Eurovision 2023: The bets after the rehearsals of the two semi-finals!

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The favourite column of many of you is back, as the betting analysis for the 67th Eurovision Song Contest is back again.

With one week to go until the Eurovision 2023 Grand Final, we take a look at the betting companies’ odds regarding each country’s chances of qualifying in this year’s Grand Final.

1st Semifinal

We start with the first semi-final, where six countries are largely taken for granted to qualify for next Saturday’s grand final. Sweden, Finland, Norway and Israel are all priced at 1.01, giving no profit at all to those betting on their qualification, while the Czech Republic and Moldova are offered at odds of under 1.10.

Beyond that, Serbia seem to be in a league of their own, seen as the seventh favourite to qualify for the grand final on May 13. Luke Black’s qualification is being offered at odds of around 1.30, with a clear distance from both the leading and trailing countries.

Four countries will battle it out for the last three ‘tickets’ to the Eurovision 2023 grand final, according to bookers. Switzerland, Portugal, Croatia and the Netherlands have their own very high chances of qualifying, with Switzerland being played between 1.33 and 1.44, Portugal and Croatia between 1.4 and 1.5 and the Netherlands between 1.57 and 1.67. The Netherlands are in a more difficult position compared to the other three, but their qualification odds are anything but a betting opportunity.

Malta, Latvia, Ireland and Azerbaijan are seen as underdogs for qualification, but in any case the odds on offer could be a lure for those who believe in the qualification of any of these countries.

Regarding the winner of the first semi-final, things are clear. The absolute favourite to win the first semi-final is Finland, which is offered at odds between 1.33 and 1.44. The dynamics of Käärijä and “Cha Cha Cha“, as well as the fact that the crowd decides this year in the two semi-finals are key reasons why the Finnish victory is offered at such low odds.

Second favourite is Sweden, played at odds between 3 and 4, making it a value for money choice, especially for those backing the heavy favourite for the 67th Eurovision Song Contest. Otherwise, all other countries are offered at much higher odds, with only Israel and Norway being hauntingly close to Finland and Sweden. Israel and Norway are being played at odds of under 20.

2nd Semifinal

The second semi-final is expected to be quite controversial, with 13 countries having a fairly significant chance of qualifying for the grand final on 13 May. Austria, Australia and Cyprus are seen by bookers as the firm favourites to qualify, with their presence in the final of this year’s contest largely assured. The maximum odds on offer for their qualification are under 1.10.

Armenia, Lithuania, Slovenia follow, with Armenia‘s qualification returning up to 1.14 times the stake, Lithuania 1.17 times and Slovenia 1.20 times. These are three countries that are considered highly unlikely to be eliminated next Thursday. The same more or less applies to seventh-placed Georgia, which is being played between 1.2 and 1.25.

Belgium and Poland seem to be in a fairly advantageous position, having created distance compared to the countries that – according to the betting companies – will fight for the tenth and last ticket. Belgium is offered at odds below 1.40, while odds slightly above 1.40 can be bet on Poland.

A big battle is expected for the tenth and final ticket of the second semi-final, with Denmark, Estonia, Greece and Albania battling it out. Denmark are said to have the edge at the moment, and are under immediate threat from Estonia. Denmark‘s qualification odds are rising, while Estonia‘s are falling. Denmark‘s qualification is offered at 1.73 and Estonia‘s at 1.83.

The situation is particularly discouraging in the case of Greece. The release of the 30-second snippet of “What They Say” has dropped Victor Vernicos to 12th place, with Greece on the brink of elimination, always according to the bookers. The country’s qualification odds have risen at several firms, with the possibility of qualification doubling the stakes. However, in many companies, Greece remains within the Top 10, with lower or similar odds to tenth placed Denmark.

13th Albania is trending upwards, confirming our last article in which we mentioned that it was the best value for money pick in the second semi-final. Albania’s qualification is showing a drop in all betting companies, “closing the gap” with the leading countries. Albanian qualification is being played at 2.5.

Finally, Iceland, Romania and San Marino have significantly less chance of qualifying after the first two rehearsals, with bookers largely taking it for granted that they will be eliminated from the continuation of the 67th Eurovision Song Contest.

The situation is wide open regarding the chances of winning the second semi-final, with Austria having the edge, although five countries are being played at odds of less than 10 for a win. Austria, Australia, Armenia, Slovenia and Cyprus are expected to battle it out to win the second semi-final, with Australia and Slovenia being the winners of the rehearsals, dropping their odds significantly. Maximum odds offered for Austria are 2.5, Australia 6, Armenia, Slovenia and Cyprus 11.

Which countries do you think will qualify for next Saturday’s grand final and “complete the puzzle” of the 26 finalists?

Eurovision 2023: Watch the exclusive rehearsal footage from today’s second rehearsals!

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The preparations on Liverpool for the 67th Eurovision Song Contest are on fire and it’s now a wrap for the 5th day of the technical rehearsals. After their first technical rehearsals, the representatives of the first 5 countries participating in the 2nd Semifinal on May 11, took the stage of the M&S Bank Arena for their second rehearsals.

The second rehearsals gave the opportunity to the delegations to fix any mistakes spotted on the first rehearsals and help the artists feel more safe and familiar with the Eurovision big stage.

Because accredited journalists are not allowed to watch both the first and second rehearsals this year, we have very little information about what this year’s artists have prepared for the Eurovision stage. EBU has just uploaded through the official Eurovision channel in YouTube a recap of today’s rehearsals. More specifically, we will have the chance to watch exclusive TV footage of today’s rehearsals.

The countries that had their second rehearsals today were the following:

  1. Denmark
  2. Armenia
  3. Romania
  4. Estonia
  5. Belgium

You can watch the recap of today’s rehearsals below:

Follow us on all social media, so you do not miss a moment of what will happen in Liverpool:

Stay tuned at EurovisionFun for all news about Eurovision 2023!

Eurovision 2023: Belgium’s Second Rehearsal!

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Next up is Belgium‘s rehearsal, represented by Gustaph singing “Because of You“.

Who is Gustaph ?

Stef Caers, also known professionally as Gustaph, is 42 years old and he comes from the Flemish speaking part of Belgium. He is an experienced artist regarding the contest, since he has already participated before as a back vocalist for Senek in 2018 and for Hooverphonic in 2021. His debut in the music industry began in 2000 while he was studying in at the Royal Conservatory of Ghent and also he used to be a vocal coach.

Gustaph’s participation in Eurovision is considered to be one of the most unexpected participations, since he was an outsider in Belgium’s Eurosong. He was not the winner of either public’s vote (second) or jury’s vote (third). However the combination of the two results gave Gustaph the golden tickret for Liverpool, who actually beat Starlings by just one point.

No matter the fact that Gustaph has generally gathered negative reviews regarding his qualification, his flawless live performances at pre parties may proove the exact opposite, since he is currently at the odds-in’s eighth place for qualification.

The Rehearsal

Unfortunately this year, accredited journalists don’t get the chance to watch the first and second rehearsals, so we only get the information and content that the organizers officially release to the public.

Belgium is the next country to keep their performance just the way it was in Monday’s first rehearsal. If everyone keeps their outfits from today, the first half of the second Semi-Final is going to be VERY pink.

It’s a pure pop song, full of love for the people who never let us down, with their good and bad moments. Gustaph has his own ladder, three singers and an all LED backdrop with vogueing, drag queens and all the people who make Gustaph’s world a better place.

Sarah Louise Bennett / EBU

Sarah Louise Bennett / EBU

In the afternoon, after the completion of all the rehearsals, a recap video will be released with short excerpts from the footage of all the second rehearsals!

The Dress Rehearsal for Belgium and the rest of Semi Final 2 will be held on the 10th of May.

Follow us on all social media, so you do not miss a moment of what will happen in Liverpool:

Stay tuned at EurovisionFun for all the latest developments regarding Belgium’s entry in Eurovision 2023!

Eurovision 2023: The bets after the fourth day of rehearsals!

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The favourite column of many of you is back, as the betting analysis for the 67th Eurovision Song Contest is back again.

With one week to go until the Eurovision 2023 semi-finals, we take a look at the betting companies’ odds regarding each country’s chances of winning this year’s contest.

Top 5

Largely unchanged remains the situation at the top of the betting tables, with Loreen and Sweden seen as the heavy favourites to win the 67th Eurovision Song Contest. Despite the fact that the rehearsal clips of the Swedish entry were flawed, especially compared to their Melodifestivalen performance, Sweden are still being played at odds of under 2.

Finland, who are one of the winners of the first days in Liverpool, have increased their chances of victory. Käärijä and “Cha Cha Cha” are steadily gaining ground, making them Loreen’s rival in this year’s contest. The lowest odds on the Finnish win are being played at 3.6, with most companies having dropped Finland’s odds below 3.

In third, fourth and fifth place the situation remains stable, with Ukraine, France and Spain rounding out the Top 5. As all three of them start their rehearsals at the Liverpool Arena today, we wait to see whether the view of the bookers who place them within the top five will change. Ukraine and France return up to 15 times the money of anyone who bets on them, while Spain return 17 times. In any case, the differences between them are infinitesimal.

Top 10

In the remaining five places in the top ten we find three countries that have already made their appearance on the stage of this year’s contest and two countries that are starting their rehearsals today ahead of the 67th Eurovision Song Contest.

In sixth place is Norway and in seventh place is Israel. Both are participating in the first semi-final, with their odds after yesterday’s release of the 30-second clip not particularly altering their odds of winning this year’s contest. Slightly worse odds for Norway who are now at 21, slightly better for Israel whose odds of victory for the explosive Noa Kirel have dropped to 26.

Stable remains Austria in eighth place, with their win odds having dropped at some companies, however Teya & Salina‘s win returns up to 41 times the stake at some companies. Ninth place goes to Italy and Marco Mengoni, with odds ranging between 26 and 51, while the top ten is completed by the UK at odds of 81.

First Semifinal

As part of this analysis, we will also take a first look at the odds of qualifying for the grand final. We start with the first semi-final, for which the participating countries have already finished their first two rehearsals on stage at the Liverpool Arena and will return on Monday for show rehearsals.

Six countries are considered a given to qualify, with Sweden, Finland, Norway, Israel, the Czech Republic and Moldova offered by bookers at odds of under 1.10. Significantly, the odds on the top four countries in particular return almost nothing to those who bet on them. For example, in the event that someone bets ten euros on their qualification, they will only make a profit of ten cents of a euro.

Serbia seems to be in a league of its own, being considered the seventh favourite to qualify for the grand final on 13 May. Luke Black’s qualification is offered at odds of around 1.30, with a clear distance between himself and both the leading and trailing countries.

A battle of four countries is expected for the remaining three spots leading to the grand final, according to betting companies. Croatia, Switzerland and Portugal appear to be in the best position, with the Netherlands currently seen as the eleventh favourite to qualify for the Eurovision 2023 grand final. Croatia is being played at 1.50, Switzerland at 1.53, Portugal at 1.57 and the Netherlands at 1.73. One understands that the differences between them are marginal and, therefore, qualification will be decided at the threshold.

The following countries, namely Malta, Latvia and Ireland, are considered less likely to qualify with their qualification odds being between 3 and 4, while Azerbaijan is by far in last place having the least chance of qualifying.

Second Semifinal

Regarding the second semi-final, things are even more difficult. Sixteen countries are participating in this semi-final, with twelve of them being played at odds of less than 2. It is understandable that bookers cannot easily come up with the top ten that will qualify for the final.

Austria, Australia, Cyprus and Armenia are seen by bookmakers as certain to qualify, with their qualification returning up to 1.1 times the stake. Largely similar is the case with Lithuania and Slovenia, who are being played at 1.20.

Seventh-placed Georgia is in a league of its own, with odds of between 1.25 and 1.29, with the possibility of qualification the most prevalent, while the same could be said for eighth-placed Belgium, which is being played at 1.35.

Rounding out the top ten are Poland and Denmark, who gained ground after the release of their first rehearsal snippet on TikTok. Both are being played at odds of less than 1.57.

Eleventh place Greece is being played at odds of between 1.40 and 1.83, though still within the top ten at some companies. Among the losers of the early rehearsals is Estonia, whose odds of qualifying for the grand final on 13 May have gone up. The maximum odds offered for qualification are the same as Greece’s, at 1.83.

Albania has a significant chance of qualifying, albeit less compared to the leading countries, and is one of the most Value for Money betting options for this semi-final. The only ethnic song in the semi-final is being played at odds between 2 and 2.63.

The bookies are also giving qualification odds to Iceland, which is being played at 3. On the other hand, the elimination of Romania and San Marino, whose qualification returns up to 8.5 times the stake, is almost taken for granted.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b3vJfR81xO0

Do you think Loreen can make history in Liverpool in May, giving Sweden victory for the second time and equaling the historic record of the contest’s multiple winner, Ireland?

Eurovision 2023: The Fifth Date’s rehearsal schedule!

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The big moment for all Eurofans has arrived. The wait has come to an end, as we are now in the most important days before the live shows. Rehearsals officially begun on Sunday for the 67th Eurovision Song Contest to be held in Liverpool, United Kingdom.

The rehearsals are divided into two phases; the first phase lasted three days, from Sunday 30/04 until Tuesday 02/05 and included the first rehearsals of all the countries taking part in the two semi-finals of the competition. The second phase will last from Wednesday 03/05 until Saturday 06/05 and includes the second rehearsals of the countries of the two semi-finals as well as the rehearsals of the countries competing directly in the Final, namely the Big 5 and last year’s winner Ukraine. You can watch the rehearsals of the countries competing in the first seni-final in our article!

Last year’s changes in the way rehearsals are covered continue this year, as the Press Center opens on Monday after the first and second rehearsals, which means that the information we will have for the first week of the competition will come exclusively from the material to be provided by the EBU to the accredited journalists.

Program

Todays program consists of two parts. To start, the first five countries competing in the second semi-final will step on stage for their second rehearsals, and then the BIG 5 and Ukraine will take turn, for their first rehearsal on stage at the M&S Bank Arena. These countries are:

  • Denmark 11.30 – 11.50
  • Armenia 11.55 – 12.15
  • Romania 12.20 – 12.40
  • Estonia 12.45 – 13.05
  • Belgium 13.10 – 13.30
  • Germany 14.40 – 15.10
  • France 15.20 – 15.50
  • Italy 16.00 – 16.30
  • Ukraine 16.40 – 17.10
  • Spain 17.20 – 17.50
  • United Kingdom 18.00 – 18.30

For everything new regarding these rehearsals, you will instantly be informed by Eurovisionfun!

From Monday 8/5, the press center opens normally for accredited journalists, who will have the opportunity to watch the general rehearsals before the live shows as was the case in previous years.

Eurovisionfun will of course be there to inform you about everything that happens at the M&S Bank Arena!

Follow us in all our social media, so that you’ll not lose a thing of what’s happening in Liverpool:

Stay tuned on Eurovisionfun for all the news regarding the Eurovision Song Contest 2023, in Liverpool!

Belgium: Watch exclusive rehearsal footage from Gustaph’s first rehearsal!

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Gustaph’s first technical rehearsal took place yesterday and VRT, one of Belgium’s national broadcasters, shared a backstage video from yesterday’s rehearsal. In the backstage video we can also take a glimpse of how the televised performance of Gustaph will look like on the day of the 2nd Semifinal on May 11.

This backstage video provides us also with a better picture about the TV coverage of the stage in Liverpool.

More information about Belgium’s first rehearsal:

Eurovision 2023: Belgium’s First Rehearsal!

The second rehearsal of Belgium is scheduled for Thursday 4/5 when we will have more details on Gustaph’s performance.

Belgium with Gustaph and his song Because of You participates in the 2nd Semifinal on May 11, performing 5th.

You can also watch the reaction video of EurovisionFun on Because of You below:

Follow us in all our social media, so that you’ll not lose a thing of what’s happening in Liverpool:

Stay tuned on Eurovisionfun for all the news regarding the Eurovision Song Contest 2023, in Liverpool!

Eurovision 2023: Belgium’s First Rehearsal!

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Just one place before the last one for today and it is Belgium‘s rehearsal, represented by Gustaph singing “Because of You“.

Who is Gustaph ?

Stef Caers, also known professionally as Gustaph, is 42 years old and he comes from the Flemish speaking part of Belgium. He is an experienced artist regarding the contest, since he has already participated before as a back vocalist for Senek in 2018 and for Hooverphonic in 2021. His debut in the music industry began in 2000 while he was studying in at the Royal Conservatory of Ghent and also he used to be a vocal coach.

Gustaph’s participation in Eurovision is considered to be one of the most unexpected participations, since he was an outsider in Belgium’s Eurosong. He was not the winner of either public’s vote (second) or jury’s vote (third). However the combination of the two results gave Gustaph the golden tickret for Liverpool, who actually beat Starlings by just one point.

No matter the fact that Gustaph has generally gathered negative reviews regarding his qualification, his flawless live performances at pre parties may proove the exact opposite, since he is currently at the odds-in’s eighth place for qualification.

The rehearsal

This is such a feelgood track, and Gustaph’s pink and white outfit is incredibly stylish. It’s a love-filled inspo bop about the people who never let us down, though good times and bad. Gustaph has his own flight of stairs, three backing singers, and an LED backdrop of vogueing, drag queens and all the people who make Gustaph’s world a better place. We’re having a Green Room dance, and can’t wait to see the crowd go mad for this next Thursday.

 

Gustaph rehearsing

Gustaph rehearsing at the first rehearsal – Sarah Louise Bennett

@eurovision The party gets started in Liverpool and it’s all because of YOU Gustaph 🤩🇧🇪 #Eurovision2023 #Eurovision @Gustaph ♬ original sound – Eurovision

Belgium’s second rehearsal is about to take place on Thursday 4/5 when we are going to get a full picture of Gustaph’s performance on stage.

Source: https://eurovision.tv/

Stay tuned on Eurovisionfun for even more details regarding Belgium’s entry in the Eurovision Song Contest 2023!

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Eurovision 2023: The Second Day’s rehearsal schedule!

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The big moment for all Eurofans has arrived. The wait comes to an end, as we are now in the most important days before the live shows. Rehearsals officially begun yesterday for the 67th Eurovision Song Contest to be held in Liverpool, United Kingdom.

The rehearsals are divided into two phases; the first phase will last three days, from Sunday 30/04 until Tuesday 02/05 and will include the first rehearsals of all the countries taking part in the two semi-finals of the competition. The second phase will last from Wednesday 03/05 until Saturday 06/05 and includes the second rehearsals of the countries of the two semi-finals as well as the rehearsals of the countries competing directly in the Final, namely the Big 5 and last year’s winner Ukraine.

Last year’s changes in the way rehearsals are covered continue this year, as the Press Center opens on Monday after the first and second rehearsals, which means that the information we will have for the first week of the competition will come exclusively from the material to be provided by the EBU to the accredited journalists.

Program

Ten countries in total will make their first appearance on stage at the M&S Bank Arena, five from the first semi-final and five from the second. These countries are:

  1. Israel 11.30 – 12.00
  2. Azerbaijan 12.10 – 12.40
  3. Czechia 12.50 – 13.20
  4. Netherlands 13.30 – 14.00
  5. Finland 15.10 – 15.40
  6. Denmark 15.50 – 16.20
  7. Armenia 16.30 – 17.00
  8. Romania 17.10 – 17.40
  9. Belgium 17.50 – 18.20
  10. Cyprus 18.30 – 19.00

From Monday 8/5, the press center opens normally for accredited journalists, who will have the opportunity to watch the general rehearsals before the live shows as was the case in previous years.

Eurovisionfun will of course be there to inform you about everything that happens at the M&S Bank Arena!

Follow us in all our social media, so that you’ll not lose a thing of what’s happening in Liverpool:

Stay tuned on Eurovisionfun for all the news regarding the Eurovision Song Contest 2023, in Liverpool!

OGAE Poll 2023: The results of Belgium, Ireland and Lithuania!

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After the votes of 32 OGAE International Network clubs, it is the turn of Belgium, Ireland and Lithuania to submit their votes.

In detail, the 226 members of OGAE Belgium voted as follows:

  • 12 points to Sweden
  • 10 points to Finland
  • 8 points to France
  • 7 points to Norway
  • 6 points to Austria
  • 5 points to Italy
  • 4 points to United Kingdom
  • 3 points to Israel
  • 2 points to Czechia
  • 1 point to Slovenia

Also, the 216 members of OGAE Ireland voted as follows:

  • 12 points to Finland
  • 10 points to Sweden
  • 8 points to France
  • 7 points to Austria
  • 6 points to Norway
  • 5 points to United Kingdom
  • 4 points to Italy
  • 3 points to Spain
  • 2 points to Czechia
  • 1 point to Israel

Finally, the 23 members of OGAE Lithuania voted as follows:

  • 12 points to Sweden
  • 10 points to Finland
  • 8 points to Italy
  • 7 points to Austria
  • 6 points to Norway
  • 5 points to Slovenia
  • 4 points to France
  • 3 points to Serbia
  • 2 points to Spain
  • 1 point to Armenia

The added up results after the votes of the two fan clubs are as follows:

Finland remains in 1st place and maintains its lead against Sweden who comes 2nd with a distance of 9 points. The top five is completed by France with 254 points, Norway with 209 points and Austria with 196 points.

Stay tuned to EurovisionFun for all OGAE Poll 2023 scores and all the Eurovision news!

Source: OGAE International

Belgium: Gustaph promises a more dynamic show for Eurovision 2023!

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In an interview with Belgium’s public broadcaster, VRT, the country’s representative in this year’s contest, Gustaph, spoke about his performance on the Eurovision stage and his hopes for a qualification to the Final.

With only a week away from the start of rehearsals and consequently the beginning of the 67th Eurovision Song Contest, Gustaph spoke to VRT about his preparation for the contest. As Gustaph has said before, his performance at Eurovision will be different from that of the national final:

“There will be a lot more interaction with the backing singers and with the screens. And it will be much more dynamic. I’m going to have to jump around on that stage a lot more.

I would find it an insult to dancers if I called myself a dancer. I’m just going to move a lot. Although that is not easy if you have to sing at the same time.”

The Belgian representative confirmed that his clothing will be designed by Walter Van Beirendinck. He will however keep his Eurosong hat, but his new look will be full of colour:

Looking forward to the competition in Liverpool, Gustaph is aiming to qualify for the Grand Final and finish well. He has strong hopes about his chances:

“The song is an instant party, people will probably get a good feeling immediately. And we are the only one of our kind in the second semi-final where there are a lot of ballads and intense performances. With us it’s a party and that could be turn out well for a public vote.”

You can watch the EurovisionFun team’s reaction to Belgium’s participation in Eurovision 2023 below:

Stay tuned to Eurovisionfun for all the news about Belgium in Eurovision 2023!

Source: vrt.be