As the 41 countries that were going to compete in the 2020 Eurovision Song Contest remain exactly the same in 2021 as well, the EBU has announced that there will be no new allocation draw held in 2021. The way the countries were allocated to compete in 2020, will compete in 2021.
The Executive Supervisor of the Eurovision Song Contest, Mr. Martin Osterdahl, stated:
Under normal circumstances we would be looking forward to the Allocation Draw and Host Insignia Exchange Ceremony as an important milestone on the road to Rotterdam 2021. With the same participating countries as last year , the Reference Group decided that it made sense for both ticket holders and for participating broadcasters to keep the same Semi-Final draws as 2020. Even though we won’t have the traditional Ceremony in January we have plenty more planned to build excitement ahead of the return of the Eurovision Song Contest next year.
This means that in the first semi final, which will take place on the 18th of May, the following countries are going to compete:
First half
- North Macedonia
- Belarus
- Lithuania
- Sweden
- Slovenia
- Australia
- Ireland
- Russia
Second half
- Norway
- Cyprus
- Croatia
- Azerbaijan
- Malta
- Israel
- Ukraine
- Romania
- Belgium
The automatic finalists voting in this semi final are:
- Italy
- Germany
- The Netherlands
The following countries will compete in the second semi final on the 20th of May:
First half
- Austria
- Moldova
- Poland
- San Marino
- Serbia
- Iceland
- Czech Republic
- Greece
- Estonia
Second half
- Denmark
- Bulgaria
- Switzerland
- Finland
- Armenia
- Latvia
- Georgia
- Portugal
- Albania
The automatic finalists voting in this semi final are:
- France
- Spain
- United Kingdom
The exact running order will be revealed next year, once all of the songs have been chosen, and submitted to the EBU at the Heads of Delegations meeting.
