Eurovision 2023: The Semi-final allocation pots!

The draw will be hosted by AJ Odudu and Rylan and fans will be able to watch on the official Eurovision YouTube channel (or on BBC TWO or BBC iPlayer if you’re in the United Kingdom).

The Allocation Draw will determine whether countries participate in the First Semi-Final (Tuesday 9 May at 21:00 CEST) or the Second Semi-Final (Thursday 11 May at 21:00 CEST). Also randomly allocated is whether a country will perform in the first or second half of the Semi-Final they’ve drawn.

Semi-Final Allocation Draw: How does it work?

The United Kingdom and Ukraine, as the Host Country and reigning champion respectively, along with the other 4 members of the so-called ‘Big 5’ participating countries (France, Germany, Italy and Spain) do not compete in the Semi-Finals but their domestic audiences do get to vote in one of them… so before the competing countries are allocated a place in a Semi-Final, it will be randomly determined which of the Semi-Finals the Big 5 will each be allowed to vote on.

The next part of the draw will determine in which Semi-Final and in which half of the respective Semi-Final the other 31 participating countries will perform in.