Eurovision 2024 final to be held in a new way: what has changed and how it was before

This year, the European broadcaster has prepared several changes to the rules of the Eurovision Song Contest, including innovations in the draw. Now, the finalists will be able to choose their sequence number among three categories: the first half of the show, the second half, and the choice of producer.

This will help the organizers to arrange logistics with scenery, lighting and diversify the final. The new rules were announced on the Eurovision website.

Until this year, the finalists could randomly choose in which half of the show they would perform - before or after number 13 - by taking turns pulling out a piece of paper. However, this often led to the fact that most of the favorites performed one after the other or only ballads took up a large chunk of the final.

The European broadcaster did not like this order because the final was not dynamic enough and could bore the audience in the first half of the concert. In addition, there were problems with the complex stage setup between the performances.

To solve this problem, the category of "producer's choice" was added, which means that the producer independently determines the country's number in any part of the final so that the contestant fits into the overall picture of the show.

After two semifinals, the participants will be able to choose one of three options in a draw. The only exceptions will be the Big Five countries - Germany, Great Britain, Italy, Spain, and France - and the host country Sweden as they will automatically qualify for the final and can determine their order number earlier.

As a reminder, the 68th Song Contest will take place on May 7, 9, and 11, 2024. After each of the semifinals, 10 winners will take part in a live draw.

"It's all about creating the best TV show and giving all the artists a chance to shine. In previous years, when only the first half and the second half were played out, many of the ballads ended up in the same part of the show or many favorites performed in the same half. By adding the flexibility of 'producer's choice', I can create an even better flow of different tempos and an even more exciting grand final," Christer Björkman, the producer of this year's competition, explained.

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