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Eurovision Song Contest 2017 facts for kids

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The Eurovision Song Contest 2017 (shortly ESC) was the 62nd edition of the Eurovision Song Contest. It took place in the International Exhibition Centre in Kiev, Ukraine, after Jamala won for Ukraine in 2016 in Stockholm, Sweden with her song "1944".

Ukraine hosted the contest for the second time after 2005. The competition was held from 9th to the 13th; the first semifinal was on Tuesday, May 9, the second semifinal on Thursday, May 11 and the grand final was on Saturday, May 13.

Venue

The contest happened in the International Exhibition Centre in Kiev. The venue holds 13,000 people and the venue will be rebuilt for the contest.

The ESC 2005, which was also held in Kiev, took place in the Palace Of Sports. This was also a possible venue for 2017, but might not fulfill today's demands.

However, the venue must have a maximum capacity of 10,000. The venue also has to be covered and an international press centre has to be in reach. Also it must have a capacity for 1,550 journalists.

The following cities applied for being a host city:

Countries that will not participate/return/debut in 2017

  •  Bosnia and Herzegovina: The Bosnian television agency BHRT announced that they are in current financial difficulties, so financing for the ESC is not possible. Bosnia returned in 2016 by getting the money of sponsors.
  •  Kazakhstan: The country of Kazakhstan became an associate-member of the EBU in the beginning of 2016. Later on they said that it could be possible that Kazakhstan would participate for the first time. On the 31th of October, the date on which the list of countries taking part in 2017 was published by the EBU, Kazakhstan wasn´t named as a participating country. A reason why they did not debut was not announced.
  •  Luxembourg: The country of Luxembourg announced that they would not return to the contest. Luxembourg last participated in 1993. Of all the countries which have taken part in the competition, Luxembourg have not participated for the longest time.
  •  Turkey: The Turkish television TRT said that they will not be participating in 2017. They said that there are not satisfied about the voting system and the rules with the "Big-5". Turkey have not participated in the competition since 2013.
  •  Slovakia: The Slovakian television RTVS also said that they will not return in 2017. A real reason wasn´t mentioned. Slovakia last participated in 2012.

Returning artists

Some artists participated in the contest before and will represent their country again or as a another role:

Country Artist Participated before in...
 Estonia Koit Toome 1998
Laura 2005
 Israel Imri Ziv 2015, 2016 (as a backing vocalist)
 Moldova SunStroke Project 2010
 Serbia Tijana Bogićević 2011 (as a backing vocalist)
 Slovenia Omar Naber 2005

Semi-Final

Portugal and Romania will return; both quit last year's contest. Bosnia and Herzegovina, who returned in last year's contest, have quit this year because of financial difficulties.

On the 31th of October 2016 it was announced by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), that there will be 43 countries to participate in 2017.

First Semi-Final

The first semi final will take place on Tuesday, the 9th of May 2017. 18 countries will compete, the 10 countries with the most votes of them will qualify for the final.

The running order will be decided and announced when all the countries have selected their entry.

Italy, Spain and the United Kingdom will vote in this semi-final.

# Country Artist Song Language Translation
First Half (1-9)
04  Albania Lindita Halimi "World" English
03  Australia Isaiah Firebrace "Don´t Come Easy" English
08  Azerbaijan DiHaj "Skeletons" English
05  Belgium Blanche "City Lights" English
07  Finland Norma John "Blackbird" English
02  Georgia Tako "Keep The Faith" English
06  Montenegro Slavko Kalezić "Space" English
09  Portugal Salvador Sobral "Amar pelos dois" Portuguese To love by the two
01  Sweden Robin Bengtsson "I Can´t Go On" English
Second Half (10-18)
16  Armenia Artsvik "Fly With Me" English
15  Cyprus Hovig "Gravity" English
14  Czech Republic Martina Bárta "My Turn" English
10  Greece Demy "This Is Love" English
13  Iceland Svala "Paper" English
18  Latvia Triana Park "Line" English
12  Moldova SunStroke Project "Hey Mamma" English
11  Poland Kasia Mos "Flashlight" English
17  Slovenia Omar Naber "On My Way" English

Second Semi-Final

The second semi-final will take place on Thursday, the 11th of May 2017. 19 countries will compete, the 10 countries with the most votes of them will qualify for the final.

The running order will be decided and announced when all the countries have selected their entry. After a request of the Swiss TV-broadcaster SRF, Switzerland was directly determined to participate and vote in Semi-Final 2.

France, Germany and Ukraine will vote in this semi-final.

Draw Country Artist Song Language Translation
First Half (1-10)
02  Austria Nathan Trent "Walking On Air" English
08  Denmark Anja Nissen "Where I Am" English
07  Hungary Joci Pápai "Origo" Hungarian, Romani Origin
09  Ireland Brendan Murray "Dying To Try" English
04  Malta Claudia Faniello "Breathlessly" English
06  Netherlands OG3NE "Lights And Shadows" English
03  Macedonia Jana Burčeska "Dance Alone" English
05  Romania Ilinca feat. Alex Florea "Yodel It!" English
01  Serbia Tijana Bogićević "In Too Deep" English
Second Half (10-19)
14  Belarus NAVI "Historyja majho žyccia" Belarussian Story of my life
15  Bulgaria Kristian Kostov "Beautiful Mess" English
11  Croatia Jacques Houdek "My Friend" English, Italian
17  Estonia Koit Toome & Laura "Verona" English
18  Israel Imri Ziv "I Feel Alive" English
16  Lithuania Fusedmarc "Rain Of Revoltuion" English
12  Norway JOWST feat. Aleksander Walmann "Grab The Moment" English
10  San Marino Valentina Monetta & Jimmie Wilson "Spirit Of The Night" English
13  Switzerland Timebelle "Apollo" English

Big-Five (including host country Ukraine)

These five countries are directly qualified for the final. Ukraine, as the host country, will also be performing directly in the Grand Final.

Country Artist Song Language Translation
 France Alma "Requiem" French, English -
 Germany Levina "Perfect Life" English
 Italy Francesco Gabbani "Occidentali´s Karma" Italian
 Spain Manel Navarro "Do It For Your Lover" English, Spanish
 Ukraine O.Torwald "Time" English
 United Kingdom Lucie Jones "Never Give Up On You" English

Detailed list of participating countries

Country and broadcaster Artist Song Lyrics and composer Language Translation Selection
 Albania (RTSH) Lindita Halimi "World" Klodian Qafoku, Gerald Xhari English National final
 Armenia (ARMTV) Artsvik Harutyunyan "Fly With Me" English
 Australia (SBS) Isaiah Firebrace "Don´t Come Easy" David Musumeci, Anthony Egizii English Internal selection
 Austria (ORF) Nathan Trent "Running on Air" Bernard Penzian, Nathan Trent English
 Azerbaijan (ITV) DiHaj "Skeletons" TBA
 Belarus (BTRC) NAVIBAND "Histroyja majho zyccia" Artem Lukjanenka Belarussian Story of my life National final
 Belgium (VRT) Blanche "City Lights" English Internal selection
 Bulgaria (BNT) TBA TBA TBA English
 Croatia (HRT) Jacques Houdek "My Friend" Jacques Houdek, Tony Roberth Malm, Arjana Kunštek, Fabrizio Laucella English
 Cyprus (CyBC) Hovig "Gravity" Thomas G:son, Hovig English
 Czech Republic (CT1) Martina Bárta "My Turn" TBA English
 Denmark (DR) Anja Nissen "Where I Am" Anja Nissen, Angel Tupai, Michael D’Arcy English National final
 Estonia (ERR) Koit Toome & Laura "Verona" Sven Löhmus English
 Finland (YLE) Norma John "Blackbird" Lasse Piirainen, Leena Tirronen English
 France (France2) (Big-5-member) Alma "Requiem" Nazim Khaled French - Internal selection
 Georgia (GBS) Tako Gatschetschiladse "Keep The Faith" Tako Gatschetschiladse English National final
 Germany (ARD) (Big-5-member) Levina "Perfect Life" Lindy Robbins, Dave Bassett, Lindsey Ray English
 Greece (ERT) Demy "This Is Love" Dimitris Kontopoulos, John Ballard, Romy Papadea English
 Hungary (MTVA) Joci Pápai "Origo" József Pápai Hungarian, Romani Origin
 Iceland (RÙV)
 Ireland (RTE) Brendan Murray English Internal selection
 Israel (IBA) Imri Ziv "I Feel Alive" Dolev Ram, Penn Hazut English National final
 Italy (RAI) (Big-5-member) Francesco Gabbani "Occidentali´s Karma" Fabio Ilacqua, Francesco Gabbani, Luca Chiaravalli, Filippi Gabbani Italian, English -
 Latvia (LTV) Triana Park "Line" Agnese Rakovska, Kristaps Ērglis, Kristians Rakovskis English
 Lithuania (LRT)
 Malta (PBS) Claudia Faniello "Breathlessly" Philip Vella, Sean Vella, Gerard James Borg English
 Moldova (TVM) SunStroke Project "Hey Mamma" SunStroke Project, Alina Galetskaia English
 Montenegro (RTCG) Slavko Kalezić "Space" Stefan Örn, Momčilo Zeković English Internal selection
 Netherlands (AVOTROS) O´G3NE English
 Norway (NRK) English National final
 Poland (TVP) Kasia Mos "Flashlight" Kasia Moś, Pete Baringger, Rickard Bonde Truumeel English
 Portugal (RTP) Salvador Sobral "Amar Pelos Dois" Luísa Sobral Portuguese To Love By The Two
 North Macedonia (MRT) Jana Burčeska English Internal selection
 Romania (TVR) Ilinca feat. Alex Florea "Yodel It!" Mihai Alexandru, Alexandra Niculae English National final
 Russia (Russia1) TBA TBA TBA Internal selection
 San Marino (SMRTV) TBA TBA TBA TBA
 Serbia (RTS) Tijana Bogićević "In Too Deep" Borislav Milanov, Bo Persson, Johan Alkenas, Lisa Ann-Marie Linder
 Slovenia (RTVSLO) Omar Naber "On My Way" Omar Naber English National final
 Spain (TVE) (Big-5-member) Manel Navarro "Do It For Your Lover" Manel Navarro English, Spanish
 Sweden (SVT) English
 Switzerland (SRF) Timebelle "Apollo" Elias Näslin, Nicolas Günthardt, Alessandra Günthardt English
 Ukraine (NTU) (Host country) O.Torwald "Time" Jewhen Halytsch, Denys Misjuk, Mykola Rajda, Oleksandr Solocha English
 United Kingdom (BBC) (Big-5-member) Lucie Jones "Never Give Up On You" The Treatment, Emmelie de Forest, Lawrie Martin English

An internal selection of the national TV-station is a secret selection without a national final, where the pupilarity is able to vote.

Other

  • The Head of the Ukrainian national broadcaster NTU, Zurab Alasania, has withdrawn in protest to the Government’s budget for the broadcaster in 2017. For 2017, the Ukrainian Government has provided €42.8 million, of which more than €16 million will be spent on Eurovision. That leaves the broadcaster with just €7 million Euros, which is clearly too low money for other projects in the future, according to Zurab.
  • For the first time ever, Russia got drawn in the second semi-final. Russia always participated in the first semi-final since the introduction of semi-finals.
  • Belarus will be represented by a song in Belarussian language for the first time.
  • Christer Björkmann, a Swedish TV-producer for the national final Melodifestivalen and show producer of the Eurovision Song Contest 2013 and 2016, will join the Ukrainian producing team.
  • For the first time ever, there will be only men who will host the contest.


Images for kids

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Festival de la Canción de Eurovisión 2017 para niños

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