Eurovision 2023: Results of the first semi-final of the contest
The first semi-final of Eurovision 2023 ended on Tuesday night, May 9th, in Liverpool. Representatives from 15 countries were present. 10 of them made it to the final, including top contenders Lorin from Sweden and Karie from Finland. Lorin already won the Eurovision Song Contest in 2012 in Baku. In Liverpool, she performs with the Euro-pop song “Tattoo”. Karie’s song “Cha Cha Cha” is a mix of rap, metal and electronic music.
Eurovision finalists
Croatian group Let 3 also reached the final with the anti-war satire “Mama SC”. The theme of war will once again be heard at the Eurovision Song Contest in Liverpool in the songs by Switzerland’s Remo Forrer “Watergun” and Czech sextet Vesna’s “My Sister’s Crown”. In the final, which will take place on May 13, the public will also see Pasha Parthenia from Moldova, Israeli Nou Kirel, Alessandra from Norway, Mimicat from Portugal, Serbian Luke Black.
But boy bands Sudden Lights from Latvia, The Busker from Malta and Wild Youth from Ireland, as well as duos TuralTuranX from Azerbaijan and Mia & Dion from the Netherlands will have to pack their bags on Wednesday.
New voting rules for Eurovision
This year, the organizer of the competition, the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), changed the rules. In the semi-finals, only spectator votes count. Scores from national juries have a redundant value in case the vote of viewers from a given country is declared invalid. In addition, for the first time at Eurovision, viewers from states not participating in the contest voted on the web. Their scores were added together as a country.
The condition for such a vote is the spectator’s registration on a special platform and the presence of a credit card from a country that does not participate in the current Eurovision. But this card must be accepted for payment on the EBU app. Belarus and Russia are excluded from participating in Eurovision.
Support for Ukraine at Eurovision
The current competition was supposed to take place in Ukraine, as the Kalush Orchestra won Eurovision 2022. Due to Russian aggression, the European Broadcasting Union moved the contest to the UK, which finished second last year. During the show, as well as in the competition’s framework program in Liverpool and in the design of the city, support for Ukraine is constantly emphasized.
Since Ukraine won Eurovision 2022, the Tvorchi duo, who represent this country in Liverpool, automatically reach the final. Seats are reserved for the “big five” in the UK, Germany, Spain, Italy and France. These countries are the biggest contributors to the EBU treasury and provide Eurovision with high TV ratings.
Source: DW
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