Excitement is building in Stockholm for the first big event of Eurovision 2016 – the Semi-Final Allocation Draw on Monday. There’ll be a lot happening at the event. Vienna will officially handover to Stockholm, the official logo and slogan for the contest will be revealed, and countries will discover which semi-final they’ll be performing in. But most excitingly, the countries in each of the six pots have been revealed.
The event will see Vienna officially hand over the Host City insignia to Stockholm. We’ll also discover the logo, slogan and maybe even the hashtag for 2016. Will we take inspiration from Mans Zelmerlow and all be #Heroes?
Of course, we spent most of last year #BuildingBridges around Vienna and Europe. We’re really excited to see what the Swedes can come up with this year for a theme. Will we be told that “We are One” once again? Or
There are some significant changes to the pots, which are used to ensure a reduction in “neighborly voting”. With the return of Croatia, Bosnia, Ukraine and Bulgaria, as well as Australia making its first semi-final appearance, a sixth pot has been added to the usual five.
There are obvious pots for Balkans, Nordics and ex-Soviets, but the rest are more mixed. Australia share Pot Four with the likes of Belgium and the Netherlands, whilst Ireland and Lithuania have been put together in Pot Five, no doubt due to the influence of the Lithuanian diaspora seen in the Irish public voting in recent years. There are lots of other little quirks, which you can see in full below.
Eurovision Semi-Final allocation draw pots
Pot 1
Albania
Bosnia & Herzegovina
Croatia
F.Y.R. Macedonia
Montenegro
Serbia
Slovenia
Pot 2
Denmark
Estonia
Finland
Iceland
Latvia
Norway
Pot 3
Armenia
Azerbaijan
Belarus
Georgia
Russia
Ukraine
Pot 4
Australia
Belgium
Bulgaria
Cyprus
Greece
The Netherlands
Pot 5
Czech Republic
Ireland
Lithuania
Malta
Poland
San Marino
Pot 6
Austria
Hungary
Israel (Israel are confirmed to participate in the second semi-final)
Moldova
Romania
Switzerland
The draw will be streamed live on STV from 11:15. And you can follow wiwibloggs all the way through the draw on Monday. We’ll have our team on the ground giving you all the details, as well as all the reaction once the positions have been finalised. Keep up to date with all the news on our Twitter and Facebook pages too!
Possible Semi 1 draw
Serbia Q
Bosnia Q
Croatia
Denmark Q
Iceland
Norway Q
Russia Q
Belarus
Ukraine Q
Greece Q
Bulgaria
Cyprus
Lithuania
Poland
Ireland
Romania Q
Moldova Q
Hungary Q
Pot 1: Albania, Macedonia and Montenegro go into one semifinal, Serbia, Bosnia, Croatia into the other….. —> how would that make things fairer? Pot 2: Iceland, Denmark, Norway go into one semi, Estonia, Finland, Latvia into the other…. everyone of them will be gloating about that draw Pot 3: doesnt matter. If Armenia and Azerbaijan end up in different semis, an Soviet sweep is even more likely than it already is Pot 4: Greece will be very happy to be with Bulgaria and Cyprus Pot 5: Ireland, Lithuania and Poland together will make Poland and Lithuania very happy Pot 6:… Read more »
These pots are so silly, they do not help at all. There was always the semifinal where we knew before the songs were out who would qualify, because they always do, and the other semifinal that was unpredictable. What would be needed is to separate true best friends from each other. So what if Serbia is separated from Albania? It doesnt matter! Serbia needs to be separated from Bosnia and Montenegro, Macedonia needs to be separated from Albania, Albania needs to be separated from Switzerland, Armenia from the Netherlands and Georgia, Russia from Belarus, Estonia from Finland, Lithuania from Latvia,… Read more »
What about the logo?
look, Eesti can into Nordics!
@PP
All ”ex soviet” countries don’t have to be in one pot. Baltic states belong culturally to Northern Europe why they have to be together with Armenians, Georgians, Azers etc… if their taste is far from them. They even don’t vote for them only when they really have a good song. Is it a crime? When will you stop stereotyping?
Why put Israel in a pot this year when in previous years they weren’t even included in the pot system?
hope to see:
Russia – Semi Final 2
Australia with Bulgaria? Mind boggling… I would’ve put Australia with Ireland.
I’ll miss the event???? have school????
I’m very excited for that. But yeah, I am at school then once again. I always miss such events.
I think it’s time to get rid of the silly slogan thing. It doesn’t really add much, does it?
all 10 countries from ex Soviet Union must be in one pot like ex yugoslav countries plus Albania.
We had in past 6 countries from ex Soviet Union in one semifinal in 2009,2013 and 2015, and 7 in one semifinal in 2014..
Interesting… Monday will say a lot about who will qualify. Second three pots are more like six or seven mini pots. Slovenia doesn’t really fit either but I can’t see how six pots could have done better.