Eurovision 2023: The last bets before the Grand Final!

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With just under ten hours to go until the Eurovision 2023 Grand Final, your favourite column will present for one last time the betting odds for the 67th Eurovision Song Contest taking place in Liverpool.

Your favourite column will bring you everything that has changed since last night’s Jury Show, both in terms of the winning case and the countries within the Top 10.

Winning probabilities

We seem to be heading towards a deafening victory for Sweden, as the odds for a victory for the Scandinavian country have reached an all-time low during this year’s Eurovision season. The performance in the first semi-final has given Loreen a ‘winning edge’, with the Swedish victory being played at as low as 1.36 at some firms, with the maximum available odds being 1.53.

In second place, with a clear downward trend in some companies, is Finland. Käärijä and “Cha Cha Cha” are Loreen‘s rival in this year’s competition, with Finland‘s win odds now ranging between 3 and 3.75. The Finnish entry has bounced back in recent days, with its odds dropping, effectively becoming the only country that can threaten Sweden from its historic seventh win.

Alone in third place is Ukraine, whose maximum win odds have risen to 15. Israel has moved up to fourth with an odds of 34, now being the highest position it has been in betting-wise during this year’s Eurovision season. The top five is completed by Spain, together with France. Both Big 5 countries are both being played at a maximum odds of 41, having lost ground in recent days after.

In seventh place is Norway, which is offered at odds of 67. Significantly, Norway‘s win odds show a huge discrepancy, with the lowest at 12 and the highest at 67. In eighth place is the United Kingdom at the same odds as ninth place Italy, with their win options offered at odds of 101. Finally, Austria completes the top ten at 126 odds.

Top 10

Of particular interest is one of the most popular markets for betting companies, that of entering the Top 10. Looking at the table below, it can be seen that bookers largely consider entry into the top 10 to be assured for a large proportion of the countries involved in the Grand Final.

Sweden and Finland are seen as the most certain to make the top 10, with bookers offering this particular option between 1.01 and 1.06. In other words, they consider a finish outside the top ten for the aforementioned countries to be an unrealistic scenario.

The same is largely true for Israel and Norway, whose finish inside the Top 10 is offered slightly higher between 1.10 and 1.18.

Quite good chances for another result inside the top ten, continuing the streak of the last few years, seem to be offered by Ukraine and Italy. Both playing between 1.30 and 1.36. Next, Spain and France are seen as the seventh and eighth most likely to occupy a spot within the top 10, being hand in hand as in the win odds. The presence of Spain and France in the Top 10 is being played at 1.44.

Armenia are also among the big favourites to take a place within the Top 10. Brunette and “Future Lover” are the latest country to be offered at odds below double, with Armenia‘s entry into the Top 10 being played between 1.40 and 1.67. If the bookers are correct, it will be the country’s best result since 2016.

A big battle is expected for the final spot in the Top 10; with bookmakers believing that four countries have high enough odds to place within the top 10. Belgium, Austria, Croatia and the Czech Republic return just under 3 times the stake of anyone betting on their presence in the Top 10.

Particularly value for money for those who like high odds is also Slovenia, who made an impression in Thursday’s second semi-final. Slovenia‘s entry into the Top 10 quadruples the stakes.

Conclusions

We are only a few hours away from the big winner of Eurovision 2023 and the truth is that Sweden is considered by the bookers as the most likely to win. Throughout Eurovision 2023, the Swedes have taken the lead and they won’t let it go until the end, with Finland lurking until the last minute claiming their own chances of winning. It remains to be seen whether the predictions will be confirmed this year as well.

As for the rest of the countries, places 3-7 are very close, while for the last Top 10 places the odds keep changing. One thing is for sure, everything can change and the bets are nothing but a reflection of the players’ trends at the betting companies.

Eurovision 2023: Grand Final takes place tonight!

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The moment that every Eurofan waited for is finally here! The 67th Eurovision Song Contest officially comes to an end tonight, as the Grand Final takes place tonight, live from Liverpool!

The twentysix remaining countries will take part in tonight’s show, but only one will be the winner of Eurovision 2023.

The hosts of this evening will be Julia Sanina from The Hardkiss, Hannah Waddingham, Alesha Dixon and Graham Norton.

The 26 finalists of this year’s Grand Final are:

1. 🇦🇹 Austria | Teya & Salena – Who The Hell Is Edgar?

2. 🇵🇹 Portugal | Mimicat – Ai Coração

3. 🇨🇭 Switzerland | Remo Forrer – Watergun

4. 🇵🇱 Poland | Blanka – Solo

5. 🇷🇸 Serbia | Luke Black – Samo Mi Se Spava

6. 🇫🇷 France: La Zarra – Évidemment

7. 🇨🇾 Cyprus | Andrew Lambrou – Break A Broken Heart

8. 🇪🇸 Spain: Blanca Paloma – Eaea

9. 🇸🇪 Sweden | Loreen – Tattoo

10. 🇦🇱 Albania | Albina & Familja Kelmendi – Duje

11. 🇮🇹 Italy | Marco Mengoni – Due Vite

12. 🇪🇪 Estonia | Alika – Bridges

13. 🇫🇮 Finland | Käärijä – Cha Cha Cha

14. 🇨🇿 Czechia | Vesna – My Sister’s Crown

15. 🇦🇺 Australia | Voyager – Promise

16. 🇧🇪 Belgium | Gustaph – Because Of You

17.  🇦🇲 Armenia | Brunette – Future Lover

18. 🇲🇩 Moldova | Pasha Parfeni – Soarele şi Luna

19. 🇺🇦 Ukraine | TVORCHI – Heart of Steel

20. 🇳🇴 Norway | Alessandra – Queen of Kings

21. 🇩🇪 Germany | Lord of the Lost – Blood & Glitter

22. 🇱🇹 Lithuania | Monika Linkytė – Stay

23. 🇮🇱 Israel | Noa Kirel – Unicorn

24. 🇸🇮 Slovenia | Joker Out – Carpe Diem

25. 🇭🇷 Croatia | Let 3 – Mama ŠČ!

26. 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | Mae Muller – I Wrote A Song

Apart from the 26 countries taking part, some non-participating countries around the world can vote, as there is a new category that can vote, in the Rest Of The World.

The Grand Final will be broadcasted on 21:00 CET and you can watch it live from your country’s public broadcaster, or from the livestream on the official Eurovision YouTube channel:

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Eurovision 2023: Grand Final Jury Show – Live Commentary! (Updated Live)

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After the Semi-Finals of the Eurovision Song Contest 2023, the contestants that got the golden ticket are ready for the Grand Final tomorrow at 21.00 CET. 50% of the Grand Final result will be determined tonight, in the Final Jury Rehearsal that has just started and will be evaluated by the national juries of the 38 participating countries.

Earlier today we saw the Dress Rehearsal and you can read our commentary here.

This article gets updated in real-time, all you need to do is hit the refresh button on your browser!

So stay tuned to this article as we update it with all details, preparing you for what you will see in the Grand Final tomorrow May 13th.

The Show

The contest begins with an introductory video featuring the Kalush Orchestra singing the winning song “Stefania” in the Kyiv subway, while Sam Ryder is featured playing guitar. We actually listen to a remix of “Stefania” with lyrics in English as well. Then we move to the M&S Bank Arena stage where the Kalush Orchestra are now singing live.

Next comes the flag parade, during which Go_A (Ukraine 2020-2021), Jamala (Ukraine 2016), Tina Karol (Ukraine 2006) and Verka Serduchka (Ukraine 2007) perform.

After the flag parade, the 4 presenters present themselves and welcome us. A very interesting addition is the display of the ranking of the countries with the most wins in the competition and the show begins!

The Competing Countries – LIVE COMMENTARY

Austria

The Eurovision party starts with a fun and sleek performance from the Austrian female duo. Teya and Salena give one of their best performances, in terms of vocals and energy, that could be appreciated by juries. A great opening act but maybe performing so soon will reduce their chances for a top-10 result.

Portugal

Mimicat was lucky to qualify, but unlucky to take the 2nd spot in the running order. Nevertheless, she manages to fill the stage with her great vocals, tamperament and sassy choreography. A decent entry that will probably struggle to avoid the last places of the scoreboard.

Switzerland

Remo Forrer sings his contemporary ballad “Watergun” as good as always. Perhaps he doesn’t give all the energy he could tonight, but his pitch perfect vocals and professional staging will surely boost his jury score a lot. However, I doubt the televoters will remember this performance once the show is over, so his televote could be very low.

Poland

The big surprise of this year’s contest, Blanka from Poland, that earned her place in the Grand Final, delivers a decent performance of her summer bop, that the tv audience will surely enjoy tomorrow. The juries on the other hand, could rank it much lower, due to the singer’s limited vocal abilities and to the fact that “Solo” is a very repetitive song.

Serbia

Luke Black is yet another singer with limited charisma and vocal abilities that could struggle to gather votes from the juries. However, Serbia has managed to hide the performer’s disadvantages, creating a memorable energetic show with clever graphics and camera cuts. Luke doesn’t have the best spot in the running order but could get a decent televote score tomorrow.

France

La Zarra is the first of the big favourites to appear in the Grand Final with a performance that oozes French class. Vocally she’s good but certainly not great, with the backing vocals sometimes overpowering her. She manages to hit the high note! An entry that will probably do well enough with both juries and televoters, but hasn’t reached its full potential and could miss out on the top spots.

Cyprus

Andrew delivers a very good performance of his power ballad “Break A Broken Heart”. It wasn’t his best time vocally and the backing vocals overpowered him at times but overall a great “package”, that could sadly underperform due to it’s unfavorable spot in the running order, between many favorites.

Spain

Up next, one of the most artistic and engaging acts of the entire show by Blanca Paloma. Vocally and visually stunning, the juries should reward Blanca with many points. The televote result, on the other hand, remains a big mystery, especially as Spain appears right before the absolute favorite of Eurovision 2023.

First Break

Sweden

It’s time for the big favorite, Loreen from Sweden, performing her hit-single Tattoo, that is already charting all over Europe. The camera angles, lighting and colors have been perfected, making the act as impressive as it was in Melodifestivalen. Loreen’s vocals are amazing and she owns the stage more than ever. The shot with the “tattoos” on the led screen during the bridge is finally caught by the camera! It will be a big surprise if Sweden doesn’t win the jury vote in a landslide and the contest overall.

Albania

The Albanian family defined all odds and qualified to the Grand Final! A big success already, no matter what place they reach in the Final, Albanians can be proud as this is a very professional act. Tonight we see some different camera work in the beginning, improving the show even further.

Italy

Marco Mengoni is back in his sparkly silver top and leather pants. His vocals are very strong, as always, and we can see more shots of the dancers in the background. It would help if Marco connected with the camera a bit more, but Italy will surely get a great result, continuing their top 10 streak.

Estonia

Yet another act that wasn’t a certain qualifier but managed to get through thanks to a professional performance. Alika is pitch perfect once again and sings her ballad beautifully but being squeezed between many favorites means she will probably finish in the last spots of the scoreboard.

Finland

The second favorite of this year’s contest, Kaarija from Finland, gives us a great fun performance, together with his “Cha Cha Cha” dancers. Kaarija doesn’t have the best vocals and sounds tired by the end of the act but the entire arena parties with him. He ends his crazy show saying his catchphrase “it’s crazy, it’s party” and he will definetely get a huge televote score tomorrow. His jury score however will probably be significantly lower.

Czechia

Vesna, the Slavic “sisters”, proved that they are more than capable performers, crafting a great and meaningful show on the Eurovision stage. Maybe not perfect vocally but still strong, this remains one of the most unique songs of the contest. Performing right after a “televote magnet” however could hurt their chances.

Australia

Next up on stage, the progressive metal band from Australia, Voyager. Their lead singer is one of the most consistent and obviously experienced performers of the contest. It is no surprise that they deliver yet another excellent live vocally and staging wise. It remains to be seen how juries and televoters will react to this song.

Belgium

Gustaph, considered as sure non-qualifier when first selected, managed to turn the table around and qualify to the Grand Final as a sure qualifier. The crowd goes grazy for his 90s inspired dance track, his impeccable vocals and voguing dancer. An act that surprisinly stands out and could manage to crack the top-15 tomorrow, gathering points from both juries and televoters!

Second Break

Armenia

Brunette managed to define statistics and qualify from the 2nd spot of the Semi-Final, delivering one of, if not the best performance. Tonight she gave her best live so far! Beautiful vocals, clever staging and a captivating dance break that should give Armenia their best result since 2016, especially if juries respond to it.

Moldova

Up next, an entry that stands out with its ethnic-techno vibes. A good performance by Pasha, made memorable by the clever staging with the flute-playing dwarf and backing dancers-singers. Moldova is hoping to receive a strong televote result, as usual, but the juries probably wont’t rank this very high.

Ukraine

Last year’s winning country returns with a modern and sleek entry. Tvorchi give a good performance, perhaps not their best vocally but overall this is a strong package that should be respected by juries and could get a very big televote.

Norway

Alessandra starts her act more confident than ever. However, it seems there is some audio issue as a strong echo can be heard. In the second verse she’s a bit off vocally. Thankfully, the talented performers overcomes the problems and finishes the performance with lots of energy and a succesfull, but maybe flat, whistle note. The televoters will surely love this but will the juries respond as much? It remains to be seen.

Germany

Lord of The Lost, the second rock band of this Eurovision edition, are also vocally on point and impress with their effortless energy that the Liverpool audience certainly enjoys. This should hopefully be enough for Germany to at least avoid last place for the first time after a few years.

Lithuania

Monika Linkyte and her backing singers give us yet another great performance. Even if she lost her breat once and asked the audience to sing, that was a very impressive live that should be rewared by juries and will definetely get televote points tomorrow, at least from the Lithuanian diaspora.

Israel

Noa Kirel, the Israeli superstar, commands the stage, looking and sounding better than ever. An amazing MTV-awards-level show that will surely impress both juries and tv viewers and land in a high spot tomorrow night.

Slovenia

Joker Out, the charismatic band from Slovenia that managed to bring their country back to the Grand Final, deliver yet another energetic concert-like show, that gets the crowd going. Performing late in the Final could give Slovenia their best result in years.

Croatia

In the very favorable penultimate spot of the Grand Final, we see the most bizarre act of the year. You either love it or hate it but you can certainly not forget it. Could Croatia be the biggest surprise of the year getting a huge televote tomorrow night! I would’t be surprised!

United Kingdom

Mae Muller has sadly proven that she is the weakest performer of the year. A colorful finish to the show, drowned in pre-recorded backing backing vocals and subpar singing from the British representative. This would definetely be more entertaining in mute, meaning the UK is returning to the bottom of the scoreboard.

Intervals acts

The interval acts start with Sam Ryder. “Liverpool Song Book” follows.

First up is Mahmood (Italy 2019 and 2022), who performs “Imagine” by John Lehnon, whose birthplace was Liverpool. Next is Netta (Israel 2018) singing “You Spin Me Round (Like a Record)”. Then, Daði Freyr (Iceland 2020 and 2021) with “Whole Again” and Cornelia Jakobs (Sweden 2022) with “I Turn to You”. Last, Sonia (United Kingdom 1993) sings 30 years after her participation “Better the Devil You Know” and also Duncan Laurence (Netherlands 2019). In some moments we also see Ruslana from Ukraine. The common denominator of all these appearances is the city of Liverpool. Very moving interval act.

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Eurovision 2023: The Grand Final allocation for the First Semi Final qualifiers!

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The first semi-final has just finished, with the first ten finalists being Croatia, Moldova, Switzerland, Finland, Czechia, Israel, Portugal, Sweden, Serbia and Norway

Before the press conference that is currently taking place these ten countries chose the half in which they will appear in the Grand Final on Saturday.

This is the half each qualifier drew:

  • Croatia – 2nd half
  • Moldova – 2nd half
  • Switzerland – 1st half
  • Finland – 1st half
  • Czechia – 2nd half
  • Israel – 2nd half
  • Portugal – 1st half
  • Sweden – 1st half
  • Serbia – 1st half
  • Norway – 2nd half

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Eurovision 2023: Family Show of the 1st Semi Final – Live Commentary! (Updated Live)

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The family show of the Eurovision 2023 First Semi Final has just started and the the Liverpool Arena is filled with eurofans! Like every year, the evening before each live show, a more financially convenient show for families, identical to the live one, takes place. EurovisionFun will be watching all the shows live both at the on-site press centre in Liverpool and at the online press centre and will be commenting on the full performances of the 15 participating countries, as well as Germany, France and Italy.

This article gets updated in real-time, all you need to do is hit the refresh button on your browser!

So stay tuned to this article as we update it with all details, preparing you for what you will see in the Semi-Final today May 9th, at 21:00 CEST.

The Show

The show opens with a video of a young Liverpudlian boy traveling across the city telling his family, friends, neighbours (and some special guests!) that Eurovision is in Liverpool. The young boy dances yogether with a young girl on the Eurovision stage.

Julia Sanina performs “Mayak” by The Hardkiss. Translating from the Ukrainian for Lighthouse, the performance: “symbolises in many ways how the UK is United by Music with Ukraine through the hosting the 2023 Contest on behalf of the 2022 winners.”

Spice Girl Mel C‘ voice introduces to the stage the hosts of the contest to viewers across the globe. The hosts of the show are the female trio of superstars Julia Sanina of The Hardkiss, Hannah Waddingham, and Alesha Dixon.

The Competing Countries – LIVE COMMENTARY

Norway: Alessandra – Queen of Kings

Alessandra Mele is the chosen one that starts the show of the First Semi-Final, with a very energetic show. It has a quite dark energy, while there are not many changes from the MGP. She was vocally good but not perfect, though she is certain to finish in the top 5 of the Semi-Final.

Malta: The Busker – Dance (Our Own Party)

The Busker, performing in the unlucky 2nd position, give us a slightly updated version of their MESC performance, with almost identical camera cuts and transitions. A fun and colorful number that will probably struggle to make it to the Final.

Serbia: Luke Black – Samo Mi Se Spava

Luke is initially laying on a white flower at the intro of the song. Definitely a dark performance, while his vocal capabilities are amazing and it shows. The dystopian-alternate reality-trapped in a video game show of Luke is definitely going to be appreciated in the Grand Final too.

Latvia: Sudden Lights – Aijā

A flawless performance from Sudden Lights once again. The staging that the Latvian delegation created, is absolutely beautiful and fitting for the song. It’s atmospheric and warm. It’s such a shame if the incredible musicianship and the sweet song of the Latvian rockers won’t be appreciated.

First Break

Alesha Dixon chats with young local children and raps a small improvised song about Eurovision.

Portugal: Mimicat – Ai Coração

Mimicat serves us a bourlesque performance with flawless vocals and undeniable charisma. She and her dancers are all clothed in red, the color of passion and love. The performance is definitely energetic, but this is not a guaranteed qualifier in the Grand Final.

Ireland: Wild Youth – We Are One

The performance is bathed in a golden light, but unfortunately it is not going to change Wild Youth’s fate reagrding qualification in the Grand Final. Vocally, the singer is really weak, avoids to sing parts of the song and looks uncomfortable at times. I can’t imagine Ireland qualifying this year.

Croatia: Let 3 – Mama ŠČ!

The wildest performance yet! It is full of weird sounds, psychedelic leds and clever “SC” on screen graphics that definetely stands out. The fact that the results of the Semi Final are 100% televote should help Let 3 make it to the Grand Final.

Switzerland: Remo Forrer – Watergun

Here we have another dark act, this time by Switzerland. Remo Forrer is a great performer with broad vocal capabilites, while he is being accompanied by some dancers. The performance is beautiful and atmospheric, “Watergun” has definitely have some chances for qualification in the final.

Israel: Noa Kirel – Unicorn

Noa starts her performance inside her rectangular prop and is then joined by her dancers. She is vocally good, but not perfect of anything. Her camera angles are nice but could support the song a little better. Without a doubt, Israel is qualifying and is finishing in the top 5 or maybe in the top 3 of the Semi-Final.

Moldova: Pasha Parfeni – Soarele şi Luna

Pasha is telling his folk tale about marriage under the moon in the most tribalistic way possible. Vocally he is great and is serving an energetic performance bathed in warm red light. Moldova is easily qualifying in the Grand Final once again.

Second Break

Sweden: Loreen – Tattoo

Eurovision 2023’is big favourite proves itself once again. Loreen is a vocal powerhouse and the staging is stunning, while not better than Melodifestivalen. It’s not a question that Sweden is flying in the Grand Final, and Loreen is most probably making the second double win in the history of the contest. Do you believe that Sweden is getting it’s seventh win?

Azerbaijan: TuralTuranX – Tell Me More

The twin brothers from Azerbaijan are inspired by The Beatles and it shows. We have a sweet performance that starts in black and white, then gets back in color. Unfortunately there is no chance of qualifying for Azerbaijan this year, because this act is not strong enough to get voted compared to others.

Czechia: Vesna – My Sister’s Crown

Vesna have worked hard compared to their pre-party performances. They are dressed in pink and are vocally great, that’s why they won’t only fly in the final, but have very serious chances for finishing in the top 5 or the top 3 of the Semi-Final as well.

Break, about dancing

Netherlands: Mia Nicolai & Dion Cooper – Burning Daylight

A very atmospheric and quite performance from Mia Nicolai and Dion Cooper. They are a vocally great, while they stand out due to their beautiful simplicity as well as because of the fact that they are only duet. The Netherlands have some serious chances of qualifying, while it’s not guaranteed.

Finland: Käärijä – Cha Cha Cha

And here we have the craziest closure possible for the First Semi-Final! We most probably have the Televote winner of not only the First Semi-Final but of the entire contest as well. Käärijä is nowhere near a vocal powerhouse, in fact he is very weak vocally, but the performance is not intended to be vocally-dependent anyway. It’s meant to be crazy, energetic and colorful!

Song recap

Interval Act

Wordwide superstar Rita Ora performs a medley of her hits, as well as a world premiere of ‘Praising You’. Alyosha (Ukraine 2010) and Rebecca Fergusson perform together a cover of “Ordinary World”.

Certain Qualifiers

Sweden

Finland

Norway

Israel

Moldova

Serbia

Czechia

Borderline Qualifiers

Netherlands

Switzerland

Portugal

Croatia

Non Qualifiers

Malta

Latvia

Azerbaijan

Ireland

BIG 5 Performances

France: La Zarra – Évidemment

La Zarra stands on a huge platform that is covered by a sparkling dress. The dress falls and revelas that the top of the platform looks like a discoball, sending light everywhere in the arena. The performance has great camera cuts and vocals. Near the end, the French flag appears in the background lights and a huge curtain of fireworks falls from the ceiling.

Germany: Lord of The Lost – Blood & Glitter

Lord of the Lost deliver a professional show full of energy, very similar to their performance in the national final. The singer is vocally amazing and the song finishes with lots of pyro. Germany should avoid the last places in the Grand Final.

Italy: Marco Mengoni – Due Vite

Marco wears a sparkly shirt and leather pants. Two dancers are behind him on a staircase, falling on a trampoline, in front of the eclipsed moon. However throughout the performance the focus remains on him and his impreccable vocals. A very touching entry that could do better than expected.

The Results

Martin Osterdahl executive producer of Eurovision Song Contest 2022, declares that he is happy to see that we now have a valid result!

Here we have a big change, as the 15 competing acts stand on stage, without their delegations, waiting for the result. The camera shows them one by one, as the presenters announce the qualifiers. After the first 5 qualifiers are announced, Alesha interviews them backstage and then we learn the 5 remaining qualifiers.

The ten countries that (virtually) qualify to the finals for the purposes of the rehearsal were the following:

Croatia, Moldova, Portugal, Serbia, The Netherlands, Norway, Latvia, Finland, Switzerland, Czechia

Closing the televised show, we will get to watch a recap of the ten finalist songs.

You can watch our live reaction from the Family Show of the First Semi-Final at our YouTube channel:

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Stay tuned at Eurovisionfun for all the latest news regarding the the 67th Eurovision Song Contest, that is held in Liverpool!

Eurovision 2023: The bets before the first semi-final!

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We are just a few hours away from the first Eurovision 2023 semi-final and the betting tables are on fire, with the odds constantly changing.

Your favourite column will bring you everything that has changed in the last few days, both in terms of the case-win, and in terms of qualifying from tonight’s show to Saturday’s final.

Top 10

New shuffles occurred yesterday after the first and second Dress Rehearsal on the betting tables. Nevertheless, one thing remained and will remain constant: Sweden is the heavy favourite to win the 67th Eurovision Song Contest. The Swedish victory is being played at some bookmakers at under 1.60, with the maximum available odds being 1.75.

In second place, with a slight downward trend at some companies, is Finland. Käärijä and “Cha Cha Cha” are Loreen‘s rival in this year’s contest, with Finland’s win odds ranging between 2.75 and 3.75.

Ukraine and France are in third and fourth place, with similar odds. The maximum odds on offer for both countries to win return up to 15 times the stake of anyone who believes in them. The top five is rounded off by Spain, whose odds to win range between 7 and 21.

Sixth place Norway is played at 26, seventh place Israel at 34, eighth place Italy at 56, ninth place United Kingdom at 61, and tenth place Austria at 56. It is worth noting that when one observes the betting tables, one can see that with the exception of Sweden, all the countries in the top ten are trending downwards, with their win odds going up.

1st Semifinal

As we mentioned at the beginning of the article, today’s article will also deal with the chances of the countries in the first semi-final, according to the bookers.

Looking at the betting tables of the first semi-final, the bookmakers almost take the qualification of 5+1 countries for granted. Sweden, Finland, Israel, Norway and the Czech Republic are the firm favourites to qualify today, with the odds of qualification not exceeding 1.05. Moldova are also largely assured of a place in the final and are being offered slightly higher at around 1.10.

Beyond that, Serbia seem to be in a league of their own as they are seen as the seventh favourite to qualify for the grand final on May 13. Luke Black‘s qualification is offered at odds of around 1.30, with a clear distance between 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. Portugal, Switzerland, Croatia and the Netherlands have their own very high chances of qualifying, with Portugal being played between 1.33 and 1.44, Switzerland between 1.29 and 1.44, Croatia between 1.4 and 1.5 and the Netherlands between 1.53 and 1.8. 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. In particular, Latvia‘s odds, which are trending downwards, might be the value for money option of the day for those who like to bet on high odds.

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 1.3 and 1.53. 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, which is being offered at odds between 2.5 and 3.5, 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. Norway, who are the third favourite, are being played at 26, Israel at 34, as is the Czech Republic.

Which countries do you think will qualify from the first semi-final to Saturday’s grand final?

Eurovision 2023: First Semi-Final takes place tonight!

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The moment that every Eurofan waited for is finally here! The 67th Eurovision Song Contest officially begins today, with the First Semi-Final taking place live from Liverpool!

Fifteen countries will take part in tonight’s show, with ten of them qualifying to the Grand Final of Saturday, where the winner of Eurovision 2023 will be decided.

The hosts of this evening will be Julia Sanina from The Hardkiss, Hannah Waddingham and Alesha Dixon.

The 15 countries that take part in tonight’s first semi-final are:

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ΧΩΡΑ

ΕΡΜΗΝΕΥΤΗΣ

ΤΡΑΓΟΥΔΙ
01 🇳🇴 Norway Alessandra “Queen of Kings“
02 🇲🇹 Malta The Busker “Dance (Our Own Party)“
03 🇷🇸 Serbia Luke Black “Samo Mi Se Spava“
04 🇱🇻 Latvia Sudden Lights “Aijā“
05 🇵🇹 Portugal Mimicat “Ai Coração“
06 🇮🇪 Ireland Wild Youth “We Are One“
07 🇭🇷 Croatia Let 3 “Mama ŠČ“
08 🇨🇭 Switzerland Remo Forrer “Watergun“
09 🇮🇱 Israel Noa Kirel “Unicorn“
10 🇲🇩 Moldova Pasha Parfeni “Soarele și Luna“
11 🇸🇪 Sweden Loreen “Tattoo“
12 🇦🇿 Azerbaijan ΤuralTuranX “Tell Me More“
13 🇨🇿 Czechia Vesna “My Sister’s Crown“
14 🇳🇱 Netherlands Mia Nicolai & Dion Cooper “Burning Daylight“
15 🇫🇮 Finland Käärijä “Cha Cha Cha“

Apart from the 15 countries taking part, Germany, Italy and France also have the right to vote in the Semi-Final as part of the BIG 5. In addition, there is a new category that can vote in both Semi-Finals, Rest Of The World.

The first semi-final will be broadcasted on 21:00 CET and you can watch it live from your country’s public broadcaster, or from the livestream on the official Eurovision YouTube channel:

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Eurovision 2023: “Jury” Rehearsal of the 1st Semi Final – Live Commentary! (Updated Live)

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The “jury” rehearsal of the Eurovision 2023 First Semi Final has just started and the the Liverpool Arena is filled with eurofans! Even though the Semi-Final results wil be determined 100% by the televote, national juries will watch and score today’s rehearsals and their votes will count in case a country’s televote fails to produce a valid result. Earlier today we saw the First Dress Rehearsal and you can read our commentary here.

This article gets updated in real-time, all you need to do is hit the refresh button on your browser!

So stay tuned to this article as we update it with all details, preparing you for what you will see in the Semi-Final tomorrow May 9th, at 21:00 CEST.

The Show

The show opens with a video of a young Liverpudlian boy traveling across the city telling his family, friends, neighbours (and some special guests!) that Eurovision is in Liverpool. The young boy dances yogether with a young girl on the Eurovision stage.

Julia Sanina performs “Mayak” by The Hardkiss. Translating from the Ukrainian for Lighthouse, the performance: “symbolises in many ways how the UK is United by Music with Ukraine through the hosting the 2023 Contest on behalf of the 2022 winners.”

Spice Girl Mel C‘ voice introduces to the stage the hosts of the contest to viewers across the globe. The hosts of the show are the female trio of superstars Julia Sanina of The Hardkiss, Hannah Waddingham, and Alesha Dixon.

The Competing Countries – LIVE COMMENTARY

Norway: Alessandra – Queen of Kings

The jury rehearsal starts with an energetic show by Alessandra. The young singer looks confident and sounds great, with the exeption of small vocal instabilities. She nails the whistle note as usual but right after it, it seems she loses her breath a bit as she “talks” a few phrases instead of singing. A minor problem that she handled well. Norway will probably finish top-5 in the semi.

Malta: The Busker – Dance (Our Own Party)

Next up, a quirky, colorful fun but also a bit awkward and messy performance from The Busker, that gets the crowd cheering! Big applause in the Liverpool Arena but I doubt this will translate to many televote points for the small island nation.

Serbia: Luke Black – Samo Mi Se Spava

Luke Black looks more comfortable than ever, performing his unique number, full of strobing lights, clever camera cuts and video game referances. The crowd absolutely loves the crazy show he puts on, making sure that Serbia is sailing to the Grand Final.

Latvia: Sudden Lights – Aijā

The Latvian band manages to create a unique atmosphere on the Eurovision stage with their beautiful lightshow and masterful vocal performance. Definetely an entry that will be hurt by the absence of juries in the semi finals, as their qualification based on the televote alone seems very doubtful.

First Break

Portugal: Mimicat – Ai Coração

Mimicat is very much improved vocally compared to her previous rehearsal today. She delivers loads of energy and sassy choreography, that is almost enough to fill the rather empty stage. Excellent performance but will Portugal qualify, based solely on the singer’s charisma? It remains to be seen but I’m leaning towards yes.

Ireland: Wild Youth – We Are One

It feels like Wild Youth are almost performing at home soil, as the Liverpool audience welcomes them with the warmest applause. Sadly, they deliver their worst performance so far, as the singer looks uncomfortable, avoids singing parts of the song and sounds very off, making Ireland a strong candidate for the last place of the Semi-Final.

Croatia: Let 3 – Mama ŠČ!

The infamous Croatian band give us yet another wacky show that you either love or hate, but can certainly not forget. Even though it’s completely crazy and off-putting, it’s executed very professionally in terms of staging and vocal performance. They will probably make it to Saturday’s final!

Switzerland: Remo Forrer – Watergun

Remo is perhaps not very charismatic but is the stronger male vocalist of the Semi Final and presents a very well crafted show, staged by Sacha Jean Baptiste, in her trademark red and black colors and quick camera cuts. The “fireworks” falling from the ceiling and the interpretive dancers give this a special feeling, making its qualification very likely, but not certain.

Israel: Noa Kirel – Unicorn

The Israeli superstar has improved vocally from her previous rehearsal and looks stunning as always. An extremely polished and impressive MTV-award show-like performance with intense choreography, but perhaps not fun or engaging enough to smash its competition in the Grand Final, where it will be for sure.

Moldova: Pasha Parfeni – Soarele şi Luna

Up next, a very engaging mystical performance from Eurovision returnee Pasha, who seems to experience some audio technical difficulties in the beginning but quickly overcomes them. The unique feeling of the entry, with the horn-wearing back-up dancers and singers and the flute-playing dwarf, as well as the charisma of the singer make Moldova’s qualification pretty much certain.

Second Break

Sweden: Loreen – Tattoo

The Eurovision legend herself, Loreen, delivers a winning performance. She and her expert swedish team have managed to create a show as good as the one in Melodifestivalen, perfecting the camera angles and colors, making sure it still feels grand, cinematic and epic. Vocally strong and emotional as ever, Loreen is ready to be crowned as the first woman who wins Eurovision twice.

Azerbaijan: TuralTuranX – Tell Me More

The Azeri twins give us another cute performance of their vintage sounding song, that is sweet but sadly very forgettable and gets lost among stronger entries. Their qualification looks impossible.

Czechia: Vesna – My Sister’s Crown

The “slavic sisters” are amazing on stage and vocally on point. They manage to convey the message of their multi-layered song, giving strong female-empowerment vibes and filling the stage with their presence. A song and staging that stands out and will lead Czechia to their second qualification in a row.

Netherlands: Mia Nicolai & Dion Cooper – Burning Daylight

The Dutch duo give an atmospheric performance of their ambient song that stands out with its simplicity but aren’t at their best vocally. They have improved from their pre-party lives but still struggle a bit to connect with each other and with the audience. It’s highly likely that the qualification streak of the Netherlands will break this year.

Finland: Käärijä – Cha Cha Cha

The unique Finish performer manages to make the crowd go crazy with his uplifting show, but struggles vocally and relies heavily on the pre-recorded backing vocals. The impactful fun energy will give him many televote points but the juries will probably punish his weak vocals, making his winning chances rather slim. Qualification of course is more than certain for Käärijä and his Cha Cha Cha dancers.

Interval Act

Alyosha (Ukraine 2010) and Rebecca Fergusson perform together a cover of “Ordinary World”. Wordwide superstar Rita Ora performs a medley of her hits, as well as a world premiere of ‘Praising You’.

Then a video with a good dose of British humour shows us the most characteristic Ukrainian and British entries. In the video the one and only Graham Norton does the voice over! Then a game starring Måns Zelmerlöw (Sweden 2015) and Filomena Cautela (Presenter in 2018) follows, where they try to guess if some earlier entries qualified for the Final or not.

Certain Qualifiers

Sweden

Finland

Norway

Israel

Moldova

Serbia

Czechia

Croatia

Borderline Qualifiers

Switzerland

Portugal

Netherlands

Non Qualifiers

Malta

Latvia

Azerbaijan

Ireland

BIG 5 Performances

France: La Zarra – Évidemment

This entry oozes class and French glamor, with La Zarra being more and more confident and improving vocally. Her dress reveal is very impressive, while the last minute of the act looks spectacular. A performance that the crowd certainly enjoyed.

Germany: Lord of The Lost – Blood & Glitter

The members of the glam rock German band are back in their characteristic shiny leather outfits. The lead singer is one of the most consistent, pitch-perfect performers of Eurovision 2023 and never fails to transfer the vibe of “Blood and Glitter”.

Italy: Marco Mengoni – Due Vite

The audience of the Liverpool Arena loves the talented and charismatic Italian singer, who delivers yet another wonderful performance of his emotional ballad wearing a sparkly top. In the backdrop, the full moon and two male dancers falling from a staircase to a trampoline and back up again, creating a nice atmosphere.

The Results

Martin Osterdahl executive producer of Eurovision Song Contest 2022, declares that he is happy to see that we now have a valid result!

In the previous rehearsal, we saw a different method of announcing the qualifiers, with the contestants being brought to the stage but this has been scrapped and we’re back to the original announcement segment in the green room.

The ten countries that (virtually) qualified for the purposes of the rehearsal were the following:

Azerbaijan, Ireland, Swtzerland, Czechia, Malta, Israel, Netherlands, Croatia, Portugal and Norway

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Dress Rehearsals: Watch exclusive clips published by RTVE!

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Almost 24 hours before the First Semifinal of the Eurovision Song Contest 2023, the Spanish broadcaster, RTVE, has published clips of the dress rehearsals through its official twitter account which you can watch below!

Norway

Malta

Serbia


Latvia

Portugal

Ireland

Croatia


Switzerland

Israel


Moldova

Sweden


Azerbaijan

Czechia

The Netherlands

Finland

Stay tuned to Eurovisionfun for all the latest developments regarding Eurovision 2023!

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

Eurovision 2023: Dress Rehearsal of the 1st Semi Final – Live Commentary! (Updated Live)

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Today is the first day of the Eurovision week! We can already feel “United by Music” all the way from M&S Bank Arena in Liverpool and it’s just a few days before we finally know the winner of the 67th Eurovision Song Contest!

The dress rehearsal of the Eurovision 2023 First Semi Final has just started. EurovisionFun will be watching all the shows live both at the on-site press centre in Liverpool and at the online press centre and will be commenting on the full performances of the 15 participating countries, as well as Germany, France and Italy.

This article gets updated in real-time, all you need to do is hit the refresh button on your browser!

So stay tuned to this article as we update it with all details, preparing you for what you will see in the Semi-Final tomorrow May 9th, at 21:00 CEST.

The Show

The show opens with a video of a young Liverpudlian boy traveling across the city telling his family, friends, neighbours (and some special guests!) that Eurovision is in Liverpool. The young boy dances yogether with a young girl on the Eurovision stage.

Julia Sanina performs “Mayak” by The Hardkiss. Translating from the Ukrainian for Lighthouse, the performance: “symbolises in many ways how the UK is United by Music with Ukraine through the hosting the 2023 Contest on behalf of the 2022 winners.”

Spice Girl Mel C‘ voice introduces to the stage the hosts of the contest to viewers across the globe. The hosts of the show are the female trio of superstars Julia Sanina of The Hardkiss, Hannah Waddingham, and Alesha Dixon.

The Competing Countries – LIVE COMMENTARY

Norway: Alessandra – Queen of Kings

Alessandra Mele kicks off the contest with loads of energy, performing her scandi-banger. The performance is very similar to the one from MGP, dark with intense strobing lights and some added orange led content near the ending. Vocally ok but not great, Alessandra will sail to the Grand Final.

Malta: The Busker – Dance (Our Own Party)

The Busker, performing in the unlucky 2nd position, give us a slightly updated version of their MESC performance, with almost identical camera cuts and transitions. A fun and colorful number that will probably struggle to make it to the Final.

Serbia: Luke Black – Samo Mi Se Spava

Another energetic performance from Luke Black, who also kept the staging from his National Final but significantly elevated it, making it look bigger and epic on the Eurovision stage. The added on-screen video game graphics really add to the unique performance, making it stand out. It would be a big surprise if Serbia didn’t manage to qualify for the Grand Final.

Latvia: Sudden Lights – Aijā

Sudden Lights are once again flawless performers. The performance is almost identical to their Supernova show, with some minor led content added. Beautiful performance and lightshow, but a low-key song that could easily get lost in this difficult semi-final. Sadly, it will e very difficult for Latvia to qualify.

First Break

Alesha Dixon chats with young local children and raps a small improvised song about Eurovision.

Portugal: Mimicat – Ai Coração

Mimicat is a charismatic performer but this feels like a downgrade from her FdC performance. She and her dancers give energy but the stage feels quite dark and empty, so viewers could be bored. Also this wasn’t one of her best vocal deliveries. On the other hand it stands out due to its unique style but Portugal’s qualification is not certain.

Ireland: Wild Youth – We Are One

Wild Youth have tried to improve their chances by making their performance as golden as possible. Unfortunately their lead singer is struggling vocally, as usual, and their generic song gets instantly forgotten. Ireland’s journey to Eurovision 2023 ends tomorrow.

Croatia: Let 3 – Mama ŠČ!

The unique and controversial Let 3 deliver a crazy performance, full of weird sounds, psychedelic leds and clever “SC” on screen graphics that definetely stands out. The fact that the results of the Semi Final are 100% televote should help them make it to the Grand Final.

Switzerland: Remo Forrer – Watergun

Switzerland gives us a professionally crafted performance with perfect vocals and interpretive dancing. In the beginning the dancers hold ribbons around Remo but he breaks free and in the end runs to the smaller stage. The show is full of red, black and white colors but I’m not sure if it’s memorable enough. It feels really borderline.

Israel: Noa Kirel – Unicorn

Noa starts her performance inside her rectangular prop and is then joined by her dancers. Vocally she sounds ok, maybe a little unstable (even though technical issues of the online press center can’t let us be certain). The final part of the performance remains as it was in the rehearsal snippet that was released, very energetic but maybe a bit dark. Israel is heading for the top-5 and maybe even top-3 of this Semi-Final but could do worse than expected in the Grand Final.

Moldova: Pasha Parfeni – Soarele şi Luna

Pasha delivers a great show, in orange and red colors with two backing singers – dancers, a dancing dwarf and two drummers, that massively stand out for its ethnic and techno elements. Vocally great and interesting to watch, Moldova should have no problems qualifying.

Second Break

Sweden: Loreen – Tattoo

The big favourite of Eurovision 2023 does not disappoint. Loreen, vocally amazing, had to down-scale her Melodifestivalen performance but this still looks cinematic and epic with great lighting. Some camera shots definetely need to be worked and maybe some added smoke could create a more mysterious atmosphere. Qualification isn’t even a question of course.

Azerbaijan: TuralTuranX – Tell Me More

A sweet performance, in red, blue and pink, by the Azeri twins, that reminds us of The Beatles tunes. An entry that could be supported by juries if they voted in the semi final, but qualification with 100% televoting seems impossible.

Czechia: Vesna – My Sister’s Crown

The girl-group Vesna have significantly improved from their previous performances but still sound a bit shaky vocally and the mixing needs work. The staging is very sleek and modern, but maybe a bit cold. The bridge of the song looks very impressive on stage as the lights go down and the girls stand in a circle singing in unison. Czechia will qualify but maybe not do that well in the Final.

Netherlands: Mia Nicolai & Dion Cooper – Burning Daylight

Another act that has improved a lot from their previous live performances. Still room to improve vocally but very decent. The atmospheric blue staging with strobes of “burning daylight” really fits the song, that really stands out as the only duet. Mia and Dion could surprise and make it to the Grand Final!

Finland: Käärijä – Cha Cha Cha

A fun and colorful performance from Finland that starts inside a wooden box (with some weird camera shots) that will definetely get the crowd going wild and easily qualify. In the beginning the leds are mainly green and towards the end they include all the colors of the rainbow. However, Käärijä sounded very weak vocally and the entire show could come off as rather kitsh. Finland will do well but won’t come anywhere near winning Eurovision this year.

Interval Act

Wordwide superstar Rita Ora performs a medley of her hits, as well as a world premiere of ‘Praising You’. Alyosha (Ukraine 2010) and Rebecca Fergusson perform together a cover of “Ordinary World”.

Certain Qualifiers

Sweden

Finland

Norway

Israel

Moldova

Serbia

Croatia

Czechia

Borderline Qualifiers

Netherlands

Switzerland

Portugal

Non Qualifiers

Malta

Latvia

Azerbaijan

Ireland

BIG 5 Performances

France: La Zarra – Évidemment

La Zarra stands on a huge platform that is covered by a sparkling dress. The dress falls and revelas that the top of the platform looks like a discoball, sending light everywhere in the arena. The performance has great camera cuts and vocals. Near the end, the French flag appears in the background lights and a huge curtain of fireworks falls from the ceiling.

Germany: Lord of The Lost – Blood & Glitter

Lord of the Lost deliver a professional show full of energy, very similar to their performance in the national final. The singer is vocally amazing and the song finishes with lots of pyro. Germany should avoid the last places in the Grand Final.

Italy: Marco Mengoni – Due Vite

Marco wears a sparkly shirt and leather pants. Two dancers are behind him on a staircase, falling on a trampoline, in front of the eclipsed moon. However throughout the performance the focus remains on him and his impreccable vocals. A very touching entry that could do better than expected.

The Results

Martin Osterdahl executive producer of Eurovision Song Contest 2022, declares that he is happy to see that we now have a valid result!

Here we have a big change, as the 15 competing acts stand on stage, without their delegations, waiting for the result. The camera shows them one by one, as the presenters announce the qualifiers. After the first 5 qualifiers are announced, Alesha interviews them backstage and then we learn the 5 remaining qualifiers.

The ten countries that (virtually) qualify to the finals for the purposes of the rehearsal were the following:

Sweden, Moldova, Switzerland, Azerbaijan, Norway, Finland, Latvia, Israel, Serbia and the Netherlands

Closing the televised show, we will get to watch a recap of the ten finalist songs.

Watch clips of the dress rehearsal from inside the arena:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sxZjOnmr0-s

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d1nHGlCyD-U

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y7UWucPFidw

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

Stay tuned at Eurovisionfun for all the latest developments regarding the the 67th Eurovision Song Contest, that is held in Liverpool!