The Eurovision Song Contest is finally upon us, with the annual celebration of European music heading into its grand final in Liverpool on Saturday.
Tonight (13 May), the UK will stage its first Eurovision final in 25 years, hosting on behalf of 2022 winners Ukraine.
Earlier this week, 31 acts performed for the first time across two semi-finals, competing for 20 spots in the grand final.
The 20 selected acts will join Eurovision’s Big Five (France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the United Kingdom) and Ukraine, all of whom automatically progress to the final.
You can see all the acts who made it through to Saturday night’s final here.
The UK will this year be represented by Mae Muller, a 25-year-old singer from north London, with her track “I Wrote A Song”.
While Muller might not quite reach the same heights as the UK’s 2022 entry Sam Ryder, who finished in second place, the bookies still pin her among the frontrunners. You can read the latest odds here.
The competition is expected to be dominated by former champion Loreen, from Sweden, with her song “Tattoo”. Loreen’s 2012 track “Euphoria” is one of the most successful Eurovision songs of all time.
Key points
Latest betting odds and favourites
11:50 , Annabel Nugent
I’m afraid things aren’t looking too good for the UK, at least according to the bookies.
Here’s the latest betting odds and favourites to win for tonight’s competition…
Eurovision 2023: Betting odds, favourites, sweepstake and scorecards
What do the lyrics to Finland’s entry mean?
11:29 , Annabel Nugent
Among this year’s frontrunners is Finland!
Competing for the country this year is Käärijä with his upbeat paen to piña coladas and pints: “Cha Cha Cha.”
If you want to sing-along tonight, you can check out the lyrics (and the English translation) here…
What the lyrics to Finland’s Eurovision song ‘Cha Cha Cha’ mean in English
What is the running order for tonight?
10:50 , Annabel Nugent
UK fans will have to stay up late, with Mae Muller scheduled to perform last out of the 26 countries. At least she’ll be fresh in voters’ minds!
1. Austria | Teya & Salena – Who The Hell Is Edgar?
2. Portugal | Mimicat – Ai Coração
3. Switzerland | Remo Forrer – Watergun
4. Poland | Blanka – Solo
5. Serbia | Luke Black – Samo Mi Se Spava
6. France: La Zarra – Évidemment
7. Cyprus | Andrew Lambrou – Break A Broken Heart
8. Spain: Blanca Paloma – Eaea
9. Sweden | Loreen – Tattoo
10. Albania | Albina & Familja Kelmendi – Duje
11. Italy: Marco Mengoni – Due Vite
12. Estonia | Alika – Bridges
13. Finland | Käärijä – Cha Cha Cha
14. Czechia | Vesna – My Sister’s Crown
15. Australia | Voyager – Promise
16. Belgium | Gustaph – Because Of You
17. Armenia | Brunette – Future Lover
18. Moldova | Pasha Parfeni – Soarele Åi Luna
19. Ukraine: TVORCHI – Heart of Steel
20. Norway | Alessandra – Queen of Kings
21. Germany: Lord of the Lost – Blood & Glitter
22. Lithuania | Monika LinkytÄ – Stay
23. Israel | Noa Kirel – Unicorn
24. Slovenia | Joker Out – Carpe Diem
25. Croatia | Let 3 – Mama ŠÄ!
26. United Kingdom: Mae Muller – I Wrote A Song
Where are the UK’s past Eurovision entries now?
10:33 , Annabel Nugent
For one day of the year, Eurovision captivates millions of viewers – but what happens when the cameras stop rolling?
In the past, the nation’s Eurovision entries have covered a wide variety of performers, from household names like Cliff Richard and the late Olivia Newton-John, to more obscure up-and-comers.
Here’s a rundown of some of the UK’s most note-worthy past Eurovision entrants – and where they are now.
Where are the UK Eurovision entries now?
Who is Mae Muller?
10:11 , Annabel Nugent
Meet the star hoping to lead the UK to victory tonight with her infectious pop anthem “I Wrote A Song”.
We spoke to the North London-based artist ahead of tonight’s show. Check out the interview here…
ICYMI
09:35 , Annabel Nugent
These are the 26 countries set to perform tonight with the hopes of being crowned this year’s Eurovision winners.
The 26 countries competing in Eurovision’s grand final are confirmed
Today’s the day!
08:45 , Annabel Nugent
Happy Eurovision day all those who celebrate!
Stay tuned on our live blog for all the updates and latest information regarding tonight’s big event.
Who’s going to win Eurovision (according to the bookies)
08:23 , Tom Murray
All week, the bookmakers have been breaking down who they think will walk away with the Eurovision trophy on Saturday.
Throughout, one name has stood out as a clear frontrunner: that of Sweden’s entry, Loreen.
You can find out who she’s up against below.
Meet Loreen, the Swedish singer who might just win Eurovision twice
07:27 , Tom Murray
We spoke to the woman everyone’s talking about this year: returning champion Loreen.
After winning in 2012, the “Euphoria” singer is back with a new, equally catching song.
You can check out our interview with her below.
Loreen is Sweden’s returning champion hoping to score a second Eurovision victory
06:22 , Tom Murray
Missed out on the second semi-final? Here’s the whole thing, summed up in 60 seconds.
The best 10 winning performances
05:28 , Tom Murray
The Independent’s Olivia Emily has looked back at 10 of the greatest winning Eurovision performances of all time ahead of this year’s final.
From Måneskin to ABBA, find them all here.
The 10 greatest winning Eurovision performances
Video: Eurovision’s creative director says final will showcase ‘new generation of Ukraine’
04:25 , Tom Murray
Graham Norton’s best commentating moments
03:27 , Tom Murray
Graham Norton has been hosting Eurovision since 2008.
The talk show host quickly became renowned for mocking the length of the four-hour final, and also for noticing when “someone dressed up” for the announcement of scores from each participating country.
Below, The Independent has rounded up some of his most savage lines from over the years.
Read more:
Graham Norton’s most savage Eurovision commentary moments
Meet Voyager, the prog-rock band representing Australia this year
02:31 , Tom Murray
The Independent’s Isobel Lewis has taken a look at Australia’s entrants, Voyager.
The prog-rock group were shortlisted to compete for Australia in 2020 (although they did not make it to the country’s final), only to become the runners-up in Australia’s competition last year.
“I genuinely think we were a point of difference for Australia last year; a heavy band with a pop sheen, and our song had immediacy to it,” guitarist Scott Kay told The Independent.
“This year, we believe it only made sense to be chosen to represent the country considering how close we came in 2022!”
Read more:
Voyager: Meet the Eurovision die-hards finally representing Australia this year
Video: Eurovision contestants look forward to final performance
01:29 , Tom Murray
Who is Eurovision favourite Alessandra?
Saturday 13 May 2023 00:37 , Tom Murray
The Independent’s Meg Warren-Lister has taken a look at Norway’s entry to the Eurovision Song Contest this year: Alessandra.
The Norwegian-Italian singer has already racked up more than 25 million streams on Spotify with her song “Queen of Kings”, which she will be performing during Saturday’s (13 May) grand final.
Alessandra rose to fame in her home country only last year after appearing on Norway’s version of The Voice.
Speaking about the inspiration behind “Queen of Kings”, she said the song is about the power of women as well as her experiences as a bisexual woman.
Read more:
Who is Eurovision favourite Alessandra? Norway’s TikTok star adored by Ellie Goulding
Video: Graham Norton jokes EBU rules with ‘iron fist’ after Zelensky’s request blocked
Friday 12 May 2023 23:39 , Tom Murray
How Eurovision voting works – and the massive rule change for the 2023 final
Friday 12 May 2023 21:45 , Isobel Lewis
Eurovision’s voting system is always complex and always changing. This year, a new rule has been brought in allowing viewers from countries not competing in Eurovision to vote for the first time.
Want the lowdown? Read below…
How Eurovision voting works – and the massive change to the rules for 2023
Who are Vesna, the all-female folk group from Czechia representing ‘underdogs’?
Friday 12 May 2023 21:00 , Isobel Lewis
Bringing girl power to Liverpool (even more than the city usually has), Vesna are representing Czechia this year with their feminist anthem “My Sister’s Crown”.
Ahead of the final, Meg Warren Lister spoke to the band about competing in Eurovision 2023.
Who are Vesna, the all-female folk group representing Czechia at Eurovision?
Remembering Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga
Friday 12 May 2023 20:15 , Isobel Lewis
It’s Eurovision eve, so why not spend the evening watching Netflix’s Eurovision film, The Story of Fire Saga?
Released in 2020 and starring Will Ferrell and Rachel McAdams, the musical comedy follows a pair of Icelandic musicians who dream of representing their country at the Eurovision Song Contest.
Ellie Muir breaks out all the real-life Eurovision references in the film:
All the real-life comparisons you missed in Will Ferrell’s Eurovision Netflix film
Meet Lord of the Lost, the head-banging, throat-ripping chart-toppers representing Germany in Eurovision
Friday 12 May 2023 19:30 , Isobel Lewis
Next up in our interview series, we spoke to “Blood and Glitter” band Lord of the Lost to find out how seriously they’re taking Eurovision.
The answer? VERY.
Meet Lord of the Lost, Germany’s head-banging, chart-topping Eurovision entry
Every Eurovision winner ranked from worst to best
Friday 12 May 2023 18:45 , Isobel Lewis
Since Eurovision first began in 1956, there have been 69 winners (due to an infamous four-way tie in 1969).
Those contestants have ranged from the good (Conchita Wurst) to the bad (most of the early 2000s), to the downright ugly (Lordi), and we’ve ranked them all for you.
Who will take home the number one spot? Read on to find out…
Every Eurovision winner ranked
The winner takes it all: How Abba’s douze-points energy at Eurovision started a pop revolution
Friday 12 May 2023 18:00 , Isobel Lewis
Abba are undeniably the biggest act to ever come out of Eurovision, having won the competition in 1974 with a little track called “Waterloo”.
Here, Mark Beaumont looks back at the band’s musical past, following their journey from Sweden to Abba-tar stardom.
How Abba’s douze-points energy at Eurovision started a pop revolution
The 26 countries competing in Eurovision 2023 final
Friday 12 May 2023 17:15 , Isobel Lewis
On Saturday, 26 countries will be competing for a chance to take home the Eurovision trophy.
They are the 20 acts who made it through this week’s semi-finals (10 from each), the Big Five countries who automatically qualify every year (France, Germany, Italy, Spain, the United Kingdom), and 2022 champions Ukraine.
See who will be taking part here.
The 26 countries competing in Eurovision’s grand final are confirmed
Friday 12 May 2023 16:50 , Isobel Lewis
Missed out on last night’s semi-final? Here’s the whole thing, summed up in 60 seconds.
Meet Loreen, the Swedish singer who might just win Eurovision twice
Friday 12 May 2023 16:30 , Isobel Lewis
Next in our series of pre-Eurovision chats, we spoke to the woman everyone’s talking about this year: returning champion Loreen.
After winning in 2012, the “Euphoria” singer is back with a new, equally catching song.
You can check out our interview with her below.
Loreen is Sweden’s returning champion hoping to score a second Eurovision victory
Mae Muller poses with Ukraine’s Tvorchi as she shares message of support
Friday 12 May 2023 16:20 , Isobel Lewis
On Friday (12 May), Mae Muller posted a photo to Instagram posing alongside Ukrainian competitors Tvorchi.
She captioned the post: “We wrote the songs, sharing our life stories. Now our passion and hope are felt by millions, thanks to Eurovision. Today we unite our posts ahead of the contest, which this year is hosted by the UK on behalf of Ukraine.”
Who’s going to win Eurovision (according to the bookies)
Friday 12 May 2023 15:45 , Isobel Lewis
All week, the bookmakers have been breaking down who they think will walk away with the Eurovision trophy on Saturday.
Throughout, one name has stood out as a clear frontrunner: that of Sweden’s entry, Loreen.
You can find out who she’s up against below.
Who will win Eurovision 2023? Latest odds and favourites
Hannah Waddingham steals the show in Eurovision semi-finals
Friday 12 May 2023 15:15 , Isobel Lewis
During this week’s Eurovision semi-finals, all anyone has been able to talk about is presenter Hannah Waddingham.
Flanked by Alesha Dixon and Julia Sanina, the Ted Lasso star used the live shows to show off her “unreal” vocal skills, speak in fluent French, and generally get the party going.
Still, it’s no surprise, writes Jessie Thompson; Waddingham has always been a diva-in-waiting…
Eurovision host Hannah Waddingham was always a diva-in-waiting
Graham Norton’s most savage Eurovision comments
Friday 12 May 2023 14:45 , Isobel Lewis
At this point, Eurovision is synonymous with one thing for UK viewers: Graham Norton’s sarcastic commentary.
Yes, it wouldn’t be Eurovision without the Irish comedian, who this year is sharing commentary duties with Mel Giedroyc, as well as co-hosting the live final in Liverpool.
Here, we’ve looked back at some of Norton’s most barbs from over the years, ahead of tomorrow’s final.
Graham Norton’s most savage Eurovision commentary moments
Mae Muller interview: ‘Eurovision 2023 is the year of the pop girlies!’
Friday 12 May 2023 14:10 , Isobel Lewis
Mae Muller is the woman representing the UK at Eurovision this year, with her pop banger “I Wrote a Song”.
We spoke to the 25-year-old about political tweets, girl power and the UK (finally) taking Eurovision seriously.
Mae Muller: ‘Eurovision 2023 is the year of the pop girlies!’
Meet Australia’s Eurovision entry Voyager
Friday 12 May 2023 12:13 , Isobel Lewis
Ahead of this year’s competition, we spoke to some of the most interesting acts competing in Liverpool.
First up: meet Voyager! Australia may be a relatively new addition to Eurovision, but don’t be fooled. This rock band know their stuff when it comes to the big competition, having “stayed up to ungodly hours just to simply watch Eurovision”.
Voyager: Meet the Eurovision die-hards finally representing Australia this year
How Eurovision voting works
Friday 12 May 2023 11:05 , Isobel Lewis
If there’s one thing Eurovision loves, it’s a complex voting system. In 2023, things have got even more confusing, as countries outside of the competition will be able to vote for the first time.
Find out more below…
Who will win Eurovision 2023? Latest odds and favourites
Eurovision, this is Liverpool calling!
Friday 12 May 2023 10:52 , Isobel Lewis
Welcome to The Independent’s Eurovision live blog!
We’ll be talking you through everything going on in this year’s competition, from interviews with the 2023 finalists to behind-the-scenes intel on social media.
Originally published