The grand final of Eurovision 2023 will take place tonight at 9:00 PM, live from the M&S Bank Arena in Liverpool. Twenty-six candidates will take the stage in Liverpool to showcase their talent to Europe, Australia, and the rest of the world.
Following Ukraine’s victory with Kalush Orchestra and the song “Stefania” last year at the 66th edition of the Eurovision Song Contest held in Turin, Italy, we now travel to Liverpool, United Kingdom, which has opened its arms to host the competition after it became impossible to hold it in Ukraine. Sam Rider came in second place with the song “Space Man.”
This grand final of the festival follows two major shows where a total of 31 countries have competed for one of the 26 spots in the grand final. We have left behind the proposals of Malta, Latvia, Ireland, Azerbaijan, the Netherlands, Denmark, Romania, Iceland, Greece, Georgia, and San Marino.
Who is participating in the Eurovision grand final?
After knowing their classification in their respective semifinals, the finalist countries proceeded to draw the allocation of the half of the final. After this, the BBC has been in charge of determining the running order based on criteria such as enhancing the dynamics and audience of the show.
In addition to the 20 countries that went through the semifinal process and qualified thanks to the exclusive televote, the Big5 and the previous year’s winner, Ukraine, join them as direct finalists. Let’s remember that the Big5 is a group of countries (Germany, Spain, Italy, France, and the United Kingdom) that automatically advance to the grand final due to their significant contribution both economically and in terms of audiences, without which it would not be possible to hold the festival as we know it.
As announced by the BBC and the EBU through their official channels on February 22, for this grand final, we have four presenters: the singer, songwriter, dancer, and television presenter Alesha Dixon; Hannah Waddingham, renowned for her established career on stage and screen; Ukrainian singer and songwriter Julia Sanina; and Graham Norton, a popular television presenter in the United Kingdom and around the world, with a special relationship with Eurovision.
What will be the mechanics of the show? When will the favorites to win Eurovision 2023 perform?
The grand final will begin at 9:00 PM CET on Saturday, May 13, from the M&S Bank Arena in Liverpool in style, with a spectacular performance by the current champions, the Kalush Orchestra, with their song “Stefania.” Afterwards, we will enjoy the traditional flag parade, where all the participants will take the stage, accompanied by great Ukrainian Eurovision icons such as GO_A, Jamala, Tina Karol, and Verka Serduchka.
After that, the hosts will announce the mechanics of the gala and present the voting numbers for each country. Following the performances of the 26 countries, the voting phase will begin, allowing the 37 participating countries and the rest of the world to cast their votes.
During these voting moments, we will enjoy two interval acts. One of them will be led by Sam Ryder, the runner-up of Eurovision 2023, who will perform some of his hits alongside Queen’s drummer, Roger Taylor. The second interval act will feature iconic Eurovision participants from previous years, such as Mahmood, Netta, Dadi Freyr, Cornelia Jakobs, Sonia, and Duncan Laurence, who will take us on a musical journey through Liverpool’s music scene.
At the end, it will be time for the voting. First, the spokespersons of each national jury will be responsible for announcing their votes (12, 10, 8 – 1). After these results are revealed, it will be the turn of the televote. The hosts will announce the combined points each country has received, starting from the last place according to the jury votes and building up the suspense until the final moment.
How to Watch the Eurovision Song Contest from the USA and the Rest of the World
Eurovision’s YouTube Channel
Eurovision’s YouTube channel offers a livestream of both semi-finals and the Grand Final. However, since 2016, this content has been geoblocked due to music rights issues.
Utilizing a VPN
To bypass geoblocking restrictions, you can use a Virtual Private Network (VPN) to access content from other regions. AtlasVPN is a freemium service tailored for fans of live international TV events, offering both security and privacy. Utilizing a VPN can help you watch Eurovision on YouTube, as individual performances and full broadcasts have been geoblocked since 2016.
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Take advantage of this incredible offer and enjoy the 2023 Eurovision Song Contest without any restrictions, no matter where you are in the world. Choose AtlasVPN and never miss a beat of Europe’s most spectacular musical event.
How to vote from the Rest of World in Eurovision 2023
For the first time, those watching the Eurovision Song Contest in non-participating countries will be able to vote online. Votes from these countries will be combined to create a set of points with the same weight as one participating country in both Semi-Finals and the Grand Final. This will slightly increase the general public’s impact on the final result to approximately 50.6%.
Ensuring Fair Voting
To vote from a non-participating country, you must use a secure online platform and a credit card from your country. The Voting Partner will ensure that only audiences from countries allowed to vote online, as stipulated by the Reference Group, the Contest’s governing board, can cast a vote and be charged respectively. The full list of eligible countries will be published near the time of the event. There will not be a jury representing no