Hannah Waddingham learns Ukrainian on Eurovision
The Eurovision Song Contest is finally upon us, with the UK placing its hopes on 25-year-old pop singer Mae Muller and her track “I Wrote a Song”.
This year’s competition is taking place in Liverpool, marking the first time the UK has hosted a final in 25 years. It was decided that the UK would host after 2022’s winning country Ukraine said it would be unable to host, due to the ongoing invasion by Russia.
The 20 selected final acts, including Sweden, 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 tonight’s final, along with the running order, here.
The final will be broadcast on BBC One from 8pm and be presented by Graham Norton, Hannah Waddingham, Alesha Dixon and Julia Sanina.
As well as co-hosting, Norton will also be providing his classic commentary for the show alongside The Great British Bake Off star Mel Giedroyc.
Muller might not quite reach the same heights as Sam Ryder, who finished in second place for the UK last year, but the bookies still pin her among the frontrunners. You can read the latest odds here.
Key points
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Here’s the running order for tonight, with Austria up first and the UK tasked with closing the competition…
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 şi Luna
19. Ukraine: TVORCHI – Heart of Steel
20. Norway | Alessandra – Queen of Kings
21. Germany: Lord of the Lost – Blood & Glitter
22. Lithuania | Monika Linkytė – Stay
23. Israel | Noa Kirel – Unicorn
24. Slovenia | Joker Out – Carpe Diem
25. Croatia | Let 3 – Mama ŠČ!
26. United Kingdom | Mae Muller – I Wrote A Song
Annabel Nugent13 May 2023 15:30
Mae Muller: ‘Eurovision 2023 is the year of the pop girlies!’
Following Sam Ryder’s Eurovision success last year, Mae Muller is the artist hoping to continue the UK’s high-scoring streak in Liverpool. She talks to Isobel Lewis about novelty acts, criticising the Tories and why the wacky song contest is finally being taken seriously
Roisin O’Connor13 May 2023 16:41
Hello, bonjour, ciao, hola and all the rest! I hope you’ve been enjoying The Independent’s Eurovision coverage so far… we are VERY excited for tonight’s contest in Liverpool. And yes, we’re obviously a little biased in favour of the UK’s very own Mae Muller, but that doesn’t mean we’ll be ignoring the 25 other countries taking part in the competition.
Stay with us for all the latest updates, before the main event kicks off at 8pm live and on the BBC.
Roisin O’Connor13 May 2023 16:21
How to watch the grand final
Start time, end time, what channel… we’ve got all the information for the glitziest night in music television below!
Annabel Nugent13 May 2023 16:10
The best 10 winning performances
As with anything, not all Eurovision winners are created equal. Here are our top 10 best winning performances…
Annabel Nugent13 May 2023 15:50
Who is UK star Mae Muller?
Following Sam Ryder’s Eurovision success last year, Mae Muller is the artist hoping to continue the UK’s high-scoring streak in Liverpool. Check out our in-depth interview with the singer here…
Mae Muller: ‘Eurovision 2023 is the year of the pop girlies!’
Following Sam Ryder’s Eurovision success last year, Mae Muller is the artist hoping to continue the UK’s high-scoring streak in Liverpool. She talks to Isobel Lewis about novelty acts, criticising the Tories and why the wacky song contest is finally being taken seriously
Annabel Nugent13 May 2023 15:30
What do the French lyrics to La Zarra’s song Évidemment mean in English
France’s La Zarra is bringing some Hollywood glamour to Liverpool tonight.
Born in Montreal to Francophone Canadian parents, La Zarra rose to fame in 2021 with the single “Tu t’en iras” (“You Will Leave”), which was certified platinum.
For Eurovision, however, La Zarra will be performing another of her songs titled “Évidement”, which she wrote alongside Benny Adam. Check out the lyrics (and the English translation) below…
Annabel Nugent13 May 2023 15:10
Who is returning champion Loreen?
Fans will, of course, recognise Eurovison royalty Loreen who is returning to the competition with the hopes of securing Sweden another win.
Annabel Nugent13 May 2023 14:50
How to vote tonight!
If you’re planning on casting a vote tonight, you’re going to want to read up on the big change to the rules this year!
Annabel Nugent13 May 2023 14:30
The final 26 countries competing tonight
After two epic semi-finals earlier this week, we now have the 26 countries due to battle it out for a chance at Eurovision glory tonight.
This list is made up of the 20 countries who qualified in the semi-finals, last year’s winners (Ukraine), and the so-called Big Five (the UK, Germany, Spain, Italy, France) whose financial contributions to the event mean they automatically qualify for the grand final.
Annabel Nugent13 May 2023 14:10