Eurovision 2012 News: Countries assigned to semi-finals; Baku Crystal Hall confirmed
The next major step in preparation for the 2012 Eurovision Song Contest took place in Baku Wednesday as the semi-final allocation draw was held by contest organizers. Also, Baku Crystal hall has been confirmed as the venue for this year's contest.
The EBU confirmed earlier today that construction of Baku Crystal Hall will be completed in time to host the international music competition this May. The broadcasting consortium is meeting in Azerbaijan Wednesday and Thursday to discuss timelines for the Contest to be held in late May.
The major order of business coming out of these meetings are the semi-final allocations for this year's contest. First, the six countries automatically entered in this year's final – France, Germany, Italy, Spain, United Kingdom and host Azerbaijan – received their semi-final voting assignments. Next, a random draw determined that the first semi-final will feature 18 countries competing for 10 spots in the final while the second semi-final will feature 19 countries.
Here are the semi-final allocations:
First Semi-Final (May 22)
Azerbaijan, Italy and Spain will vote in this semi-final
FIRST HALF
Albania
Belgium
Finland
Greece
Iceland
Latvia
Montenegro
Romania
Switzerland
SECOND HALF
Austria
Cyprus
Denmark
Hungary
Ireland
Israel
Moldova
Russia
San Marino
Second Semi-Final (May 24)
France, Germany and United Kingdom will vote in this semi-final
FIRST HALF
Armenia
Belarus
Bulgaria
FYR Macedonia
Malta
Netherlands
Portugal
Serbia
Ukraine
SECOND HALF
Bosnia & Herzegovina
Croatia
Georgia
Estonia
Lithuania
Norway
Slovakia
Slovenia
Sweden
Turkey
The next month-and-a-half will feature the 43 participating countries determining their representatives for Baku. The running order for each semi-final will be determined by another allocation draw some time in mid-March.
Mike McComb – TVLatest.com
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