#PLAYING WITH NUMBERS: First Semi-final running order

It’s often discussed that running order can enhance or kill a song’s chances. Probably even more so in a semi-final, when culturally-similar countries don’t always get the chance to cast a vote for each other.

We at Eurovision Ireland have looked at this and come up with a graph. It shows the sweet spots which can help, and those dips which can hinder. Obviously, past performance is no guide to future performance.

Here’s the graph for semi-final one. It takes into account results for the 14 previous first semi-finals we’ve had since 2008.

Last year, the same sweet-spot check yielded seven qualifiers out of ten.

Does this mean Moldova has only a tiny chance of qualifying? Or is Switzerland a cert for the Grand Final? Tell us what you think.

Author: John Stanton

Source: Eurovision Ireland