Who is singing when?

Song Contest in Vienna enters the final phase

The draw for the ESC semi-final will take place on Monday at City Hall.(Bild: APA/HARALD SCHNEIDER)

The ESC is picking up speed: the semi-finals were drawn at City Hall this Monday evening. Now it's clear which countries will perform in which semi-final. Ticket sales will also begin on Tuesday.

Things are slowly getting serious: this Monday evening, Basel's President Conradin Cramer officially handed over the Song Contest to Vienna's Mayor Michael Ludwig at Vienna City Hall – marking the start of this mega event. This was immediately followed by the draw for the semi-finals, which means that all participating countries have been assigned to one of the two preliminary rounds. They must qualify for the final on May 16.

Draw for the "Big Five"
It's official: Germany and Italy will compete in the first semi-final. France will perform in the second semi-final alongside the United Kingdom and host country Austria.

First semi-final
In addition to the "Big Five," all other countries were also assigned to one of the two halves of the show. In the first half of the first preliminary round on May 12, Georgia, Portugal, Croatia, Sweden, and Finland will perform together with Moldova and Greece. The second half will feature acts from Montenegro, Estonia, and San Marino. We can also look forward to performances from Poland, Belgium, Lithuania, Serbia, and Israel in the second half of the event.

Second semi-final
The first half of the second semi-final on May 14 will feature performances from Armenia, Romania, and Switzerland, together with Azerbaijan, Luxembourg, Bulgaria, and Czechia. In the second part of the second semi-final, Albania, Denmark, Cyprus, and Norway will perform alongside Malta, Australia, Ukraine, and Latvia. 

Tickets go on sale on Tuesday
Tickets for the coveted event will finally be available from Tuesday: anyone who has registered online in advance can purchase tickets from 1 p.m. on the only official platform, oeticket – there are a total of nine shows to choose from, as previews will also go on sale. Prices for the afternoon shows start at 15 euros, while tickets for the TV shows are more expensive, especially for the final, of course: the most expensive seat in the Golden Circle costs 360 euros.

It is not yet clear who will represent Austria
Incidentally, according to an ORF survey, 79 percent of Austrians see the ESC as a good opportunity to showcase Austria and enhance its image and added value. 73 percent also believe that tourism will benefit from it. 67 percent think that it will boost the domestic economy, and 60 percent of the population aged 16 and over are proud of Austria for hosting the Song Contest. Who will represent us will be decided on February 20.