Second Semi-Final - Winners press conference and draw

After the Second Semi-Final of the 2008 Eurovision Song Contest had finished, representatives of the ten qualifying countries gathered for the official winners press conference.

At the same time, their starting positions in the Final of the 2008 Eurovision Song Contest on Saturday were decided by drawing lots.

The winners press conference took the same format as that of the First Semi-Final on Tuesday. The winners made the journey back from the Beogradska Arena to the press conference hall. Upon arrival photographers were allowed two minutes for quick photographs. The conference then began and each country was allowed to answer two questions.

Read more here


Ukraine was drawn 18th in the final

Croatia was drawn 9th in the final

Albania was drawn 3rd in the final.

Iceland was drawn 11th in the final.

Denmark was drawn 16th in the final.

Sweden was drawn 15th in the final, the same position Charlotte won from in Jerusalem.

Latvia was drawn 14th in the final

Turkey was drawn 12th in the final.

Portugal was drawn 13th in the final.



EUROVISION 2008 FINAL DRAW






from oikotimes.com

Winners Press Conference - 1st semi final

After the first Semi-Final of the 2008 Eurovision Song Contest had finished, representatives of the ten qualifying countries gathered for the official winners press conference. During the same occasion, their starting positions in the Final of the 2008 Eurovision Song Contest on Saturday were decided by drawing lots.

When all of the delegations had arrived from the Belgrade Arena back to the press centre, the winners press conference started. All the representatives of the qualifying countries got the opportunity to answer two questions for the press.

Read more here

Greece was drawn 21st in the Final

Romania was drawn 1st in the Final.

Bosnia and Herzegovina was drawn 6th in the Final.

Finland was drawn 8th in the Final.

Russia was drawn 24th in the Final.

Israel was drawn 7th in the Final.

Azerbaijan was drawn 20th in the Final.

Armenia was drawn 5th in the Final.

Poland was drawn 10th in the Final

Norway was drawn 25th in the Final.

The running order for the 2008 Eurovision Song Contest

The running oder for the first semifinal:

1.Montenegro
2.Israel
3.Estonia
4.Moldova
5.San Marino
6.Belgium
7.Azerbaijan
8.Slovenia
9.Norway
10.Poland
11.Ireland
12.Andorra
13.Bosnia & Herzegovina
14.Armenia
15.Netherlands
16.Finland
17.Romania
18.Russia
19.Greece

The running order for the second semifinal:

1.Iceland
2.Sweden
3.Turkey
4.Ukraine
5.Lithuania
6.Albania
7.Switzerland
8.Czech Republic
9.Belarus
10.Latvia
11.Croatia
12.Bulgaria
13.Denmark
14.Georgia
15.Hungary
16.Malta
17.Cyprus
18.F.Y.R. Macedonia
19.Portugal


For the final:

2. UK
4. Germany
22. Spain
23. Serbia

Heads of delegation meeting in Belgrade

The Heads of the Delegations of 43 countries participating in the 2008 Eurovision Song Contest will meet in Belgrade, on 17-18 March.



During the meeting, the Host Broadcaster will present its plans and prepare the heads of delegations for the upcoming contest. The draw for the starting order of the participants willl take place at the Sava Centre on Monday, 17 March. At the end of January, it was decided by a draw which countries will compete in Semifinal 1 and Semifinal 2.

FIRST SEMIFINAL:
Andorra, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belgium, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Estonia, Finland, Greece, Ireland, Israel, Moldova, Montenegro, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Romania, Russia, San Marino and Slovenia. Ten countries will qualify for the Final.

SECOND SEMIFINAL:
Albania, Belarus, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, FYR Macedonia, Georgia, Hungary, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Portugal, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey and Ukraine. Ten countries will qualify for the Final

FINAL:France, Germany, Serbia, Spain and the United Kingdom.

The draw for the starting order will be broadcast live on RTS and through the official 2008 Eurovision Song Contest website eurovision.tv

source:RTS

later edit: The Cypriot Broadcasting Corporation will broadcast live the draw from Sava Center in Belgrade.

source:esctime.com

Eurovision Song Contest 2008 - Semi-Final Allocation Draw

Today at 13:00 CET, the organizers of the 2008 Eurovision Song Contest conducted the Semi-Final Allocation Draw, to determine which country would take part in which of the two Semi-Finals.

The draw was broadcast live in about ten countries and through Eurovision.tv's esctv.

The draw for the actual running order will take place on the 17th of March, during the annual Heads of Delegation meeting, in Belgrade, Serbia.

The following countries will be represented in the first Semi-Final, on Tuesday, 20th of May:

Andorra
Armenia
Azerbaijan
Belgium
Bosnia & Herzegovina
Estonia
Finland
Greece
Ireland
Israel
Moldova
Montenegro
The Netherlands
Norway
Poland
Romania
Russia
San Marino
Slovenia
Germany (voting rights, will not participate)
Spain (voting rights, will not participate)

The following countries will be represented in the second Semi-Final, on Thursday, 22nd of May:

Albania
Belarus
Bulgaria
Croatia
Cyprus
Czech Republic
Denmark
FYR Macedonia
Georgia
Hungary
Iceland
Latvia
Lithuania
Malta
Portugal
Sweden
Switzerland
Turkey
Ukraine
France (voting rights, will not participate)
Serbia (voting rights, will not participate)
United Kingdom (voting rights, will not participate)

It was also determined by draw that Germany and Spain will be obliged to broadcast the first Semi-Final live and to vote. France and the United Kingdom will be broadcasting the second Semi-Final, as well as take part in the voting. Host country Serbia will broadcast both Semi-Finals, and has been drawn to vote in the second Semi-Final.

source:eurovision.tv

Eurovision 2008 - The draw for the two semi finals

eurovision.tv reports:

The Draw deciding in which of the two Semi-Finals the participating countries of the 2008 Eurovision Song Contest are going to perform will be held in Belgrade on Monday, 28th of January.

The show, hosted by Serbian broadcaster RTS, starts at 13:00 CET and will be streamed live through Eurovision.tv's esctv.

The 38 countries represented in the Semi-Finals will be drawn from six pots, based on voting patterns between 2004 and 2007. Half of the countries in the six pots will be drawn into the first Semi-Final (on the 20th of May), the other half into the second Semi-Final (on the 22nd of May).

More informations here