The pinnacle of television entertainment has arrived – welcome to Malmö, where the Eurovision 2024 festival takes centre stage this week. Returning to Sweden, we find ourselves in the city that hosted the festival in 2013, thanks to Loreen. Loreen, who clinched the crystal microphone once again last year in Liverpool with “Tattoo,” became the first woman to do so more than once, matching Ireland’s current record of 7 victories.
The competition commences with the inaugural semifinal, serving as the starting point for three evenings of spectacular entertainment. The first fifteen participating countries take to the stage at the Malmö Arena to vie for a spot in the final, with only ten fortunate acts advancing to Saturday’s grand finale. After months of preparation, it’s time to showcase their hard work to the public and represent their nations with excellence. As a new feature, the semifinals will include performances by artists from the Big 5, who are already pre-qualified for the Grand Final.
Who’s Participating in Eurovision 2024’s First Semifinal?
The participating countries in this semi-final were selected through the annual draw held on January 30th at the Malmö City Hall. Following the allocation of countries into the two semifinals and determining their halves, the EBU (European Broadcasting Union) decided the performance order for the show. The first semifinal boasts the presence of some favourites, including Croatia and Ukraine. Expect an exhilarating night with the potential for unexpected surprises. Here’s the performance order for the first semifinal:
- Cyprus – Sília Kapsís – “Liar”
- Serbia – Teya Dora – “Ramonda”
- Lithuania – Silvester Belt – “Luktelk”
- Ireland – Bambie Thug – “Doomsday Blue”
United Kingdom – Olly Alexander – “Dizzy” (Finalist) - Ukraine – alyona alyona & Jerry Heil – “Teresa & Maria”
- Poland – Luna – “The Tower”
- Croatia – Baby Lasagna – “Rim Tim Tagi Dim”
- Iceland – Hera Björk – “Scared Of Heights”
Germany – Isaak – “Always On The Run” (Finalist) - Slovenia – Raiven – “Veronika”
- Finland – Windows95man – “No Rules!”
- Moldova – Natalia Barbu – “In The Middle”
Sweden – Marcus & Martinus – “Unforgettable” (Finalist) - Azerbaijan – FAHREE Feat. Ilkin Dovlatov – “Özünlə Apar”
- Australia – Electric Fields – “One Milkali (One Blood)”
- Portugal – Iolanda – “Grito”
- Luxembourg – TALI – “Fighter”
Another aspect to note for this evening is that part of the Big 5 and the host, as a novelty this year, will be part of the performances alongside the six already qualified for the Grand Final. Audiences from the UK, Sweden, and Germany can vote for their favourites tonight, while Spain, France, and Italy will have their turn next Thursday during the second semifinal.
SVT and the EBU announced on February 5th through their official channels that this edition will feature two presenters, the beloved Petra Mede and Malin Åkerman, a popular Swedish actress and singer-songwriter. As we’re in Sweden, it’s highly likely that a familiar face from the Eurovision community will make an appearance, such as the entertaining UER spokesperson Lynda Woodruff.
How Will the First Semifinal of Eurovision 2024 Work?
The semifinal will kick off at 9:00 PM CET from the Malmö Arena in Malmö with a spectacular opening, featuring past Eurovision representatives like Eleni Foureira, Eric Saade, and our very own “booty hypnotic” Chanel.
Following the shows’s commencement, this year’s presenters will inform the audience of tonight’s format and how to vote. Similar to the previous edition, semifinal results are determined by 100% televoting, comprising participating countries, along with the UK, Sweden, and Germany, combined with the rest of the world, acting as an extra country. Voting will commence after all 15 participating countries have performed.
The postcards preceding the artists’ performances will be particularly special this year. A new postcard concept has been introduced, with artists not travelling to the host country for filming to contribute to environmental efforts. Instead, these postcards will feature snippets of past entries from the performing country and selfie-style shots of the artists.
The evening will culminate in the eagerly anticipated announcement of the ten acts advancing to Saturday’s grand final. It’s worth noting that these qualifiers will be announced in a completely random order to avoid influencing Saturday’s voting. Neither the total points nor their breakdown will be revealed.
How to watch Eurovision 2024 Semi-Final 1?
You can follow the show via the official Eurovision YouTube channel from 21:00 CET, offering uninterrupted visuals and sounds provided by the EBU for television broadcasts.