Unfortunately this article is not available in English and has been automatically translated. Please visit our homepage for all English content or get an overview of all English articles here. You can also request a translation by sending us an email.

43 countries will participate in the upcoming Eurovision Song Contest in the Ukrainian capital Kiev. The organization knows that the record of 2008 and 2011 to match. Big surprises are not there. Portugal and Romania make a return, and Australia should take part as expected again. Bosnia & Herzegovina withdraws from 2017, but that was already known.

Had Bosnia & Herzegovina just like this year, than we could speak of a new record. But that ‘ magic Cape ‘ of 44 countries is currently unfeasible. 43 countries will take it in 2017 against each other in the two semifinals and in the grand final. Discover them all here .

Third participation Australia

Portugal and Romania are two recurring countries. Portugal last year found no money to take part and the Romanians had to at the last minute forced drop out because State broadcaster TVR had too much debt at EBU.

Australia is there for the third time in a row at ‘ by invitation ‘. A specific reason for their participation there is apparently not (more), but everything has to do with the excellent results of both Guy Sebastian as Dami Im. The organization is apparently not going to be in 2017 extra ‘ new countries ‘ invite to participate. By a change in the rules of Procedure of the festival would now just be.

Jon Ola Sand, Executive Supervisor of the Eurovision song contest, in the video below gives more explanation. According to him, it is practically difficult to more than 44 countries , but they play at the EBU is indeed with the idea to working 1 extra invite broadcaster to make them acquainted with the song contest. He stressed that Australia for the time being (still) no permanent participant and that all participating broadcasters support the presence of Australian broadcaster SBS Australia.

The two semifinals of the Eurovision song contest in Kiev go through on Tuesday 9 and Thursday 11 May. The grand finale follows on Saturday 13 May. Then we come to know who follow Sauma.