After the spectacle of Semi-Final 1 rehearsals on Monday and Tuesday, it was the turn of the Semi-final 2 acts to up the ante on Wednesday and Thursday. With everyone’s eyes on them — including the bookies — it seems that the Ukraine has come out looking strongest, with Jamala extending her lead as favourite to win the second semi final.
Admiring Jamala’s stunning stage performance, the bookmakers seem to think that she has the best shot of winning this semi-final, with her odds of winning dropping to 6/4 at BoyleSports.
Eurovision 2016: Semi Final 2 Odds (To Win)
As of 16:00 CET, May 6th 2016
Compared to the pre-rehearsal odds, very little has changed among the bookies’ Top 5. Australia‘s Dami Im — who we spoke with in her hotel on Thursday — remains second favourite at 11/4, whilst Bulgaria’s Poli Genova — whose performance we loved — has moved up to third with the bookmakers. Notably, though, Australia, Bulgaria, Serbia and Latvia have all drifted further back from Ukraine since rehearsals started.
The biggest success story of the first rehearsals, however, has to be Israel. We all loved Hovi Star from our first meeting with him, but there were certainly doubts about “Made of Stars” and its potential at Eurovision. But a very elegant and moving stage show has lifted him to sixth favourite in the odds. Having been as high as 50/1 in the odds, the best odds on Israel now stand at 20/1.
Eurovision 2016: Semi Final 2 Odds (To Qualify)
As of 16:00 CET, May 6th 2016
Place your bet on Betfair now
Hovi’s success is also reflected in his rise in the qualifications odds. The bookmakers have now dragged him from an outside shot to qualify to being well within the top ten. The full list of countries that the bookmakers believe will qualify are, in order of likelihood: Ukraine, Australia, Serbia, Latvia, Bulgaria, Israel, Belgium, Lithuania, Poland and Norway.
That means that the bookies think that Denmark, Georgia, FYR Macedonia, Ireland, Albania, Belarus, Slovenia and Switzerland will not make it to the Saturday night final. What’s important to note here is that Georgia have now moved from being dead last in the qualification odds to nearly being odds-on at best. 5/4 is your best chance at beating the bookies on Nika and the Lolitaz.
What do you think about the odds and how they’re shaping up after the first rehearsals? Let us know in the comments section below or via our Twitter page. Keep checking back as we continue to look at all the odds in the build up to the semi-finals.
Go Israel,Hovi we love you,you’ve been my fav since the start!! Im from Serbia and i think Sanja done really well,i love “Goodbye” and she has amazing vocals and really good staging ( look at second rehearls,and idk how to spell it lol)…My woman fav is Bulgaria,Poli you’re the best!! I really love Ukranian song and Jamala,she’s AWESOME singer and i love listening to her,and she IS beautiful !! Good luck to every country from semi-final 2 !!!!
I think that the Ukraine has a very different song than another ones, we are used to hearing very commercial songs, but Jamala bring us a pretty artistical and talented song. I hope Israel will qualify, it has a beautiful message. Bulgaria, Latvia, Serbia & Australia will be competing for winning this SF2
@anka
thanks from Israel 🙂
Hovi is the true Dark Horse of the contest this year. Has taken everyone by surprise. He will be in top 5 in the final according to my prediction. He makes cry every single time I listen to his fantastic performance. Go Hovi!!!
@thejewmermaid HI, first of all i dont obliged to give u any answers .. but just so u know that that oxana approach to me and called me “bitch” just because i wrote that i dont like the Ukrainian song… so u tell me if ITS NOT INSULTING .. any way dont try to lecture me – you are not represent here Israel but only your self and i’m defiantly the beautiful Israeli so dont judge me because u dont know me at all.. and please read all the insulting comments that she wrote me first and than decide…and good… Read more »
Ukraine to win, OMG !! That song is getting up in odds because of politican reasons.. And that is bad.. 🙁 🙁
Song is so stupid.. Everybody have emotions when screaming, but that is not song just sream !!!
@gal, i know saying whatever laying in your head and “speak your mind” is very common these days, but you have to learn to SHUT UP! i don’t know how much @Oxana is “fighting” with everyone but in this argumen you act like an eight years old bully. calling someone “ugly” to insult, how old are you? you are a full shame to everyone, and i say it as a proud israeli. “the ugly israeli” like they say in our holy land. i really hope you will find a way to “lehitbager” and find some respect. i dont like Jamala’s… Read more »
norway more like no way. i love agnete’s song! it’s fun but look at tooji, he just scraped through when he tied with sofi marinova in 2012
@gal,
too bad your parents haven’t told you that “beautiful” is combined from visual appearance and inner beauty. Too bad you never learned to see the 2d part in people, no wonder why.
yes, we end all talks now.
@Oxana
hhhhh you are so pathetic.. i read here that u fight with every one so you are the one that need help…
believe me that i’m more beautiful than jamala, for my opinion she is the less beautiful female singer… Malta, Serbia, Australia,Bulgaria, are beautiful for my opinion..
any way we finish talking here…
Lol Ukraine has climbed to the top…very well done. It is very emotional…. but I dont think it will win on Final cuz it is hard for memoraizng and singing. I also dont like her type of voice… if she wins people be like
“Who won ESC 2016 ?”
“Well Ukraine of course”
“Could you please sing a little bit from it”
“Well of course sir………..uhmmm….uhh…. I actually am very busy and must go! Bye !”
gal,
her name is Susan Camaloglu (in Turkish), or Susana Jamaladinova (in Ukrainian). and I’m also not worried about her, because with her talent and worldwide support from Turkish, Muslim, ex-soviet neighbors and just European people with good taste, in addition to perfect vocal manners (she’s been invited to sing in alla Scala, did you know?) she has more than she needs to succeed.
@gal,
you wasted 🙂 got insulted that easy? if you’ll keep calling my Jamala “ugly”, you’ll be labelled a bitch for ever. sounds fair? I guess so. I do hope you’re some kind off Miss Israel or Miss of the World and possess a heavenly beauty that you can call good looking girls ugly? I bet you’re not a Miss Beauty and not even close. Beautiful person would never call others ugly without any reason. get help
Norway is a shock.
A chance of it not qualifying? How is that even possible?
Sooo happy to see my lovely Hovi as the potential qualifier! He was stunning and so classy. 12 points for him <3
@@Oxana
and i’m not worried about hovi, he is more talented and current then your ugly “jamala”
or whatever name she has
@Oxana
this is my opinion , for my opinion you call me bitch?? what a high level …..
so maybe because of idiot people like u i see here such a negative comments about Ukraine…. every one can say their opinion and if u dont like it so dont be here, but dont go and insult people for not liking the awful song of your country
@gal,
I doubt Israel can win even if Hovi is great singer. I won’t be the same bitch as you and I won’t say he should end up at place #24 like you said about my Jamala, but do not expect anything greater #5-10. Israel lately lacks support from other countries when it comes to voting. Maybe because of people like you?
?@Iberian
thanks from Israel.. are u also Israeli?
I’ve said it from day 1: Hovi Star is amazing and should win. Yes, I do love Amir, but I’ve been a huge Hovi fan since he was chosen to represent Israel. Hovi’s voice is the best in this year’s contest and his song is epic.
In my opinion Denmark would be in grand final but Norway wouldn`t be.
Israel is the best!
Place of Ukrainian song is not at this competition. Someone is trying to dislodge Jamala ahead and I think this is a political act. I do not like hate, I do not like songs that imply guilt. This is a music competition, not court. For information – I am not Russian, I am Bulgarian.
@Perfection: And she is right and we know it … fans love Eurovision for all the wrong reasons and not for the true love of music … otherwise nobody would give a s**** about the need for LEDs and stage circus to illustrate the songs and distract us from their average and bad quality. Specially in songs that sound too 1983 instead of 2016 … She and Amir are doing it the old school way but is the right way – the songs speak for themselves … the ability of LISTENING should be far more relevant during the show than… Read more »
Btw, Australian odds fall too
Ukrainian odds rise, French odds fall – looks like unexpected turn before the final *o*
KALIOPI MUST SING IN THE FINAL 🙂
@Oxana
thanks love 🙂
Israel and Poland can qualify both. there’s no point to exclude one at cost of another. both of them have great voice and message.
@Erin. Dont worry darling , hovi will make it to the final, and not becouse his amazing personality , but only becouse of his perfect song and perfect voice…
Hovi’s meteoric rise with the bookies is great and hopefully it will translate into a qualification, but just remember these factors which could be considered as a precursor to what could happen after semi final 2 is over: -The OGAE 2016 vote gave Israel 4 points compared to Nadav’s 150 points in 2015. -According to the 2016 OGAE vote, Israel is ranked 12th out of 18 with Switzerland, Georgia, Belgium, Belarus, Albania and Denmark getting zero or less than Israel’s 4 points. In comparison, Poland’s ‘Color of your Life’ which is running on the similar ballad ticket earned 28 points… Read more »
here’s full article (via google translator) where jamala, zlata ognevich and other ukrainian singers shared her views on ESC. it’s been published in 2013, whereas Jamala gave interview in 2011 to 1+1 channel and said the following:
“I believe that the Eurovision Song Contest is aimed against the music, against the song, against the votes. I think that the experience that brought Celine Dion and” Abbey “is lost. What’s wrong with Eurovision. Lost it soul, lost something of they loved at that time”
https://translate.google.com.ua/translate?hl=uk&sl=ru&tl=en&u=http%3A%2F%2Fru.tsn.ua%2Fglamur%2Fognevich-ne-hochet-pobedu-v-evrovidenii-cenoy-perescheta-golosov-306596.html%3Fauthstate%3D6
Hovi is the king of eurovision
we are all made of stars – perfect!
Perfection,
she said it in 2011, when retracted her song Smile from NF due to scandal. if you try to bring a sensation, at least look for it’s origin.
what is it? mama Russia strikes back? 🙂 why this clip appeared just now, it’s it 5 years old?
Perfection
Congratulations. Post this video to every eurovision sites and official eurovison sites eurovision.tv
I have mixed feelings of the Ukrainian song, it is very in-your-face, but at least it sounds honest.
Off-topic: Second to last set of song reviews. I have only three songs to go now. https://escsongreviews.com/2016/05/06/songcheck-2016-bulgaria-sweden-italy/
Glad to see Belgiums moving up.
Ya’ll need to stop being mean to Rykka 🙁
Jamala: I still think that Eurovision Song Contest is against music, against songs and against voices. Because it’s something antimusicial. (february 2016) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cUo_5t_uYFE
hovi is amazing !
good luck to hovi 🙂
Breaking – France’s first rehearsal is so boring, I can’t even!
I read on other sites that France first rehearsal is good but they don t sure that song and staging have potencial for win .
I think fight will be between Russia, Armenia and Australia pushed so hard with juries.
Dark horses Czechia, Serbia, Malta
Israel deserve the final….more more more than Denmark and Belgium…
Go Hovi!!
Why is norway so low??? SHE MUST FINALLY WIN THE WHOLE CONTEST!!!
Why is norway so low??? SHE MUST FINALLY WIN THE WHOLE CONTEST
Ukraine can winn olny if juries push that song in points like they pushed Sweden in 2012, 2015.
But I think that juries wili be pushed so hard France or Australia not Ukraine to defeat Russia, decide wili be after semifinal with Australia if they see that Australia is first with televote in semi they wili push song from Australia for win
After semi and draw for final wili we see with countries wili be push so hard in juries voting in final.
Hovi is such a doll, i literally couldn’t stop laughing when i watched his interview with William and Deban
Hovi star is the best!
Good luck to Hovi from new york 🙂
Hovi is my winner regardless who will win… i cant stop listing to his beautiful song and his perfect voice… and by the way – every one should watch his press conference i couldn’t stop laughing…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D1fBZmRuUiI
Enjoy bitches 🙂 🙂 🙂
Ukraines song its not good. I dont like politikal song.
I can’t believe how low Norway is!