Eurovision 2024 Grand Final Lineup Revealed: First Semifinal Qualifiers and Big Five Set to Shine

The Eurovision Song Contest 2024 kicked off with a dazzling first semifinal, unveiling ten countries advancing to the grand final alongside the automatic qualifiers from the “Big Five”—France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and the United Kingdom. Fans erupted online as the results trended globally under hashtags like #Eurovision2024 and #ESC24.

First Semifinal Highlights: Surprises and Fan Favorites

Held in Malmö, Sweden, the first semifinal featured 16 acts competing for ten slots. The qualifiers, determined by a mix of jury votes and public tele-voting, included:

• Ukraine (Alyona Alyona & Jerry Heil – “Teresa & Maria”)
• Croatia (Baby Lasagna – “Rim Tim Tagi Dim”)
• Ireland (Bambie Thug – “Doomsday Blue”)
• Lithuania (Silvester Belt – “Luktelk”)
• Serbia (Teya Dora – “Ramonda”)
• Portugal (Iolanda – “Grito”)
• Slovenia (Raiven – “Veronika”)
• Finland (Windows95man – “No Rules!”)
• Cyprus (Silia Kapsis – “Liar”)
• Luxembourg (Tali – “Fighter”)

Ukraine’s haunting folk-rap anthem and Croatia’s quirky viral hit “Rim Tim Tagi Dim” dominated social media chatter, while Ireland’s Bambie Thug sparked debates with their genre-blending “Doomsday Blue.”

Big Five Power: Automatic Finalists Bring Heavyweight Energy

Joining the semifinal winners are the Big Five nations, whose financial contributions secure their direct grand final berths. This year’s entries include:

Italy (Angelina Mango – “La noia”), France (Slimane – “Mon amour”), and Spain (Nebulossa – “Zorra”), all topping pre-contest betting odds. The UK’s Olly Alexander (“Dizzy”) and Germany’s Isaak (“Always on the Run”) also bring star power, with Alexander’s staging teased as “a psychedelic masterpiece.”

Fan Reactions and What’s Next

Twitter exploded as fans debated “robbed” nations like Poland and Azerbaijan, while TikTok edits of Finland’s retro-themed performance amassed 5M+ views overnight. The second semifinal on May 9 will finalize the 26-country lineup, with favorites like Switzerland’s Nemo (“The Code”) and the Netherlands’ Joost Klein (“Europapa”) competing.

The Eurovision 2024 Grand Final airs live on May 11 from Malmö Arena, promising a spectacle of music, culture, and unforgettable moments. As always, expect boundary-pushing staging, heartfelt ballads, and a nail-biting vote count!