Results of the Semi-Final Allocation Draw
07 February 2010 at 15:28 CETDuring the Semi-Final Allocation Draw, it was be determined which countries will be represented in which of the two Semi-Finals of the 2010 Eurovision Song Contest. The 34 countries represented in the Semi-Finals were drawn from five pots, based on voting patterns of last years as analyzed by the contest's voting partner Digame. By spreading these countries over two Semi-Finals, the impact of neighbour- and diaspora voting is limited and the contest more exciting.
Half of the countries were drawn into the first Semi-Final (on the 25th of May) - as drawn:
- Serbia (first half)
- Finland (first half)
- Russia (first half)
- Greece (second half)
- Slovakia (first half)
- Bosnia & Herzegovina (first half)
- Iceland (second half)
- Moldova (first half)
- Malta (second half)
- Portugal (second half)
- FYR Macedonia (second half)
- Latvia (first half)
- Belarus (second half)
- Belgium (second half)
- Poland (second half)
- Albania (second half)
- Estonia (first half)
The other half was drawn into the second Semi-Final (on the 27th of May) - as drawn:
- Switzerland (first half)
- Lithuania (first half)
- Georgia (second half)
- Turkey (second half)
- Ireland (second half)
- Slovenia (second half)
- Sweden (first half)
- Ukraine (first half)
- The Netherlands (second half)
- Bulgaria (second half)
- Croatia (second half)
- Denmark (first half)
- Azerbaijan (first half)
- Cyprus (second half)
- Romania (second half)
- Israel (first half)
- Armenia (first half)
As part of the draw, it was also determined if those countries will perform in the first or second half of the respective Semi-Final, so that each delegation already knows exactly on which day they are expected in Oslo for the rehearsals in May.
The five pots looked like this:
Pot 1: Albania, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Croatia, FYR Macedonia, Serbia, Slovenia, Switzerland
Pot 2: Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, Sweden
Pot 3: Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Israel, Moldova, Russia, Ukraine
Pot 4: Armenia, Belgium, Cyprus, Greece, Malta, the Netherlands, Turkey
Pot 5: Bulgaria, Ireland, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia
There was also a draw to decide which of the two Semi-Finals the so-called 'Big Four' (France, Germany, Spain and the United Kingdom) and host country Norway will be obliged to broadcast and vote in (as drawn):
- Norway (Second Semi-Final)
- Germany (First Semi-Final)
- United Kingdom (Second Semi-Final)
- Spain (First Semi-Final)
- France (Second Semi-Final)
The next draw, to decide upon the starting order of the songs in each Semi-Final and the Final, will be conducted - as usual - at the Heads of Delegation meeting in March.