Date set for Eurovision 2017 semi-final allocation draw
By Laman Ismayilova
Less than four months left for Eurovision Song Contest 2017.
EBU announced the date of the allocation draw that will decide in which semi-final will perform each non Big 5 country. The draw will be held in the Column Hall of Kyiv’s City State Administration on January 31.
This event will also feature the traditional insignia exchange between Eva-Louise Erlandsson Slorach, President of Stockholm’s City Council and Kyiv City Mayor Vitaliy Klychko.
The ceremony of transferring the symbolic key of Eurovision to Kyiv Mayor Vitaly Klitschko by head of Stockholm city council Eva-Louise Erlandsson Slorach will be held on the same day.
The first part of the draw will determine which of the six pre-qualified countries - France, Germany, Italy, Spain, the United Kingdom and host country Ukraine 0 will broadcast and vote in which Semi-Final.
The First Semi-Final will have 18 participants will the Second one will have 19. The second draw will decide in which half of the respective Semi-Finals each country will perform, as the exact running order will be determined by the producers of the show at a later date.
From each Semi-Final, ten countries will proceed to the Grand Final scheduled for May 13, joining the six pre-qualified countries. As a result, a total of 26 countries will compete in the Grand Final of the Eurovision Song Contest 2017, which will take place on May 9, 11 and 13 in Kiev’s National Exhibition Center.
Portugal and Romania will return to the contest. Both of whom were absent from the 2016 edition.
Diana Hajiyeva will represent Azerbaijan in the Eurovision 2017 Song Contest.
The decision was made at a jury meeting on the Eurovision song contest. Diana Hajiyeva, known by her stage name Dihaj, is a singer based in Baku who is known more recently for her experimental-pop style of music.
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Laman Ismayilova is AzerNews’ staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @Lam_Ismayilova
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