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Press Conference with the qualifiers from the first Semi-Final

10 May 2017 at 00:56 CEST
First semi-final Andres Putting
18 countries competed in the first Semi-Final of the 2017 Eurovision Song Contest held in Kyiv, Ukraine. Ten made it through to Saturday’s Grand Final.

Shortly after the show ten winners of the first Semi-Final spoke to the media at the press conference held in Kyiv's International Exhibition Centre. 

Each participant was asked questions before they drew which half of the Grand Final they will perform on Saturday. The press conference was broadcast live on YouTube from the International Exhibition Centre in Kyiv.   

The results of the first Semi-Final

The ten qualifiers were (in the order they were announced):

  • Moldova: Hey Mamma by Sunstroke Project 
  • Azerbaijan: Skeletons by Dihaj
  • Greece: This Is Love by Demy  
  • Sweden: I Can’t Go On by Robin Bengtsson
  • Portugal: Amar Pelos Dois by Salvador Sobral 
  • Poland: Flashlight by Kasia Moś 
  • Armenia: Fly With Me by Artsvik 
  • Australia: Don’t Come Easy by Isaiah 
  • Cyprus: Gravity by Hovig 
  • Belgium: City Lights by Blanche 

Moldova

Sunstroke Project were asked if they called their mothers, a play on their entry, Hey Mamma, to which they replied, "that's a good idea actually, we will try to call our mammas!"

Moldova will perform in the first half of the Grand Final.

Azerbaijan


Dihaj thanked everyone who voted for Azerbaijan and said that she was satisfied with her performance. "I would like to say hi to all the people who are experimenting with all different genres of music."

Azerbaijan will perform in the first half of the Grand Final.

Greece

Demy thanked her team and said that she felt really lucky. "I am happy for all the support, I trust myself, trust my team and will aim to give my best performance in the Grand Final." Demy explained that her song was about love and celebrating diversity.

Greece will perform in the second half of the Grand Final. 

Sweden

Robin Bengtsson said that it was nerve-wracking to open the show. "There are a lot of good songs, I will try to do my best to win but in any case just getting to the final is a big victory, and that was my goal. Going to enjoy the ride and see how far I get." 

Sweden will perform in the second half of the Grand Final.

Portugal

Salvador Sobral commented that he was touched that people related to his song. "It's great that people understood the song, the lyrics, that shows that music is a universal language. When you sing with the heart people can understand it. If it’s sincere and genuine, and not plastic then other people will feel it."

Portugal will perform in the first half of the Grand Final.

Poland

Kasia Moś paid tribute to the other acts that didn't make it to the Grand Final. "There were so many great performances in the first Semi-Final." Asked what advice she had for upcoming artists she replied: "Be yourself, be honest, surround yourself with amazing people and positive energy."

Poland will perform in the first half of the Grand Final.

Armenia

Artsvik from Armenia said that she was going to fly as high as she can in the Grand Final, a play on the title of her song, Fly With Me. "I had a dream that I would perform on the Eurovision stage, my dream came true. You have to follow your dreams."

Armenia will perform in the first half of the Grand Final.

Australia

Isaiah from Australia said that should Australia win they will select a country in Europe in which to host the event. He was asked if he had a message to Australia to which he replied: "No matter where you are from, who you are, you can work hard to follow your dreams and they will come true."

Australia will perform in the second half of the Grand Final.

Cyprus

Hovig said that the secret to success is self-belief. "This is huge for such a small country such as mine, thank you for voting!" He added that he will perform for his fans: "This show belongs to them."

Cyprus will perform in the second half of the Grand Final.

Belgium

Blanche told the press that it was "horrible to be the last to be announced." She explained that she would have been calm if she had not reached the final. "Then I heard Belgium was announced and I was really happy."

Belgium will perform in the second half of the Grand Final.

The second Semi-Final is to be held on Thursday 11th May when the final line-up of the 2017 Eurovision Song Contest will be complete. You can download the music from tonight's show here.