Eurovision Song Contest starts tomorrow with 39 countries in competition
After a year of stopping, the contest returns with the 65th edition, which takes place on Tuesday (first semifinal), Thursday (second semifinal), and Saturday (final).
The Netherlands gained the right to organize Eurovision after winning the 2019 edition in Israel, with the theme “Arcade“, performed by Duncan Laurence.
Altogether there will be 39 countries in competition and, in order to ensure that the contest really happens, the competitors recorded the performances in their countries, so that they could participate if it was not possible to travel to Rotterdam.
The recording, previously delivered by the participating television stations, had to happen in a studio and in real-time, without any editing of the voice or any part of the performance, after it was recorded. The organization will have to use the recording from at least one of the 39 countries: Australia, whose delegation was prevented from traveling to the Netherlands.
Although the 55th edition of the Eurovision Song Contest is played by 39 countries, only 33 compete in the semifinals (16 in the first and 17 in the second).
The remaining six countries, France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the United Kingdom, and the host country, the Netherlands, are guaranteed access to the final.
In each semifinal ten countries are chosen. In the first semifinal, Lithuania, Slovenia, Russia, Sweden, Australia, North Macedonia, Ireland, Cyprus, Norway, Croatia, Belgium, Israel, Romania, Azerbaijan, Ukraine and Malta compete.
Portugal will compete on Thursday for a place in the final, during the second semifinal, in which San Marino, Estonia, Czech Republic, Greece, Austria, Poland, Moldova, Iceland, Serbia, Georgia, Albania, Bulgaria, Finland also participate, Latvia, Switzerland, and Denmark.
The two semifinals and the final will have an audience to watch live, with the organization selling 3,500 tickets per show this month. In addition, the Government of the Netherlands has authorized the organization to also have audiences in six trials.
With “Love is on my side” Portugal takes to Eurovision, for the first time, a song entirely in English, composed by Tatanka, the vocalist of The Black Mamba.
Portugal participated in the Eurovision Song Contest for the first time in 1964, having, however, missed five editions (in 1970, 2000, 2002, 2013 and 2016).
Between 2004 and 2007, inclusive, and in 2011, 2012, 2014, 2015 and 2019, Portugal failed to make the final.
Portugal won the contest for the first and only time in 2017, with the theme “Love for both”, performed by Salvador Sobral and composed by Luísa Sobral. Following the victory, Lisbon hosted the competition the following year.
