The EBU have announced that the Semi Final allocation for next years Eurovision will take place on 28th January in Rotterdam. The venue is expected to be announced soon.

In the first part of the draw, the pre-qualifing countries will be assigned one of the two semi-finals to vote in.

The semi-final countries are grouped into pots based on historic voting patterns (usually around six pots). This is to help ensure each semi-final is not filled up by countries with high chances of voting for each other. Each pot should be roughly split between the two semis.

It’s then time to assign the other countries to a semi-final, and then decide which half of the running order they will sing in.

The precise running order will later be determined by the show’s producers and the EBU once all songs have been submitted in March. All this process will be overseen by the Executive Supervisor of the EBU, Jon Ola Sand, who will step down from the position after the contest. 

You can see the video from last years Semi Final allocation draw below: