The semi-final allocation draw for the 59th Eurovision Song Contest took place at the City Hall in Copenhagen, Denmark today.
For the seventh year in a row the day started with the Host City Insignia ceremony. It is the ceremony where the mayor of the previous host city - Malmö - Mr. Kent Andersson hands over the symbolic Host City keys to the mayor of the city that will do that in 2014, Copenhagen, Mr. Frank Jensen. Starting from that moment, it's officially Copenhagen's turn to take over the hosting responsibilities. Then the hosts of the allocation draw, Tine Gøtsche and Ulla Essendrop, announced it was time for the most exciting moment as all countries were drawn into the Semi-Finals as well as in either the first or the second part of the shows. The first Semi-Final has 16 participants and the second one 15 contestants. Norway and Sweden were already drawn into Semi-Finals to assure a fair allocation of tickets in the Nordic region. Israel will take part in the second Semi-Final due to the first Semi-Final falling on their Independence day.
Azerbaijan will compete with Sweden, Albania, Iceland, Russia, Latvia, Armenia and Estonia in the first half of the first semi-final. Belgium, Hungary, Moldova, Montenegro, San Marino, Portugal, Ukraine and the Netherlands will perform in the second half of the first semi-final.
It was also drawn which semi-final the already qualified countries will broadcast and vote in. Spain, France and Denmark will vote in the first semi-final.
Denmark's representative Emmelie de Forest won 2013 Eurovision Song Contest with the song Only Teardrops.
This year's Eurovision Song Contest will take place on the 6th, 8th and 10th of May in the Danish city of Copenhagen.
Azerbaijan will select representative for the Eurovision Song Contest 2014 in the beginning of March.
Azerbaijani representatives at the Eurovision 2011 Song Contest Eldar Gasimov and Nigar Jamal won the contest with the song Running Scared.
APA