With the same 41 countries that would have sung in Rotterdam last May participating again in 2021, there will not be an Allocation Draw next January as would normally take place, organisers have confirmed.
That means all the countries drawn to perform in Semi-Finals 1 and 2 this year will remain in the same show for Rotterdam 2021.
By keeping the allocation of the Semi-Finals the same as in 2020 fans who have bought a ticket to see their own country will still be able to do so if circumstances allow. Martin Österdahl, Executive Supervisor of the Eurovision Song Contest said: “Under normal circumstances we would be looking forward to the Allocation Draw and Host Insignia Exchange Ceremony as an important milestone on the road to Rotterdam 2021. With the same participating countries as last year , the Reference Group decided that it made sense for both ticket holders and for participating broadcasters to keep the same Semi-Final draws as 2020. Even though we won’t have the traditional Ceremony in January we have plenty more planned to build excitement ahead of the return of the Eurovision Song Contest next year.”
The Big 5 and The Netherlands will also vote in the same Semi-Final as drawn last year.
From each Semi-Final, 10 countries will proceed to the Grand Final on the 23 May, joining the 6 pre-qualified countries. In total, 26 countries will be represented in the Grand Final. The running order will, like always, be revealed after all the songs have been submitted.
First half of the first semi-final
- North Macedonia
- Belarus
- Lithuania
- Sweden
- Slovenia
- Australia
- Ireland
- Russia
Second half of the first semi-final
- Norway
- Cyprus
- Croatia
- Azerbaijan
- Malta
- Israel
- Ukraine
- Romania
- Belgium
First half of the second semi-final
- Austria
- Moldova
- Poland
- San Marino
- Serbia
- Iceland
- Czech Republic
- Greece
- Estonia
Second half of the second semi-final
- Denmark
- Bulgaria
- Switzerland
- Finland
- Armenia
- Latvia
- Georgia
- Portugal
- Albania
At the Heads of Delegation meeting last March a draw took place to determine the starting place in the final for host country The Netherlands. Jeangu Macrooy, who was selected to represent his country in 2020 with the song Grow, was set to perform in spot 23 in the final. The Reference Group has now decided that Jeangu will keep this spot at the Contest in 2021.
The Eurovision Song Contest 2021 will take place in Ahoy, Rotterdam in The Netherlands on 19, 21 and 23 May 2021. Eurofans in New Zealand can watch all three shows live on the official Eurovision YouTube channel, without commentary.
