Draw of the semifinals 'Eurovision-2026'
The European Broadcasting Union has announced the composition of the baskets for the draw of the semifinals of the 'Eurovision-2026' song contest, which will take place on January 12 at 20:00 Central European Time. This year, 35 countries are divided into five main baskets, featuring the contest participants.
Ukraine has reached the third basket along with:
- Poland
- Armenia
- Azerbaijan
- Georgia
- Israel
The first basket includes:
- Albania
- Bulgaria
- Serbia
- Croatia
- Montenegro
- Switzerland
The second basket consists of:
- Australia
- Denmark
- Estonia
- Norway
- Finland
- Sweden
The fourth basket includes:
- Belgium
- Luxembourg
- Moldova
- Portugal
- Romania
- Czech Republic
The fifth basket contains:
- Greece
- Cyprus
- Latvia
- Lithuania
- Malta
- San Marino
The sixth basket consists of:
- Austria
- United Kingdom
- Italy
- Germany
- France
Features of the Contest
The 'Big Five' countries automatically advance to the final, but they will vote in the semifinals. During the ceremony, the mayor of Basel will pass the baton to the mayor of Vienna. Viewers will be allowed to display all official flags of the world during performances. Spain has announced its withdrawal from this year's contest.
'Considering the composition of the baskets, one can observe how the organizers are striving to ensure an interesting and competitive atmosphere in the semifinals.' - Source unknown.
The diversity of participants from different regions may influence the overall level of competition, as well as the choice of song performance styles. Spain's withdrawal from participation may be an important factor, as the country has always been one of the strong participants in the contest, which could affect the overall ranking balance. The contest is expected to attract great viewer attention, as always, due to its vibrant cultural program and performances by artists.