The qualifying countries of Semi-Final 1 from the 2023 Eurovision Song Contest Grand Final have drawn their halves.
First Half:
Finland Portugal Serbia Sweden Switzerland
Second Half:
Croatia
Czechia
Israel
Moldova
Norway
The 10 remaining qualifiers will draw their halves following Semi-Final 2 which will take place on Thursday 11th May at 8.00pm CET / 5:00 am AEST on Friday 12h May.
How is the Grand Final running order decided?
The ten artists who progress from each semi-final randomly choose from a pot whether they will perform in the first half or the second half of the Grand Final. This process happens at the winners press conference which is held after each semi-final.
The Big Five countries drew their half earlier in the week after they completed their second rehearsals, as they do not compete in the semi-final round. France, Italy and Spain all drew the first half, while Germany drew the second half.
The only exception are the host countries whose running order position is drawn randomly at the Head of Delegation meeting in mid March. This year, 2022 winner Ukraine drew position number 19 and host country United Kingdom drew position 26.
Once it is known which half each act has drawn, the show's producers will structure the acts in the order they believe will make for the best viewing experience. However logistics also need to be taken into account as some acts require more stage preparation time than others. The Grand Final will take place this Saturday 13th May at 8.00pm CET / 5:00 am AEST on Sunday 14th May.
Australians can tune in to SBS or SBS On Demand to watch.
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