Eurovision 2026 Semi-Final Allocation Draw Has Been Determined

Live from Vienna, we had the opportunity to watch the Eurovision 2026 semi-final allocation draw.
Alexandra Wachter and Cesár Sampson led the ceremony.

You can the full ceremony here:

Format

The EBU has built 5 pots of the 30 countries that participate in the semi-finals.
The pots were based on historical voting patterns as calculated by the contest’s official televoting partner Digame

Each pot will include 6 countries. From each pot, half of the countries will be allocated in the first semi-final, and the remaining countries will be allocated in the second semi-final.

The pots for Eurovision 2026 are:

Pot 1

1. Albania
2. Bulgaria
3. Croatia
4. Montenegro
5. Serbia
6. Switzerland

Pot 2

1. Australia
2. Denmark
3. Estonia
4. Finland
5. Norway
6. Sweden

Pot 3

1. Armenia
2. Azerbaijan
3. Georgia
4. Israel
5. Poland
6. Ukraine

Pot 4

1. Belgium
2. Czechia
3. Luxemburg
4. Portugal
5. Moldova
6. Romania

Pot 5

1. Cyprus
2. Greece
3. Latvia
4. Lithuania
5. Malta
6. San Marino

The 6th pot includes the automatic qualifiers:

1. Austria
2. United Kingdom
3. France
4. Italy
5. Germany

The ceremony will also include the exchange of the Host City Insignia.
Basel will give Vienna the symbol of the host city.
The Mayor of 2025 Host City (Basel) will hand over the official keys to the Eurovision Song Contest, known as the “Insignia“, to the Mayor of Vienna.

First of all, the allocation draw was related to the big 5 and the host country.

1. Austria (Eurovision 2026 host country)
2. United Kingdom
3. France
4. Italy
5. Germany

Big 4 Countries and Austria

For the automatic qualifiers, half of them will vote (and broadcast) in the first semi-final, and the other half will vote (and broadcast) in the second semi-final.

• 🇫🇷 France – Will vote in semi-final 2
• 🇩🇪 Germany – Will vote in semi-final 1
• 🇮🇹 Italy – Will vote in semi-final 1
• 🇦🇹 Austria – will vote in semi-final 2
• 🇬🇧 The United Kingdom – Will vote in semi-final 2

Semi-Final 1

First Half (Songs 1-7)

• 🇬🇪 Georgia
• 🇵🇹 Portugal
• 🇭🇷 Croatia
• 🇸🇪 Sweden
• 🇫🇮 Finland
• 🇲🇩 Moldova
• 🇬🇷 Greece

Second Half (Songs 8-15)

• 🇲🇪 Montenegro
• 🇪🇪 Estonia
• 🇸🇲 San Marino
• 🇵🇱 Poland
• 🇧🇪 Belgium
• 🇱🇹 Lithuania
• 🇷🇸 Serbia
• 🇮🇱 Israel

Semi-Final 2

First Half (Songs 1-7)

• 🇦🇲 Armenia
• 🇷🇴 Romania
• 🇨🇭 Switzerland 
• 🇦🇿 Azerbaijan
• 🇱🇺 Luxembourg
• 🇧🇬 Bulgaria
• 🇨🇿 Czechia

Second Half (Songs 8-15)

• 🇦🇱 Albania
• 🇩🇰 Denmark
• 🇨🇾 Cyprus
• 🇳🇴 Norway
• 🇲🇹 Malta
• 🇦🇺 Australia
• 🇺🇦 Ukraine
• 🇱🇻 Latvia

Some Fun Facts

1. Some power couples are separated:
   • 🇬🇷 Greece (semi 1) and 🇨🇾 Cyprus (semi 2)
   • 🇲🇩 Moldova (semi 1) and 🇷🇴 Romania (semi 2)
   • 🇱🇹 Lithuania (semi 1) and 🇱🇻 Latvia (semi 2)
2. The Ex-Yugoslav countries were all allocated to semi-final 1: 🇭🇷 Croatia, 🇷🇸 Serbia, and 🇲🇪 Montenegro.
3. It is the first time since 2024 that the host country is allocated to vote in semi-final 2.
4. 🇭🇷 Croatia is allocated in semi-final 1 for the 6th time in a row.
5. 🇵🇹 Portugal is allocated in semi-final 1 for the 5th time in a row.
6. 🇲🇪 Montenegro is allocated in semi-final 1 for the first time since 2019.
7. 🇬🇪 Georgia is allocated in semi-final 1 for the first time since 2019.
8. 🇵🇱 Poland is allocated in semi-final 1 for the 3rd time in a row.
9. 🇸🇪 Sweden is allocated in semi-final 1 for the 3rd time in a row.
10. 🇺🇦 Ukraine is allocated in semi-final 2 for the first time since 2018.
11. 🇦🇹 Austria is allocated in semi-final 2 for the 4th time in a row.
12. 🇷🇴 Romania is allocated in semi-final 2 for the first time since 2023
13. 🇨🇾 Cyprus is allocated in semi-final 2 for the first time since 2023
14. 🇮🇱 Israel is in semi-final 1 for the first time since 2023.
15. 🇬🇷 Greece is allocated in the first half of the semi-final show for the 4th time in a row.
16. 🇸🇲 San Marino is allocated in semi-final 1 for the 2nd time in a row.
17. 🇧🇪 Belgium is allocated in semi-final 1 for the 2nd time in a row.
18. 🇪🇪 Estonia is allocated in semi-final 1 for the 2nd time in a row.
19. 🇲🇩 Moldova is allocated in semi-final 1 for the first time since 2024
20. 🇱🇹 Lithuania is allocated in semi-final 1 for the first time since 2024
21. 🇷🇸 Serbia is allocated in semi-final 1 for the first time since 2024
22. 🇫🇮 Finland is allocated in semi-final 1 for the first time since 2024
23. 🇨🇿 Czechia is allocated in semi-final 2 for the 3rd time in a row.
24. 🇱🇻 Latvia is allocated in semi-final 2 for the 3rd time in a row.
25. 🇲🇹 Malta is allocated in semi-final 2 for the 3rd time in a row.
26. 🇷🇴 Romania is allocated in semi-final 2 for the 3rd time in a row.
27. 🇳🇴 Norway is allocated in semi-final 2 for the first time since 2024.
28. 🇦🇱 Albania is allocated in semi-final 2 for the first time since 2024.
29. 🇨🇭 Switzerland is allocated in semi-final 2 for the first time since 2024.
30. 🇦🇲 Armenia is allocated in semi-final 2 for the 4th time in a row.
31. 🇩🇰 Denmark is allocated in semi-final 2 for the 4th time in a row.
32. 🇱🇺 Luxembourg is allocated in semi-final 2 for the 2nd time in a row.
33. 🇦🇺 Australia is allocated in semi-final 2 for the 2nd time in a row.
34. 🇦🇿 Azerbaijan and 🇦🇲 Armenia are in the same semi-final for the first time since 2019.
35. 🇦🇿 Azerbaijan is in semi-final 2 for the first time since 2022.
36. 🇧🇬 Bulgaria is allocated in semi-final 2 for the first time since 2021.
37. 🇫🇷 France will vote in semi-final 2 for the 3rd time in a row.
38. 🇩🇪 Germany will vote in semi-final 1 for the first time since 2024.
39. 🇮🇹 Italy will vote in semi-final 1 for the 2nd time in a row.
40.  The United Kingdom will vote in semi-final 2 for the 2nd time in a row.

Eurovision 2026 will be held in Vienna, Austria, on May 12th, 14th, and 16th, 2026.