There are 104 days to go until the great and good of Europe (and bits beyond) gather in Lisbon to compete in the 2018 Eurovision Song Contest final. With a modicum of pomp and a teensy bit of ceremony, RTP today staged a draw to decide who gets to sing when.
The competition has featured two qualifying shows since 2008. In each ‘semi-final’ half of the competing countries sing to win places in the final. The only countries which automatically qualify for the grand final are the host country and the Big Five: France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the United Kingdom, who enjoy their protected status based on how much they pay towards running costs.
Every year in late January, there is a draw that decides which country takes part in which semi-final.
The European Broadcasting Union (EBU) supposedly divides competing countries into pots, based on historic voting patterns. The idea being countries that traditionally award each other points are less likely to end up in the same heat.
So … who sings and votes when?
| First Half | Second Half |
| Belarus | Switzerland |
| Bulgaria | Finland |
| Lithuania | Austria |
| Albania | Ireland |
| Czech Republic | Armenia |
| Belgium | Cyprus |
| Iceland | Croatia |
| Azerbaijan | Greece |
| Israel | FYR Macedonia |
| Estonia |
| First Half | Second Half |
| Russia | Montenegro |
| Serbia | Sweden |
| Denmark | Hungary |
| Romania | Malta |
| Australia | Latvia |
| Norway | Georgia |
| Moldova | Poland |
| San Marino | Slovenia |
| The Netherlands | Ukraine |
[…] in other words, they cannot broadcast the second semi final of this year's contest – the one where fate has thrown the two countries together. If Russia makes the final (and let's face it, they will), UA:PBC would also be forbidden from […]