The rules of Eurovision: everything you need to know to make sure you don't get lost in front of your screen!
The long-awaited moment of May is almost here: Eurovision is back! But before you embark on this great European music festival, it's best to understand a little about how it works, isn't it? Don't panic, we've got a quick rundown of the Eurovision rules. And don't forget, they've changed recently.
Who is Eurovision and what is it?
First of all, what is Eurovision and who is it? It's an international co-production event organised by the broadcasting organisations that are members of the European Broadcasting Union (EBU). It's a bit like a big music festival where each country sends its best representative to try and win the trophy. This means that non-European countries can take part if they are EBU members (Israel, Jordan, Azerbaijan, etc.). Australia is a special case - more on that in another article!
This year (2024), there will be a maximum of 37 participating countries, but only 26 of them will have the chance to perform in the final. Six places are guaranteed for the host country (Sweden) and the famous " Big 5 "France, Germany, Spain, Italy and the United Kingdom. The other countries will have to finish in the top 10 places in each semi-final to earn their ticket for the grand final.
How are the songs chosen for Eurovision?
Let's talk about how the event unfolds. Traditionally, Eurovision consists of three live evenings: two Semi-Finals on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and the Final on Saturday. The artists perform in front of a live audience and are introduced by the evening's hosts, who are appointed by the host country, the country that won the previous year.
Quelques mois avant la finale, chaque pays sélectionne son représentant. Certains passent par une compétition nationale ouverte au vote du public et du jury (Melodifestivalen en Suède, Melodi Grand Prix en Norvège, DORA en Croatie, Sanremo Festival en Italie, …), d’autres préfèrent nommer leur représentant(e) au niveau de la délégation nationale ou par des sélections internes non ouvertes au public. C’est le cas de la France depuis 2023 (La Zarra in 2023 and Slimane en 2024).
The songs must be original and must not have been published or performed in public (they may have been written or performed in a restricted circle) before 1 September of the year preceding the competition year. Songs must be no longer than three minutes, and no longer than one second.
Rehearsals
During the two weeks preceding THE week, the artists are invited to fine-tune their performance on stage in real-life conditions. Performances are timed to a maximum of 20-30 minutes per delegation. Everything has been worked out in advance by each delegation. It's all about putting the finishing touches to camera shots, lighting, choreography and so on.
Family shows are a crucial part of the preparation for live broadcasts. They allow the artists, production teams and organisers to fine-tune every detail of the performance before millions of viewers see them on screen. These live rehearsals generally take place the day before each live broadcast, i.e. the day before the semi-finals and the final. They are essentially complete performances of the live show, but without the television broadcast.
Although the family shows are not broadcast on television, these rehearsals are open to the public, who are present in the auditorium and play a crucial role in providing live feedback on the performances. This allows the artists to feel the energy of the crowd and adjust their performance accordingly.
Rules on stage
La scène de l’Eurovision sur scène, parlons-en. Chaque pays ne peut pas avoir plus de six artistes (chanteurs, choristes, batteurs, danseurs) sur scène au cours d’une performance. L’utilisation d’animaux vivants est interdite (on a déjà vu des animaux sur scène mais c’était un costume, avec Francesco Gabbani – Italie 2017). Et si vous voyez un batteur ou un guitariste s’ambiancer pendant une performance, dites vous qu’il joue dans le vide, puisque les instruments ne doivent pas être branchés pendant le direct.
The songs must be played live on stage, with the exception of the recorded backing tracks. No cheating with playback or autotune, it's live or nothing! And if you can hear the backing singers but can't see them on stage, it's because they're not far away, probably singing live backstage too.
Until 1999, songs had to be performed in one of the official languages of the participating country. However, this rule has been relaxed and songs can now be performed in any language.
From the semi-finals to the final
We wrote an article about the recent change in the rules governing the semi-finals and the selection process, you can find it here.
And the votes?
As for the voting, that's where it gets interesting. The results are decided by public votes in each country, as well as by national juries. Audiences vote for their favourite songs via a televoting system or online, while the juries vote on the basis of live performances. The results are then combined to determine the overall winner.
The vote is carried out by each participating country, which awards points to ten songs from other countries. Points are awarded from 1 to 8, then 10 and 12. The country with the most points wins the competition.
And what does the winner get?
So there are actually two prizes. Each winner walks away with a glass trophy, designed in 2008 by Swedish designer Kjell Engman of Kosta Boda, a prestigious Swedish brand founded in 1742 and specialising in the creation of artistic glass and crystal. The trophy consists of a stylised glass microphone mounted on a transparent crystal base. The microphone is delicately worked with artistic motifs, often representing musical notes or other elements linked to vocal performance.
The second reward, sometimes a source of apprehension for national broadcasters, is organising and hosting the competition the following year, which is a daunting task. Host cities have to compete with ingenuity and creativity to put on a show that lives up to expectations, year after year!
Now you know everything you need to know about the Eurovision rules. So get those snacks ready, make yourself comfortable and may the best man win! 🎉
To find out more, take a look at the Eurovision 2024 rules. on the Official Website of the event.
