest 2018 draws ever close.
Lisbon will officially take over the role as the host city of the Eurovision Song Contest today, as the semi-final allocation draw takes place in the Portuguese capital. The venue for the semi-final allocation draw is the Salão Nobre da Câmara Municipal de Lisboa.
Hosting the draw from 13:00 CET are two of the hosts of the Eurovision Song Contest 2018; Filomena Cautela and Sílvia Alberto. They will guide viewers across Europe through the draw.
How does the draw work?
The Semi-Final Allocation Draw will consist of two parts. In the first part, the six pre-qualified countries (France, Spain, Germany, Italy, the United Kingdom and the host country, Portugal) will each be allocated which they must broadcast and vote in.
In the second part, the remaining 37 countries will be allocated which of the two semi-finals they will perform in. 19 countries will take part in Semi-Final 1 and 18 countries will take part in Semi-Final 2. The semi-finalists have been allocated into six pots based on historical voting patterns. These pots are:
Pot 1:
- Albania
- Croatia
- Macedonia
- Montenegro
- Serbia
- Slovenia
- Switzerland
Pot 2:
- Denmark
- Finland
- Iceland
- Ireland
- Norway
- Sweden
Pot 3:
- Armenia
- Azerbaijan
- Belarus
- Georgia
- Russia
- Ukraine
Pot 4:
- Bulgaria
- Cyprus
- Greece
- Hungary
- Moldova
- Romania
Pot 5:
- Australia
- Austria
- Czech Republic
- Israel
- Malta
- San Marino
Pot 6:
- Belgium
- Estonia
- Latvia
- Lithuania
- Netherlands
- Poland
During the Semi-Final Allocation Draw, the Host City Insignia Exchange will also take place between Vitali Klitschko, Mayor of Kyiv and Fernando Medina, Mayor of Lisbon.
You can watch the draw live on RTP 1 or via the official Eurovision Song Contest YouTube page here.
This is Portugal’s first time hosting the Eurovision Song Contest, after Salvador Sobral’s win last year in Kiev with the song “Amar Pelos Dois.” The first semi-final will be held on May 8 with the second on May 10. The grand final, which will feature the ten winners of each semi-final, plus the entries of the Big 5 – United Kingdom, Italy, France, Germany – and host country Portugal. All three shows will be hosted by Filomena Cautela, Sílvia Alberto, Daniela Ruah and Catarina Furtado.
The official slogan for next year’s contest is “All Aboard!”, chosen to represent a celebration of Europe and music. The slogan was inspired by Lisbon’s longstanding history as an important global seaport and the importance of the ocean in Portugal’s history. The ocean has connected Portugal to the rest of the world for centuries, and this connectivity is intended to invite people from across the world to come together to celebrate music and Eurovision.