One finalist is also chosen from Ireland, allowing the country to make its first appearance in the Eurovision Final since 2013.
Eurovision has announced the list of first 10 finalists which it has chosen for this year’s competition. In addition to Ireland, which will be making its first final appearance since 2013, the likes of Israel, Finland, and Cyprus have also progressed to the final stage.
Two countries that missed out on the qualification were Greece and Belgium. It was a shock for many of their residents as both these countries were tipped the favorites to not only progress to the Final, but also to win it.
It needs to be remembered that while only 10 Finalists were chosen from last week’s Semi-Final, a further 18-countries will guarantee their Final appearance after the semi-final which takes place this Thursday.
Germany, represented by Michael Schulte, is already in Saturday’s Final as it is one of the ‘’Big Five’’ countries which earn automatic qualification. The other four are England, Spain, Italy, and France. Though not in the Big Five, Portugal also earned automatic qualification this year due to them being the hosts of 2018’s Eurovision contest.
The countries whose acts made it through the first semi-final included: Albania, Austria, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Estonia, Finland, Ireland, Israel, and Lithuania.
Netta from Israel is one of the bookmakers’ favorite to win the main prize this year after a resounding performance in the semi-final. Toy, her track in the semi-final, was based on a unique combination of female empowerment and quirky chicken dance.
Another country which many expect to be the winner this year is Cyprus. Representing the nation is pop-star Eleni Foureira who won the hearts of millions with her performance of ‘’Fuego’’, a track which is a combination of catchy and tropical beats.
Though not favorite, another of the famous participants in this year’s Eurovision is Czech Republic’s Mikolas Josef. His appeal is such that many of his fellow country mates tout Josef as Czech Republic’s answer to Justin Bieber.
The Finland’s Saara Aalto, whom the British audience knows from her time on the 2016 X-Factor, is another notable act. While he lost out in 2016, many of her UK fans expect Saara to go one better and clinch the final this time around.
Ireland, which is making its first final appearance since 2013, is represented by Ryan O’Shaughnessy in this year’s competition. The country has won more Eurovision finals – seven – than any other nation, but their last win in the competition came way back in 1996.
