The EBU has announced that Italy’s Mahmood and Blanco are set to perform ninth in the Grand Final of the Eurovision Song Contest 2022, following the host country running order draw that took place at the Delegations meeting on the morning of 15 March.
Italy will perform ninth in the Grand Final
After many rumours surfaced surrounding where Italy will perform in the final, the official Eurovision account broke the news on social media at 10:30 CET. The announcement that Italy will perform ninth started lots of debate, especially since no country has won from a spot this early since 2003.
Italy's Mahmood & Blanco will perform Brividi in 9th position in the #Eurovision 2022 Grand Final! ?? pic.twitter.com/gOPQd2NJ9I
— Eurovision Song Contest (@Eurovision) March 15, 2022
The Italian song, “Brividi”, is one of the two leading favourites to win according to Oddschecker, and fans are wondering whether their chances could be negatively affected by the draw. Following the announcement, the Italians’ odds widened from 11/4 to 7/2.
Last year, the song that performed ninth was the United Kingdom’s “Embers”, which received the infamous nil points. However, before 2021, the 9th spot holds a generally above-average record. Since the introduction of the televoting system, though, only two songs won from the first nine spots — Israel 1998 (which performed eighth) and Turkey 2003 (which performed fourth).
Delegation Meeting
Other news arrived for the European Broadcasting Union earlier today, as the 40 countries sent delegates to Turin to discuss plans for the upcoming edition of the contest. The delegation meeting gives an opportunity for all countries to suggest their ideas and plan out the edition.
“Standing united, perhaps more than ever, we can really make a difference right now.”#Eurovision Song Contest Executive Supervisor @MartinOsterdahl welcomes delegations from 40 countries to learn more about plans for this year’s Contest #ESC2022 @Eurovision @EurovisionRai pic.twitter.com/V7OXs7hyjz
— EBU (@EBU_HQ) March 15, 2022
The EBU said on Monday that the main theme of the 2022 contest, themed The Sound of Beauty and somewhat overshadowed by the war in Ukraine, will be peace and unity.
What are your thoughts on Italy’s running order slot? Do you believe Mahmood & Blanco could still win? Tell us what you think!
No way, you can clearly see in the pot there are never ever 25 pieces of draw papers to pick from. So they made Italy choose from less positions in Final and not the 25 possible positions. Was it rigged maybe???
And the draw was done by EBU Head, not even by the Italian delegation? I don’t know the procedure for host country running order draw but I think singers should draw their running order.
Pretty sure numbers 1 to 6 are not there. Why the host never picked these numbers since this system ? when The Netherlands picked 23 if I remember.
On a different subject-I wish they would knock an hour off the running time by doing away with announcing the jury points.It’s a never ending stream of wannabe comedians and newsreaders trying to build up their part and we don’t t need telling 40 times now great the show was and how wonderful the hosts have been – even if they quite blatantly haven’t been.If you need to know the breakdown of the jury vote it’s all available on the internet after the event and you have to look up the televote anyway and I don’t t really think the… Read more »
You need padding to allow for the televotes to be counted and verified. The jury point allocation allows time for this.
strong position, as there’s usually a break every 8 songs, performing right before or after a break is a good thing that could lift you a position or two
Yes good thing many people will not be back after the toilet break so they will be spared of that boring song.
Perfect.
If their performance will be like the one in Sanremo and it will be, I don’t think they will be impactful enough to win. There are just better songs than theirs which stand out much more.
I don’t think they really care about winning Eurovision. They are already impactful, happy having three platinum and almost 60 millions streams on Spotify. That’s important for any Sanremo artists. So the song stands out, despite your irrelevant opinion.
Eurovision fan’s opinion is as relevant as yours.
The fact the song has 3 Platinum and almost 60 millions streams on Spotify is not my opinion, but it is a fact. Maybe Eurovision fans should worry less about who is going to win and support as many songs as possible to make them successful on the music market. Only in this way Eurovision is going to be more relevant on the music industry.
It’s a song contest. Not a song festival. Of course Eurovision fans will debate who will win.
Yes it is a song contest, not a race to disparage the song saying it is not impactful, it doesn’t stand out, it is overrated. Most of the other songs are in English and potentially they have all world as audience, so I expect also they do the same Spotify numbers of Brividi after 1 month. If they don’t I won’t be so desperate to go online and saying they are not impactful and they don’t stand out.
I agree. Although the song is very good, we know that televoting points would already divided for Ukraine, Poland. I don’t know why Italian delegation was not allowed to draw their running order, instead EBU head drew it. Every delegation draw their running order normally
Well For Portugal in 2018 (when they hosted) the ex Head of Delegation for Czech Rep drew the number or running order for them 🙂 Maybe they wanted the new Executive Supervisor to draw running order for Italy 🙂
It’s fine, don’t need to overthink this…
I think the top 3 will be UK, Poland and Ukraine (win televote)
I honestly would not mind if Italy, Ukraine, Sweden, UK, the Netherlands, Poland, Spain, France or a random surprise country wins. I am spoiled for choice. For me, this is one of the best years in recent memory and I think the draw will not matter much, because it will be one musical masterpiece after another. Maybe the key will be staging- that is the only way to “stand out” among a sea of strong competitors.
Definitely agree! I’d be over the moon if a country that has never won so far wins this year though 😀
I’d like to see First time winner too, but I feel like Poland is the only one who’s got the best shot so far. Anything Can change with rehearsals and stuff by May, But for now, I can’t see any other country winning eurovision for the first time this year older than Poland.
In terms of first time winner i think it’s more likely to be Czech Republic over Poland, but I think it’s going to be a battle between, Greece, Sweden, Spain, Italy, Ukraine, UK, Netherlands and Czech Republic.
Very open year this year
I like Czech Republic’s song, but is it strong enough to win the contest? That I question, but I agree that this is a pretty open year this year. Anything can happen
I like Czech Republic song, it’s my second favourite Czech entry ever (after lovely Gabriela in 2016) but i don’t see them even in TOP10. Maybe TOP15? it’s a nice radio song but we know that these kind of entries don’t win Eurovision, it doesn’t have anything unique to me. Anyway, just my opinion:)
So the winner every Year should be pop songs or crying ballads? Or rocks?
Heavy club sound or Dj’s sound song never won the Contest – it is the time for change!
Czech Rep is still better than other 22 songs lol …
I wouldn’t count Lithuania out yet too 🙂
Maybe Albania or Australia as well? Maybe that’s just wishful thinking though lol
I think Czech Rep, Australia, Iceland, Cyprus, Georgia, maybe Armenia, has also chance actually
It’s not the ideal scenario for them, because other strong ballads will have a chance to perform later and leave a last impression. But in the end, won’t make much of a difference on their result. If the draw was just for the half and Italy got 1st, producers would put them just 1 or 2 spots ahead anyway.
The producers claim to not have favourites, even though we all know they do. There’s no reason they couldn’t put them at four or six.
I think it’s natural to give good positions to the frontrunners. It’s also good for the show, after all. What I don’t like is how many times we see they clearly use entries that have a niche audience as sacrificial lambs.
But everytime I play by myself trying to come up with a running order, I see how difficult it is to do it without being unfair to many acts, especially in a strong year.
I’m not sure it is good for the show. If people come to expect all the best songs at the end, they might just skip the first ninety minutes. Even the ones who do watch will know not to regard the earlier ones as contenders. The commentators will also be influenced. We’ll never actually know how running order might be important if we never give songs even a chance to win from early on.
The contest survived for 57 years with that system.
This was the fairness way without anyone being favored. How ironic it is in EU where equity is one of our values that now a song can be privileged just based on the betting odds and fans, journalists preferences. If EBU don’t want to go back to full random draw because of that silly excuse to make the show more ‘interesting’ and songs of the same genre not be played back to back then the equity should be that during the recap of song when the vote is open to replay longer the songs that performed first and decreasing the… Read more »
Yes but in 2013 ebu stated that they started seeing ESC more as a music show rather than a contest sooooo yes
Sweden changed the rules when in 2011 Eric Saade not broke the glasses at the end of the show. He performed the song in the final in seventh position in the lineup.
I say it’s good for the show because this way the producers can distribute them and assure each part of the show has an entry many people are eager to watch. The commentators will be influenced either way, since betting odds and polls already show who’s in with a chance of winning. The only way to make things completely fair and open to chance is a complete draw. I’m not opposed to that, but I can see why producers reject the idea. A possible solution would be to have a complete draw and allow them just to make minor chances… Read more »
I believe the big problem with the number 2 is how EBU felt into a trap by having some “dogmas” about the running order. They always want an upbeat song to open the show, so they started giving the 2nd spot to a slower one. Everybody wants to perform as late as possible, so they started giving songs with less support the positions from 2 to 4. And if they put a big fan favorite there now, they’ll be accused of trying to harm them.
I think the producers make a mistake with number two. In my mind, the more casual viewers stay for the first song – with the second one being what makes them stay or go. It’s important. I suppose they’re the professional ones, though… I could be wrong.
Also, have you noticed that all of Tibor’s comments seem to have disappeared? Weird. I wonder why.
It makes sense. If someone tunes in and likes the 1st, the 2nd, the 3rd song… the chance they’ll watch until the end is bigger. But like I said, they let it become a stigma and now we’ll only have a great song there the day we only have great songs in the 1st half. Just went back to the Portuguese final’s post and yeah, all of Tibor’s comments are gone, that’s weird. Last night they were there, because I replied to him. Knowing he would never do something to get banned, it only can be a glitch. Or someone… Read more »
Well put Sweden in starting place Number 2 and we’ll see what happens?
News on Azerbaijan? They should be kicked out. The deadline has passed
Yeah they submitted the song by Swedish producers and it is supposed to be good one
The deadline is to submit the song not release it dummy
Deadline and release date are two different things. They can release the song a month later if they want to.
They don’t even have to release it at all, actually.
That’s a deadline to submit the song not a release date! Try doing some research next time.
How funny would it be if all the main contenders were draw in the first half except for one and that one win everyone who doesn’t like that contender will throw shade and say it’s because of the running order ?
for me this song screams position 9 or 23 lol
Well we know Ukraine will win. Even though (in my opinion) the Italian song is the best. Why bother this year?
Italian the best? In which world? An arab should not represent Europe
This is a disgusting comment and should not be allowed here.
OMG. Racism at its best. WHo cares if he is an Arab, or gay. Music is music. Love is love. People are people.
Bruh, he was born in Italy, he has an Italian mother and he actually speaks Sardinian
He’s not an Arab. He’s an Italian Citizen
I agree I’m Italian prefer Italy’s song along with many other over Ukraine but my 12 points go to UKRAINE
Overrated anyway..
Got love how if anyone dares to say Italy or Ukraine are overrated they get down voted to oblivion! Truth hurts
It’s called opinion
They downvoted you cz you have another opinion
Maybe because they don’t agree with your statement? Lol
Underrated. It’s only 2nd with the bookies
I think that whatever is your position if your song is the best, it’ll win.
Ukraine with Wild Dance was in the third place and it won
Ruslana was in the 10 place xD , and won
Željko was in the 5 place, a he was second
Turkey the year before performed in the 3rd slot and won
It’s a very decent spot to compete from. Of course any starting number between 1-5 would have been nightmarish. But number 9 is still pretty late in the first half so I can see Italy winning again with this song, however winning the televote might not be possible if the show closes with another big favourite. Still top 3 in televote should be doable. Russia came third overall competing in spot 5 in 2019 right? Not to mention that time Turkey won competing in spot 4. It was close, but still. very impressive.
The irony is that it is Belgium turkish diaspora that made Turkey win in 2003. Full televote at that time. Belgium should have won this year.
only one country has won since 1998 singing in the 1-9 slots..that’s quite a record to overcome. Not impossible, but…
Off topic: when is the deadline of countries submitting songs?
Armenia and Azerbaijan already presented/submitted songs, however they will reveal them a bit later – Armenia will do 19.3 and they also did same in 2017,2018
Regarding Azerbaijan it should be this week 🙂
So a country can submit a song and present it at their time of choosing? Even let’s say in mid April? Just curious
Thanks for the responses tho
pretty much. the deadline is when the esc album comes out, two or three fridays before the event. but no one goes that far haha.
Well idk but i think until the end of March i guess 🙂
They are probably making official video also so – u need to submit song (until 12/13 of March but u can do official video later – Sisters for Germany in 2019 did also late i think
If a song is that really good, i don’t think it matters what spot you have in the final.
Tell that to whoever gets the #2 spot this year.
Diki from Bosna performed 2 in the final and was in Top 10 at the end – since 2011 – any good song was in the spot 2 in the final 🙁 …
I guess this year UK might be in the Second Spot, but it can be also Croatia, Malta, Lithuania if they will qualify to the final
Off topic
Somehow Katla finished last in the final of songvakeppnin
I knew the running order killed her chances
Also amarosis were not last in any show
They placed third in both the final and semi final
Also they didn’t qualify as main finalists for only 11 votes or sth
With only 5 songs, running order does not really matter.
Wau
honestly i dont think the running order killed katla’s chances, it was the styling. her outfit and especially her hair scared me and i struggled to see how it complimented her song, it just served as a distraction- and not a good one
sasme but how did she come second in her semi then? ig the juries killed her? maybe
The daughters also won the first round of voting. They won both the public and the jury but in the second round of voting that was televote only they lost by 6K. Dang.
yea i was wandering about it too
I didn’t know that they decide the running order of the host country by draw; I had thought the host country was free to choose whichever ranking order they want to perform. Good luck for Italy, I wish you can finish in top 3 ?
Let’s not forget that Netta performed 1st and still won.
Running order doesn’t matter when the song is good, it only matters for the weaker songs.
When did Neftalí perform first? Neither in her semifinal nor in the final did she
When did Netta
Netta performed 7th in SF1 and 22nd in the final lmao.
my 3 favourite songs this year:
Italy, Greece and Spain
How many countries will be in the final? That’s the real question.
Also, if the UK doesn’t get a good positioning, I hope Sam Ryder’s comes out and says:
“NO! I’m in the wrong place, MAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAN!!!”
25 countries. According to the rules only the big 5 and the host nation gets automatic spots in the finale.
Yes, 10+10+Big5+Host and since the host this year is part of the big 5 then it’s 25
It was the same thing in 2011 when Germany hosted
So the first 12 are in the first half of the final of the first 13 ?(how this thing is going to work) when the semifinalist who will qualified to the final will picking the draw after semi
if italy si already booked in the first half then ig its 11 countries in the first half and 13 countries in the second or maybe its 12 and 12 idk
Armenia won Junior Eurovision 2021 performing 9th, so… I think it’s time for Italy to win again performing 9th? God only knows.
It’s pity that Italy would perform in the first half because televoters may forget the song during the recap and if the all other top favorites would perform in the second half; it may be disadvantageous, not for jury but for public votes
Sweden 2016 host country performed 9 in the most difficult and competitive year, people needs to vote if they love Italian song this Year and nit complaining about order – if the song is good, running order doesnt matter 🙂
4 out of 7 recent winners performed in first half.
Eh… I would say that the running order might have lowered Italy’s chances to make a back-to-back. At least, it’s still possible, considering how many ballads there will be this year and Italy’s one is considered amongst the best.
Off topic. But has anyone heard anything about tickets yet?? I knew it would be late this year, but seems crazy it’s only 2 months away now and it hasn’t even been mentioned?
Ridiculous I agree 2months to go and no news!!!
They’ll probably announce them in early April. The emergency state in Italy ends on 31st March and at that point Rai will know if the capacity in the arena will still be 65% or they can sell more tickets. They announce that ticketone will be the official seller and you can already subscribe to their eurovision page so that you can get an email when the tickets are announced.
Lots of good information, thank you!
9th is not horrible… One spot later and you already have a more successful spot, it’s only 3 minutes
Anyway, I don’t quite see them winning yet, despite of the running order
also it would be a lovely revenge for italy at #9, since that was francesco gabbani’s slot haha
Whom should have won at the time (Gabbani)!
Why is there no video of how they draw the running order spot? Or did the producers choose the spot???
The draw has been done by Martin Österdahl himself, live with all the other HoDs. I think the video is never publicily available, usually a picture
Really? Why they didn’t allow Italian delegation to draw the running order for Italy?
He “took it away” or he is good to go haha
Running order is irrelevant for great songs.
Also Amar Pelos Dois 2017 with Salvador sobral & Conchita 2014 Rise Like a Phoenix won by both performing in 11th
I think 9th is still a great spot to win from, and if any country could do a double, it would be Italy. If they put two lacklustre entries before and after Italy, they will stand out from any spot.
Sweden, Azerbaijan, Norway and Ukraine are more likely to win twice in a row. I can see only Albania, Malta and San Marino voting for Brividi.
These four countries have had the opportunity to do a double win in recent years and only Azerbaijan came close. Italy still is one of the stronger entries in a weak year. Italy has a consistently high televote . I wouldn’t write them off yet.
Also Sweden coming 5 in 2016
And the rest?
Top 5 draw first. The rest couple weeks later.
Do we know which country have the damned second?
They’ll be decided later by the EBU. We can’t expect the final running order untill the 13th of May and the running for the semifinals are also likely for sometime in may
In other words, “Chosen by Martin”.
Last Year we had running order for semi – 30 of March …
Semi final running order is usually decided in the end of March/beginning of April, so I’d say we will have it in 2-3 weeks.
I pointed this out as a fact earlier but only Italy, Sweden and the UK have performed 9th in the final since 2016:
Sweden in 2016 and 2019
Italy in 2017 and now 2022
UK in 2018 and 2021
Wow. Interesting :O
Coincidence or rigged? 😀 kidding
I hope their performance and everything will be so outstanding that this still goes straight to number 1
arcade – 12th
amar pelos dois – 11th
heroes – 10th
brividi – 9th
let me dream hihi
Wouldn’t the 13th in the running order win if the pattern continues?
not if the final is on an even day of an odd month !
That’s a bit early, but it could still get a good result regardless
yeah, it’ll largely depend on which songs are performed before and after. arcade was between better love and replay and it couldn’t have stood out better, for example.