What to Know About and The place to Watch Eurovision 2023

LIVERPOOL, England — Sprinkle the sequins and pump up the quantity: The 67th Eurovision Song Contest reaches its climax on Saturday with a grand remaining broadcast stay from Liverpool. There can be catchy choruses, a kaleidoscope of costumes and tributes to the spirit of Ukraine in a contest that for seven many years has captured the altering zeitgeist of a continent.

Right here’s what to anticipate as acts from throughout Europe — and past — vie for the continent’s pop crown.

Who’s Competing?

This 12 months, 37 nations despatched an act to Eurovision, chosen by means of nationwide competitions or inside picks by broadcasters. The host nation is often the winner of the earlier 12 months’s occasion, however 2022 runner-up Britain is internet hosting this time round on behalf of the winner, Ukraine.

Twenty-six nations will compete in Saturday’s remaining on the Liverpool Enviornment, beside the River Mersey within the port metropolis that gave start to The Beatles. Six nations routinely qualify: final 12 months’s winner and the “Massive 5” who pay probably the most to the competition — France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the U.Ok.

The opposite 20 finalists, chosen by public votes in two semifinals on Tuesday and Thursday, are: Albania, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Estonia, Finland, Israel, Lithuania, Moldova, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Serbia, Slovenia, Sweden and Switzerland.

Wait — Australia?

Eurovision is about spirit, not simply geography. Eurovision is massively common in Australia, and the nation was allowed to hitch the competitors in 2015. Different entrants from outdoors Europe’s borders embody Israel and Azerbaijan.

Who Are This 12 months’s Favorites?

It’s arduous to foretell victors in a contest whose previous winners have ranged from ABBA to Finnish cartoon metallic band Lordi, however bookmakers say Swedish diva Loreen, who gained Eurovision in 2012, is favourite to attain a double along with her energy ballad “Tattoo.”

Finland’s Käärijä was a crowd-pleaser within the semifinals along with his pop-metal social gathering tune “Cha Cha Cha,” and Canadian singer La Zarra, competing for France, can also be extremely ranked for her Edith Piaf-esque chanson “Évidemment.”

And by no means underestimate left-field entries like Croatia’s Let 3, whose track “Mama ŠČ!” is pure Eurovision camp: an antiwar rock opera that performs like Monty Python meets “Dr. Strangelove.”

What Occurs In the course of the Remaining?

Round 6,000 followers will attend the ultimate, hosted by long-time BBC Eurovision presenter Graham Norton, “Ted Lasso” star Hannah Waddingham, British singer Alesha Dixon and Ukrainian rock star Julia Sanina.

Every competing act should sing stay and keep on with a three-minute restrict, however in any other case is free to create its personal staging — the flashier the pyrotechnics and extra elaborate the choreography, the higher.

Russia’s warfare in Ukraine will lend a solemn observe to a contest famed for celebrating tacky pop. The present will open with a efficiency by final 12 months’s winner, Ukrainian folk-rap band Kalush Orchestra. Ukrainian singer Jamala, who gained the competition in 2016, will carry out a tribute to her Crimean Tatar tradition.

One one that gained’t be showing is Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. He requested to handle the ultimate by video — however organizer the European Broadcasting Union mentioned “regrettably,” that might breach “the nonpolitical nature of the occasion.”

How Is the Winner Determined?

After all of the acts have carried out, viewers in collaborating nations can vote by telephone, textual content message or app – although they will’t vote for their very own nation. This 12 months for the primary time, viewers in nonparticipating nations can even vote on-line, with the mixed “remainder of the world” votes being given the load of 1 particular person nation.

Nationwide juries of music business professionals additionally allocate between one and 12 factors to their favourite songs, with an announcer from every nation popping as much as declare which has been granted the coveted “douze factors” (12 factors).

Public and jury votes are mixed to provide every nation a single rating. Ending up with “nul factors” (zero factors) is taken into account a nationwide embarrassment. It’s a destiny the U.Ok. has suffered a number of instances.

How Can I Watch?

Eurovision is being proven by nationwide broadcasters that belong to the European Broadcasting Union, together with the BBC in Britain, and on the Eurovision YouTube channel. In america, it’s being proven on NBC’s Peacock streaming service.

Contact us at letters@time.com.