The countdown to 67th Eurovision Song Contest has begun and Liverpool are ready to welcome tonight at the M&S Bank Arena the first semi-final, as after last year’s victory of Ukraine, it was decided to take over this year’s event to the United Kingdom, who in 2022 finished in second place with Sam Ryder and the ” Space Man’.

Thus, the M&S Bank Arena is ready for the two semi-finals (Tuesday 9 and Thursday 11 May, respectively) but also for the grand final on Saturday 13 May. Tonight 15 countries will compete, while in the second semi-final in which Greece and Cyprus will appear, 16 countries will compete.

Today, Tuesday, May 9, at the M&S Bank Arena will appear: Norway, Malta, Serbia, Latvia, Portugal, Ireland, Croatia, Switzerland, Israel, Moldova, Sweden, Azerbaijan, Czech Republic, Netherlands, Finland.

The host of the show Yuliya Sanina will open the first semi-final of Eurovision, as together with her band, The Hardkiss, she will perform the song “Маяк”. The intermission will feature Rita Ora, who will open with a medley of her hits before performing a world premiere of her new song ‘Praising You’.

In addition, the audience will be treated to Ukraine’s Alyosha, who represented her country at Eurovision 2010. Together with Liverpool’s Rebecca Ferguson, they will perform Duran Duran’s ‘Ordinary World’, telling a story of hope , courage and support to all the people of Ukraine.

Live coverage of the competition from Liverpool will start at 22:00 (Greece time), with Maria Kozakou and Jenny Melita welcoming the viewers of ERT1 and ERTFLIX, as well as the listeners of the Second Program of ERA.

In this year’s event, the change in the way of voting in Eurovision will be important, as only the spectators will determine the songs that qualify from the two semi-finals to the Grand Final, while the possibility of voting is given, for the first time, to spectators from countries that do not participate in the contest (“Rest Of The World”).

In the first semi-finalviewers have the right to vote from 15 countries participating countries, the three directly qualifying countries, namely France, Germany and Italy, as well as viewers from countries not participating in the competition.

In the second semi-finalviewers have the right to vote from 16 countries participating countries, the three directly qualifying countries, namely Spain, Ukraine and the United Kingdom, as well as viewers from countries not participating in the competition.

In the Grand Final, viewers from all 37 countries participating in this year’s contest, viewers from the rest of the world, as well as the 37 Judging Committees of the countries participating in this year’s Eurovision, vote.

The public in each participating country will award a total of 58 points (1 to 8, 10 and 12). Public votes from non-participating countries will be added together, as if they came from an additional “country” (“Rest Of The World”) which will award a further 58 points (1 to 8, 10 and 12).

The final will be attended by the twenty countries that will qualify from the two semi-finals, the Big Five (France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the United Kingdom), as well as the winner of last year’s competition, Ukraine.

In order of appearance, the fifteen countries competing in tonight’s First Semi-Final are: