Allocation draw for Eurovision 2020: Australia to perform first half of first semi-final

Eurovision 2020 Semi-Final Allocation Draw pots — Photo: Stijn Smulders

The semi-final allocation draw for the 2020 Eurovision Song Contest has given Australia a place in the first half of the first semi-final. As a result, they are eligible to open the show on the first semi-final.

Seventeen countries will compete in the first semi-final and eighteen in the second. We will delve further into the analysis of how we deduct the allocation will affect each country in due course through our in-depth analysis report.

Results of the Eurovision 2020 semi-final allocation draw:

First half of semi-final 1:

  • North Macedonia, Belarus, Lithuania, Sweden, Slovenia, AUSTRALIA, Ireland, Russia

Second half of semi-final 1:

  • Norway, Cyprus, Croatia, Azerbaijan, Malta, Israel, Ukraine, Romania, Belgium

First half of semi-final 2:

  • Austria, Moldova, Poland, San Marino, Serbia, Iceland, Czech Republic, Greece, Estonia

Second half of semi-final 2:

  • Denmark, Bulgaria, Switzerland, Finland, Armenia, Latvia, Georgia, Portugal, Albania

How the draw worked

The 37 semi-final competing countries have been divided and distributed into 6 pots specifically for the draw. The distribution of the countries in the 6 pots has been based on historic voting patterns. Countries with similar tastes go in the same pot to avoid unbalanced semi-finals.

The Big 5 (Italy, France, UK, Spain and Germany) countries and host country The Netherlands will vote in the semi-finals too. A draw determined which country will vote in which show:

Voting in semi-final one:

  • Italy, Germany & The Netherlands

Voting in semi-final two:

  • France, Spain & United Kingdom

Prior to the draw, the Host City Insignia was handed over from the city of Tel Aviv to the Mayor of Rotterdam. This year’s Eurovision presenters; Chantal Janzen, Edsilia Rombley and Jan Smit provided the hosting duties for the semi-final allocation and gave us a taste of what’s to come.

How it happened

Each of the 41 countries was divided into five groups, named as “pots”. Each pot categorised countries that may vote for one-another due to “cultural similarities” or “diaspora voting“. This is to help spread them evenly amongst the two shows throughout the first and second halves of both semi-final shows in hope of avoiding such a scenario. Here is what country was placed in each pot:

Pot 1

  • Albania, Austria. Croatia, North Macedonia, Serbia, Slovenia, Switzerland

Pot 2

  • Australia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden

Pot 3

  • Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova, Russia, Ukraine

Pot 4

  • Bulgaria, Cyprus, Greece, Malta, Portugal, Romania, San Marino

Pot 5

  • Belgium, Czech Republic, Ireland, Israel, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland