By: eurovisionunion
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Semi-Final Allocation Draw Complete!

Only moments ago, the semi-final allocation draw was completed, where all 37 nations participating in the semi-finals got drawn into a semi-final, and a half of that semi-final. Also, the six Big nations were allocated a semi-final to vote and broadcast. Germany and Switzerland were both granted permission to be allocated to the second semi-final.

The Allocation draw began with words from the hosts, Jon Ola Sand, Ruslana (Ukraine’s 2004 Eurovision winner) and Jamala (Ukraine’s 2016 Eurovision winner). The Insignia Exchange also took place between the President of the City Council in Stockholm, Mrs Eva-Louise Erlandsson Slorach and Kyiv City Mayor Vitaliy Klychko, where Mrs Erlandsson Slorach put the Stockholm key onto the keyring, symbolic of the passing of the duties, and honour, from one city to another.

After all the speeches, the draw began. The nations were split into 6 pots which are decided by previous voting patterns. This is done to attempt to eliminate as much of the so-called neighbourly voting in order to create more excitement through the voting. Apart from the six pots of nations, there are two other pots, one with semi-final 1 and one with semi-final two. In these two pots, there are the two options of first half or second half, which dermines which half the chosen country will perform in. The hosts of the show moved along the six pots, chosing one country at a time and allocating them a semi-final and half.

Here are the results:

First Semi-Final

First half

  • Montenegro

  • Finland

  • Georgia

  • Portugal

  • Belgium

  • Sweden

  • Albania

  • Azerbaijan

  • Australia

Second half

  • Cyprus

  • Slovenia

  • Armenia

  • Moldova

  • Czech Republic

  • Latvia

  • Iceland

  • Denmark

  • Greece

  • Poland

Second Semi-Final

First half

  • F.Y.R. Macedonia

  • Malta

  • The Netherlands

  • Serbia

  • Denmark

  • Russia

  • Romania

  • Hungary

  • Austria

  • Ireland

Second half

  • Switzerland

  • Estonia

  • Israel

  • Bulgaria

  • San Marino

  • Lithuania

  • Croatia

  • Norway

  • Belarus

For the Big 6, Italy, Spain and the UK will vote and broadcast semi-final 1, and Germany, Ukraine and France will vote and broadcast semi-final 2.

To see this in visual form, click the image below:

semi-final-allocation

You can watch the Allocation Draw here: