The EBU has today published the full list of 43 countries taking part in Eurovision 2017 in Kyiv. The news officially confirms the fact that Australia, Moldova, and San Marino are in.
It also means that Portugal is coming back, that Romania is indeed not just broadcasting, but participating in the contest but unfortunately that Bosnia and Herzegovina is out. Sadly, the rumours about Kazakhstan proved to be just wishful thinking. But yay! 43 countries is a record — and a big party!
A maximum of 46 countries may participate each year, but 43 is the most Eurovision has ever seen. The contest has previously had 43 competing countries only twice before — in 2008 and 2011.
Full list of countries participating in 2017
Here is the full list of the participating countries, in alphabetical order.
- Albania
- Armenia
- Australia
- Austria
- Azerbaijan
- Belarus
- Belgium
- Bulgaria
- Croatia
- Cyprus
- Czech Republic
- Denmark
- Estonia
- Finland
- France
- Germany
- Georgia
- Greece
- Hungary
- Iceland
- Ireland
- Israel
- Italy
- Latvia
- Lithuania
- FYR Macedonia
- Malta
- Moldova
- Montenegro
- The Netherlands
- Norway
- Poland
- Portugal
- Romania
- Russia
- San Marino
- Serbia
- Slovenia
- Spain
- Sweden
- Switzerland
- Ukraine
- United Kingdom
There you have it! What do you think about the 43 countries participating? Are you also excited that there are more countries than last year?
@Kris the operative word there is “observer” status, look it up. Also, Puerto Rico competes at the Olympics, as do Macau & Hong Kong. Are they independent states? No. So net, Kosovo is still not recognized as an officially independent state, period
Kosovo is an observer member of the UN unlike any of the other places you mentioned lady Gagarina…..also it has already competed in the Olympics as an independent Territory
@Colin the fact is, it is still not recognized as a true independent state, it’s not even recognized by the UN. That makes Kosovo the same status as the rest of the states I mentioned. Kosovo will never be recognized as a state because when that day comes, all the other breakaway regions will use it as an example to force recognition of their status. Kosovo will be like Iraqi Kurdistan, Somaliland – nominally independent states that don’t gain official recognition. I don’t know what your sources are, but Serbia is far from recognizing Kosovo as an independent state, even… Read more »
@Polegend Godgarina
I’m not missing Turkey either, I’m actually happy they are not participating anymore.
@LadyGagarina, Kosovo is recognized by much more states than any other unrecognized teritory. Actually, it’s only a matter of time until Serbia or Russia decide to finally recognize it and then the other one will too and than that’s basically it. They already operate as an independent state for some time now.
@escphilippines did Kosovo or Kazakhstan actually apply? They didn’t, it was just all speculation. What do you want the EBU to do, force them to compete? Specially Kosovo who is cash-strapped & is not universally recognized as an independent state. If you allow Kosovo, then you must allow Abkazia, South Ossettia, Nagorno-Karabakh, Transnistria & Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus to compete. Read up on current events dear. As for Kazakhstan, i’m sure they will eventually join soon, just need to iron out some kinks in their membership. I’d rather have a quality & perfectly polished Australian song than a trash… Read more »
Great! I really wanted Slovakia to return but nevermind. 🙂
Is it possible to sue the EBU for pan-european heartbreak?? They raised everybody’s hopes for a new record with their conceited words and did not deliver in the end!!
No one expected Australia to do this well, that’s why they keep inviting them. Maybe if Australia does bad they won’t be invited?
What’s the big deal? It’s a singing contest after all.
Really don’t get the Australia bashing (and for that any other country, particularly ones accused for not being “European enough”). Seriously.
However that being said if the EBU stuck to their original plan and not incessantly waved the perennial “carrot” to the outside countries all the time, it would have made a better Eurovision without everyone complaining about every little detail.
record tied :))))))
rly looking forward to portugal and the czech republic’s entries
I’m with Mimimi. There was one rule for Australia in 2015, and another for 2016. The “unfair” reason was exactly why they got a pass into the final in Vienna. What changed in the intervening twelve months? Nothing.
It completely astounds me that people think Azerbaijan, Armenia, and Georgia are less European than Australia.
Why are y’all saying Russia is withdrawing when they’re clearly trying very hard to win? I hope the juries keep sabotaging them tho hihi
43 … are fans happy with the quantity? Or is everybody dreaming the day this reaches like 50 countries? Isn’t anybody dreaming with how the songs could sound like … like … you know … the quality that justifies so many countries? Or maybe it might be not in pair with the quantity like it happened in the 2000s … So much left to be seen and heard before everybody looks at the number 43 in the most delusional way … and please … Portugal needs to bring something far superior that that “i’m-the-clown-of-the-party-with-a-corny-song-sung-by-suzy” … the amount of love for… Read more »
@Mimimi I know, right! Same with if Ukraine had been disqualified for political lyrics. Or Belgium missed their flight. Or Lithuania got food poisoning. Or Bulgaria, Poland, Israel, Latvia, Georgia, and/or Serbia all having a battle royal fight in the alley outback of the arena and getting kicked out of the competition as a result. Any one of those things would have let Macedonia qualify. There were 18 songs in the second semifinal. 10 qualified. That’s over half. If you can’t get a good enough song to be in the top half of the semifinal, maybe you should have a… Read more »
If Australia didn’t participate in 2016 Semi 2, Macedonia would have gone through the finals. It’s really unfair.
I think Russia may withdraw, i am also really happy that Portugal is returning- i hope they win 🙂
So….. Which country will be lucky enough to perform 2nd last in the first semi final? Last year it was Bosnia and Herzegovina until the EBU decided to force Romania to withdraw.
And let me guess… Greece will be selected to perform last in that semi final as well?
Kosovo wouldn’t be able to compete anyway because it isn’t recognized as an independent country by some other nations like Spain. Also, am I the only one who isn’t missing Turkey at all? Apart from like, 3 songs, they’ve never sent anything listenable!
Guys, the reason why Kazakhstan wasn’t applied because the Khabar HoD still yet discuss their participation at EBU meeting on 8-9 December in Warsaw!
Let’s see if EBU allow one more country more!! So don’t count the chickens before birth.
It’s not 9gag but PORTUGAL CRLH
Kosovo isn’t a member of EBU, so as much as you like them to compete they haven’t fulfilled the major criteria.
Kazakhstan simply don’t want to compete, so what can the EBU do about it? Force them to compete?
Balkan Power cut the bs man, Europe itself is EuroAsian. There is actually no such continent as Europe. We live in Eurasia. European civilization is what matters. Cyprus, Armenia and Georgia are integral parts of it. They’ve always been.
Turkey, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan are not. Any clever highschool student will tell you that. They are part of completely another culture and civilization.
Why you guys keep talking about the borders and those who having some silly parts of so-called European soil? This is soo stupid.
i hope that Australia will never win. Australia completely drowns out small European countries’ chances of Being successful in esc. Australia shouldn’t be the biggest thing remembered in esc, just because THEY ARE Australia, but it happens every year.
Davve where are you from? Just curious
Welcome back Romania and Portugal! Glad to see almost all of the class of 2016 are returning. Sad news about Bosnia and Herzegovina though. 🙁
So glad Turkey did not return
Thunder and lithging is getting exciting!!
I thought that San Marino were withdrawing, but glad to see my country! Third time lucky?
This is not necessarily the final list because back in 2015, Australia’s ‘shock’ participation announcement was made in February that year, so as much as the announcement is official as of October 31st, nobody can tell what’s in store until the March deadline. We may end up with those same 43 countries after all, but then there could be an unexpected withdrawal nobody sees coming or a late announcement of a new/past member state joining in. EBU rules and directives are rather flexible and accommodating should circumstances oblige.
Australia is not a European country, if it can participate then why Kazakhstan and Kosavo can’t! What regards to Armenia, Georgia and Azerbayjan, these countries are more European and part of them is in Europe than Australia. Thank you!
Scott and Davve you do realise that Azerbaijan,Georgia and Armenia are Euro-Asian countries….that means half of the country is on european teritory, unlike Australia that is more then 14000 km away from Europe…..and whats the point of Australia being in the contest when even if they win, they are not allowed to held a contest in Australia but in some of European countries
Yay! I am so happy for this news. Glad that Portugal, Romania, Australia and San Marino are in. Already can’t wait for May haha <3
Kosovo already participates in Eurovision, just as Scotland and Catalonia do. Very glad Australia is back, I love them, and they have more right to be here than countries outside Europe with no European culture or long term history with the contest. Am disappointed we didn’t get to 44, but if we can hold on to all the ones we have now, and work on Bosnia and Slovakia next year, I’;m sure we can get 1 (most likely Bosnia) back! Also sad how the EBU pretend like Romania just withdrew last year on their own like Portugal, trying to completely… Read more »
I`m so happy that Russia confirmed to participation:)
I rather have Australia in the contest, a country that have loved ESC for over 30 years. Than like Azerbaijan, armenia georgia etc.. Who only started getting interest when first participating in the last 10 years.
That Turkey does not return is not surprising considering that the country is ruled by a muslim horrible dictator.
Get over it people, we aussies are here to stay. 🙂 Woo!
Australia… Hopefully it’s their last participation because of the Asiavision!
I would rather see Australia there that has more European ideals and identity than countries like Azerbaijan, Armenia and Georgia participate.
Why a maximum 46, tho? If Slovakia, Turkey, Andorra, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg and Monaco also participated, we’d have 49.
People moaning about Australia get a grip… you don’t go complaining about the likes of Armenia and Azerbaijan participating they are far from ‘European’… Australia is more European than those two because Australia has British routs.
Australia is going nowhere, y’all. EBU tried so hard to make them win this year, it’s clear they’re here to stay. Accept it already! 😉
I must say that I liked the idea of Australia in the contest for 1 year, but this is the 3rd year and I’m quite done actually (don’t get this the wrong way, I like Australia as a country, but it’s quite weird that they’ll almost certainly qualify instead of a European country, it is still a EUROvision)
I agree 100% with escphilippines
I still dont like australia to be at eurovision not because of their musical choices but rather the EBU’s willingness to make a let a superfan enter but close it for other nations that might want to join like kosavo and kazakhstan. this is bias in the highest order and i won’t stand for it.
Silently hoping that a forty-fourth country appears out of nowhere…
Don’t disqualify any of them this time xD
Portugal 🙂
Really happy that Australia and San Marino are participating 🙂