Eurovision – The Grand Finale

After an intense competition in the first round of semifinals, ten countries have been selected to move on to the next stage of the Eurovision Song Contest.

The Grand Finale is set to take place Saturday, following the second of two semifinals, which is set to happen on Thursday in Turin, Italy.

After Tuesday’s competition, musicians representing the following countries are still in contention: Switzerland, Armenia, Iceland, Lithuania, Portugal, Norway, Greece, Ukraine, Moldova and the Netherlands.

Kalush Orchestra, representing Ukraine, is heavily favored to win, according to Johnny Weir, who hosted the US coverage of the musical competition on streaming service Peacock.

Back in February, organizers for Eurovision caved to public pressure and decided that Russia would not be allowed to compete in the competition. The European Broadcasting Union, which organizes the contest, had initially decided it would allow a performer to represent the country, despite the country’s invasion of Ukraine. It changed course less than 24 hours later.

Portugal has participated in the Eurovision Song Contest for 51 times since its debut at the 1964 contest. Representing Portugal in 2022 is MARO with the song “Saudade Saudade”.