• Only viewer votes will decide countries qualifying from Semi-Finals 
• Viewers in non-participating countries will be able to vote online  
• Jury votes will, as before, be combined with viewer votes to decide final result 

The countries that qualify from the two Semi-Finals, 10 from each, will now be decided solely based on the votes cast by viewers of the competition, rather than a combination of a jury and public vote as has been the case since 2009.

And, for the first time ever, those watching in countries not taking part in the competition will also be able to vote for their favourite songs online. 

Their votes will be added together and converted to points that will have the same weight as one participating country in both of the Semi-Finals and the Grand Final.

Professional juries, made up of those working in the music industry, will continue to contribute to the result of the Grand Final along with viewers in each country taking part and those voting internationally. 

Martin Österdahl, the Eurovision Song Contest’s Executive Supervisor said: “Throughout its 67-year history the Eurovision Song Contest has constantly evolved to remain relevant and exciting. These changes acknowledge the immense popularity of the show by giving more power to the audience of the world’s largest live music event.  In 2023 only Eurovision Song Contest viewers will decide which countries make it to the Grand Final and, reflecting the global impact of the event,  everyone watching the show, wherever they live in the world, can cast their votes for their favourite songs.  By also involving juries of music professionals in deciding the final result, all the songs in the Grand Final can be assessed on the broadest possible criteria.  We can also maintain the tradition of travelling around Europe and Australia to collect points and ensure a thrilling voting sequence with the winner only revealed at the very end of the show.”

Audiences in all participating countries will still be able to vote by SMS, phone or via the Eurovision Song Contest app.

Those watching in the rest of the world will be able to vote via a secure online platform using a credit card from their country.

Following the unprecedented nature of the voting irregularities seen at the 2022 Contest a working group of EBU Members was established to look at ways to protect the integrity of the event. Its recommendations were then approved by the Reference Group, the Contest’s governing board and the Executive Board of the EBU.

Public broadcasters from 37 countries will compete to win the 67th Eurovision Song Contest in Liverpool on 9, 11 and 13 May.

31 countries will compete for 20 places in the Grand Final alongside France, Germany, Italy, Spain, hosts the United Kingdom and 2022 winner Ukraine. A full list of participating nations and broadcasters can be found here.

The competition is being hosted by the BBC in the UK on behalf of Ukraine following Kalush Orchestra’s win for their country in Turin in May 2022.

How can I vote for my favourite song?

Your votes help to decide the winner of the Eurovision Song Contest. Full details concerning the voting rules and procedures for Liverpool 2023 can be found here.

Voting from Participating Countries. Viewers are able to cast their votes via the official Eurovision Song Contest app (or by following instructions on screen) during the live Semi-Finals and Grand Final. The app is available for your iOS, Android or Windows device, and if you vote via the app you will receive a special video message from your favourite artists.

• Download for Android
• Download for iOS

In addition, those watching in participating countries can vote by telephone and/or SMS. Relevant numbers will be displayed on screen by each participating broadcaster and on www.esc.vote.

Voting Numbers. The below table has all the information you need to vote from your Participating Country, as well as the cost:

Voting from non-Participating Countries. For the very first time, viewers watching in eligible countries not participating in this year’s competition will also be able to vote in each Semi-Final and the Grand Final.

All viewers in non-participating countries can vote using the official Eurovision App or go directly to www.esc.vote – the new voting hub for the Eurovision Song Contest. Both App and website will provide the correct voting method for all eligible countries automatically. 

How can the Rest of the World vote at the Eurovision Song Contest 2023? Members of the public watching the Eurovision Song Contest in the Rest of the World, i.e. outside the countries participating in the ESC may vote for songs participating in the ESC 2023 by casting their votes online via the website www.esc.vote or use the link provided by the ESC App. 

How does the voting platform work? During the voting window in each Semi-Final and in the Grand Final, if you are located in a non-participating country you will be able to select multiple songs on www.esc.vote and cast multiple votes on any individual song up to a maximum of 20 votes in total. You will then be taken to a payment screen where you can select your payment method for the number of votes cast.

When can I vote? You can vote after all the songs have been performed in each of the live broadcasts of the Semi-Finals and Grand Final for a limited period of time. The hosts of the show will indicate when the voting period opens and closes. Any votes cast outside the voting window during the live shows will not be counted but you may be charged.

How many times can I vote? You can cast up to a maximum of 20 votes, but you may use a payment method only once per Live Show.

How much does one vote cost? Each individual vote costs 0.99 Euros (including any VAT or sales tax) and can be paid by the payment methods offered in the Voting Platform. 

Please note that the transaction will be operated between you and the payment provider that is in charge of processing the payment in the country from where you vote. 

What happens if I try to vote more than once with the same payment card? If you cast fewer than 20 votes with the first transaction, you will not be able to cast additional votes afterwards in the same Live Show using the same card.  Any additional transaction attempts with the same payment card number will be rejected.

Can I vote by SMS or phone in a non-participating country? No. Only on the platform

How will you know which country I am voting from? Your location will be identified by means of a unique identifier based on your payment method. 

Can I use a payment method (e.g. credit card) issued in a participating country if I am voting from a different country? No, Your payment method must be issued by a bank in a country outside of the participating countries of the ESC 2023. If your card was issued in a country participating in the ESC 2023, the transaction will be rejected, and the votes will not be taken into consideration.

Which countries are eligible to vote? You can vote on www.esc.vote with any valid payment method in any country that is not participating in the 2023 Eurovision Song Contest. If your card was issued in a country where payments cannot be processed by payment providers due to legal or other regulatory reasons, the transaction will be rejected, and the votes will not be taken into consideration. 

Can I vote if I am under the age of 18? If you are under 18 years of age, you are not permitted to cast a vote without the permission of your parent(s) or guardian(s). 

How will my votes count towards the results of the Contest? All votes cast in non-participating countries on www.esc.vote will be aggregated and the Top 10 favourite songs from the Rest of the World in each Semi-Final and the Grand Final will be awarded 12 points for the popular song, 10 points for the second and then 8 to 1 points. 

This set of points will count as one additional country in each of the live shows. 

For more information on how the Eurovision Song Contest voting works please visit our Voting Procedures page for 2023.

Televoting data protection notes

Frequently Asked Questions about the voting changes can be found here.

What are the major changes to the voting system at the Eurovision Song Contest?  In 2023, the countries that qualify from each of the two Semi-Finals of the Eurovision Song Contest will be decided solely on the basis of votes cast by the general public.  Juries, in each country taking part in the respective Semi-Final, will still cast their votes but they will only be used should a valid televote not be recorded or possible in an individual country.  The Jury votes from each participating country will however be counted, as before, in the Grand Final. They will be combined with the result of the public vote to make up the total overall score.

Why are you also introducing an additional Rest of World vote? As a further step to strengthen the audience’s power in influencing the results of the Eurovision Song Contest, and in recognition of the global reach of the event, those watching the Eurovision Song Contest in non-participating countries will now be able to vote online.  Votes from countries not participating will be combined to create a set of points with the same weight as one participating country in both of the Semi-Finals and the Grand Final.  This will affect the 50/50 percentage balance between Jury points and public points marginally, giving the general public slightly more impact on the final result – approximately 50.6%.

How will you ensure the Rest of the World vote is fair? Those wishing to vote from a country that is not participating in the Contest will only be able to do so via a secure online platform using a credit card from their country.  Our Voting Partner will ensure that only audiences from countries allowed to vote online, as stipulated by the Reference Group, the Contest’s governing board, will be able to cast a vote and be charged respectively.  The full list of eligible countries will be published near the time of the event.

Will you have a Jury representing the Rest of World as well as a public vote? No. A Jury representing non-participating countries will not be used.

Why have you decided to make these changes now? The Eurovision Song Contest, the world’s largest live music event, is now approaching its 70th anniversary. In order to keep the event relevant and exciting we regularly update the format to ensure it continues to thrive.  Additionally, following the unprecedented nature of the voting irregularities seen at the 2022 Contest a working group of EBU Members was established to look at ways to protect the integrity of the event. Their recommendations are being implemented after approval by the Reference Group, the Contest’s governing board and the Executive Board of the EBU.

Why allow Juries to vote in the Grand Final if their votes are no longer used in the Semi-Finals? Using national juries of musical experts in the Grand Final, who rank all the songs in order of preference, allows each song to be considered individually. It ensures the best qualitative ranking of all participants in the Grand Final and that a winner is decided on the broadest criteria. Maintaining the Jury vote for the Grand Final also allows us to continue a long-held tradition of uniting all the 37 participating countries on air with spokespeople delivering votes from their nation. With all participating countries voting in the Grand Final, including the points awarded by professional juries also helps to mitigate the diaspora and cultural voting that is reduced by 50% in the Semi-Finals by allocating countries with similar voting records to perform and vote in separate shows. Finally, in order to maintain the excitement of the voting sequence in the Grand Final, with the eventual winner only known at the very end of the show, two sets of separate votes are still required.

Will this system now radically change which countries will qualify for the Grand Final? Together with our Voting Partner we have determined which countries would have qualified from the Semi-Finals between 2017 and 2022 using only the result from the general public.  We saw that, in nearly all cases, when removing the Jury results from the calculation, 9 of the 10 qualifying countries from each Semi-Final stayed the same.  The song that qualified for the Grand Final under the previous system, which would have missed out if only public votes had been counted, in most cases, went on to finish at the lower end of the scoreboard in the Grand Final.

What are the circumstances in which a Jury vote will be used in the Semi-Finals? The Jury vote of a participating country will only be counted in the Semi-Finals should a valid televote not be recorded in that country.

If you discover any irregular voting patterns, how will you address the matter? If irregular patterns are seen in any country’s Jury vote in the Semi-Finals (even though the vote no longer counts towards the results of the Semi-Final) that Jury will be dismissed and will not vote in the Grand Final. In the Grand Final, should any national jury have been/be disqualified, the points awarded from the public vote in that country will be doubled and used as a substitute so that the same number of total points, 116 (58 x2), are awarded by each participating country.

What happens if there is neither a valid televote or jury vote from a participating country?If there is not a valid televote or Jury vote in any participating country then a result based on the votes from countries with similar voting records will be used.

Will there still be a draw to determine which countries perform in which Semi-Final? Yes. There will still be a draw at the end of January to decide in which Semi-Final 31 of the countries participating will perform in. This is to ensure all songs have the best possible chance to qualify for the Grand Final by reducing diaspora voting and separating countries with similar voting patterns.

How the Eurovision Song Contest works.

An Overview. The Eurovision Song Contest is an internationally televised songwriting competition, organised by the European Broadcasting Union and featuring participants chosen by EBU member broadcasters representing their countries from across Europe and beyond.

Each Participating Broadcaster has until mid-March to choose a song and an artist to perform it. The song and artist can be selected through a televised national selection show (or shows), an internal process, or via any other means they decide.

Participants then compete at the Eurovision Song Contest, traditionally held in May.

The Contest format comprises three live shows: the First Semi-Final (Tuesday evening), the Second Semi-Final (Thursday evening), and the Grand Final (a Saturday night spectacular).

Participating Broadcasters work hard to prepare acts that will qualify from the show’s Semi-Finals, hoping for a ticket to the Saturday night Grand Final where they will join the so-called ‘Big Five’ broadcasters and Host Broadcaster (usually the broadcaster of the nation than won the previous year).

The ‘Big Five’ are the Participating Broadcasters from France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the United Kingdom – the group of countries who via their broadcasters make the biggest financial contribution towards the organisation of the Contest.

There is a comprehensive set of rules concerning participation that has evolved over the decades, but the main ones relating to competing songs and artists are:

• Songs must be original and no more than 3 minutes in length
• Lead vocals must be performed live
• No more than 6 performers can take to the stage during any one performance

In each show, after all songs have been performed, each country will give two sets of points (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 10 and 12) to their favourite songs; one set is given by a jury of five music industry professionals from that country, and one set given by viewers watching the show in country. Viewers can vote by telephone, SMS and through the official app.

Out of fairness, you cannot vote for your own country.

In the Semi-Finals, only those countries who took part in that specific show can vote (along with 2 or 3 of the ‘Big Five’ who are already in the Grand Final), whereas in the Grand Final, all competing countries can vote.

At the end of the Grand Final, the song that has received the most points wins the iconic trophy, and is performed once more.

National Selections. Each country is de facto represented by its respective public broadcaster, and it’s at the broadcaster’s sole discretion to determine who will represent their country at the Eurovision Song Contest.

There are three common ways to select a participant for the Eurovision Song Contest:

Televised National Selection. The broadcaster can select their entry by organising their own ‘mini Eurovision’ earlier in the year. For example, Albania uses their well established Festivali i Këngës to pick a participant, Sweden runs its annual Melodifestivalen, and Portugal utilises Festival da Canção.

Internal Selection. The broadcaster can invite submissions or approach record labels and individuals, and run the process without public involvement. This method has worked well in recent years for the United Kingdom (Sam Ryder finishing 2nd in 2022), the Netherlands (Duncan Laurence champion in 2019) and Israel (Netta was victor in 2018).

Mixed Format. The best of both worlds, where, for example, an artist is chosen by the broadcaster, leaving the song choice down to a public vote.

The EBU strongly encourages participating broadcasters to engage the public with the selection of a participant for the Eurovision Song Contest.

Semi-Final Allocation Draw. As the Contest moves around the globe, so do the Hosting responsibilities, and in January, the Host Broadcaster meets with their predecessor to symbolically mark the passing of the Contest from one Host City to the next.

It’s at this event that the Semi-Final Allocation Draw takes place, which determines which country takes part in which of the two Semi-Finals.

Event Weeks. While most TV viewers are focused on the three live shows, the broadcasts are in fact the climax of two exciting weeks in the Host City.

• All participants rehearse individually on stage twice for each show. Rehearsals begin up to two weeks before the Saturday night Grand Final.
• The Host City normally organises a Eurovision Village to entertain locals and visitors, and to give an extra platform for participants to perform, as well as screening the live shows.
• Each of the three live shows is preceded by Dress Rehearsals. Tickets are sold to the second and third Dress Rehearsals.
• Traditionally, a Welcome Reception and ‘Red Carpet’ Ceremony are held on the Sunday preceding the live shows, for delegations and selected invitees.

On top of official events and engagements, the Host City welcomes tens of thousands of visitors, with City-organised and fan-run events.

Fairness. The European Broadcasting Union (EBU) is strongly committed to secure the fairness of the Eurovision Song Contest. In order to assure Participating Broadcasters, contestants and the public a fair and valid result the EBU implemented a wide range of measures.

Governance. Participation in the contest is governed by the Eurovision Song Contest Rules. These Rules are established and enforced by the contest’s governing body, the Reference Group, on behalf of all Participating Broadcasters. Embedded within the Rules is a wealth of legacy, some of which dating back several decades. The EBU and the Reference Group are committed to continuously improving the Rules.

Significant changes that touch upon the basics of the contest will have to be approved by the EBU’s Television Committee, a higher governing body on behalf of the EBU’s Member Broadcasters.

The Executive Supervisor on behalf of the EBU, who is a permanent member of the Reference Group, ensures that the Rules are being followed on a day-to-day basis and reports any breach of the Rules to the Reference Group.

In particular, the Executive Supervisor oversees the voting procedure that determines the outcome of the Eurovision Song Contest.

A breach of the Rules may result in a formal warning, a financial penalty or a sanction. The highest possible sanction is an exclusion from participation in the contest for a maximum of three consecutive years.

Voting validation and observation. The outcome of the Eurovision Song Contest is determined by a jury of music industry professionals and viewers, each making a 50 percent contribution to the result.

Each jury, as well as each individual jury member, must meet a strict set of criteria regarding professional background, as well as diversity in gender and age. Additionally, judges pledge in writing they will evaluate the entries based on a set of criteria and state that they are not connected to any of the contestants in any way that could affect their ability to vote independently. Judges can only take seat in the jury once every three years.

The juries vote on the basis of the second Dress Rehearsal of each show, which takes place the night before each live show. Each judge should vote independently and no discussion about their vote is permitted. An independent notary oversees the jury gathering, to assure all regulatory procedures are being followed.

Each jury submits their result to the EBU and its official voting partner Digame via a highly secured system, as well as by fax.

Viewers can submit their vote by phone call, SMS or via the official app. They can vote up to 20 times. Voting tariffs are set by each Participating Broadcaster and will be presented on screen during the shows. Exceptions may apply due to differences in national legislation.

All televotes are being processed by the Pan-European Response Platform (PERP), which was developed by the EBU’s official voting partner Digame to assure all votes are counted in accordance with the Rules. The entire televoting process is monitored live by some 70 trained professionals from the Voting Control Centre in Cologne, Germany. The setup assures that any attempts to unfairly influence the voting, e.g. via bulk voting are detected and mitigated. The exact methods to prevent and/or detect malicious voting is classified and only known to the EBU Executive Supervisor, the Chairman of the Reference Group, E&Y and Digame.

The entire procedure – both jury voting as well as televoting – is overlooked by independent observers of E&Y and by the EBU’s Executive Supervisor, to assure that all results are being interpreted in accordance with the Rules.

Your votes help to decide the winner of the Eurovision Song Contest.

Full details concerning the voting rules and procedures for Liverpool 2023 can be found here.

Voting from Participating Countries. Viewers are able to cast their votes via the official Eurovision Song Contest app (or by following instructions on screen) during the live Semi-Finals and Grand Final. The app is available for your iOS, Android or Windows device, and if you vote via the app you will receive a special video message from your favourite artists.

• Download for Android
• Download for iOS

In addition, those watching in participating countries can vote by telephone and/or SMS. Relevant numbers will be displayed on screen by each participating broadcaster and on www.esc.vote.

Voting from non-Participating Countries. For the very first time, viewers watching in eligible countries not participating in this year’s competition will also be able to vote in each Semi-Final and the Grand Final.

All viewers in non-participating countries can vote using the official Eurovision App or go directly to www.esc.vote – the new voting hub for the Eurovision Song Contest. Both App and website will provide the correct voting method for all eligible countries automatically.

Televoting data protection notes. The following information is intended to provide you as a participant in the Eurovision Song Contest televoting (Televoting) with an overview of the personal data we collect and process about you when you vote by call and about your rights under data protection law.

As joint data controllers, We, The European Broadcasting Union jointly with the Participating Broadcasters and the Host Broadcaster

L’Ancienne-Route 17A. 1218 Le Grand-Saconnex, Genève, Switzerland. (the EBU) and digame GmbH. Schanzenstrasse 38. D-51063 Cologne. Germany (the Company) are committed to protect your personal data and respect your privacy in compliance with applicable data protection laws notably the EU General Data Protection Regulation 2016/679 (GDPR) and the German Federal Data Protection Act (BDSG). We will not process your personal data for any other Purposes that the ones set below.

The EBU and the Company have executed specific and separate joint controllers’ arrangement pursuant to Article 26 of GDPR, the key content of which is available on demand at the premises of either the EBU or the Company.

What categories of personal data are being processed. We will process only the personal data which we receive when you cast your vote either by call or by texting SMS message (whether sent directly or via the ESC App) using connections provided by your landline or mobile network provider.

When doing so, we will – depending on your country of origin – gather the following categories of data from you if applicable

• Your mobile telephone number (MSISDN – Mobile Station Integrated Services Digital Network Number)
• The date and time at which you participated in Televoting
• The song number you voted for
• The name of your landline or mobile network provider
• The type network provider contract which you have (prepaid, contract).

What are the Purposes of processing and what is the legal basis for this? We collect your personal data on the basis of our legitimate interest (Art. 6 Para. 1 (f) GDPR) to generate the official results determining the ranking of the songs entered in the ESC and the winner thereof.

Your participation is voluntary and by taking part in the Televoting, you consent that we process your personal data (listed above) for the Purposes of:

• calculating and generating valid and official results of the ESC on the basis of the votes casted by the audience (including yours)
• generating aggregated statistics on the voting in the ESC
• publishing aggregated and anonymized results

Who will have access to your personal data? To participate in the Televoting, you are using a telecommunication service facilitated by your national telecommunication carrier and/or aggregator who may forwards part or all of your personal data to the Company to enable the calculation of a valid audience result.

Inside the Company your personal data will be made accessible to the departments which need it to fulfil the Company’s contractual and legal obligations. Service providers and vicarious agents working for the Company may also receive personal data for such purposes provided that they undertake to maintain, in particular, confidentiality and integrity. Such recipients could, for example, be IT service or telecommunications providers.

There will be no transfer of personal data to recipients outside the Company. Whilst the EBU is joint controller with the Company with regard to the Televoting, the Company will not transfer your personal data to the EBU which will receive from the Company only anonymised results for the purposes listed above. Only the aggregated and anonymized results will be published.

Will personal data be transferred to a third country or an international organization? Votes cast outside of Germany will be transferred to the Company in Germany in order to process them and no further transfer will be operated. The Company will not transfer personal data to third countries outside the European Economic Area.

How long will my personal data be kept by us? The Company will process and store your personal data for as long as required to fulfil our contractual and legal obligations.

Once the personal data is no longer required to fulfil contractual or legal obligations, it will regularly be erased unless its further processing – for a fixed period of time – is required for the following purposes:

• Fulfilment of commercial- and tax-law related storage obligations,
• The German Commercial Code (HGB), Tax Code (AO), Money Laundering Act (GwG). These laws generally specify storage periods for archiving and documentation purposes ranging from two to ten years.

What are your rights? You have the right to access your personal data, and to request that they are corrected in the event of inaccuracy or deleted in the event that they are no longer necessary in relation to the purposes for which they were collected and processed.

In some cases, you have the right to ask for a restriction of processing, for data portability or to object to processing. Any consent you give to the processing of your personal data by us may be withdrawn at any time. Please note that the withdrawal of consent will only apply for the future. Processing which took place before the withdrawal of consent will not be affected by it.

You may exercise your rights by sending your request by mail at privacy@digame.de.

If you consider that the processing of your personal data constitutes a violation of the data protection law(s), you have the right to lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority, in particular in the Member State of the European Union of your usual place of residence, your place of work or the place where the violation occurred.

How can you contact our Data Protection Officers? If you have any questions or concerns about this Privacy Notice you may contact:

The Company’s Data Protection Officer at privacy@digame.de

EBU’s Data Protection Officer at dpo@ebu.ch

Effective date and Changes. This Privacy Notice is effective from 11 February 2021.

We reserve the right, at our complete discretion, to change, modify, add, or remove portions of this Privacy Notice at any time.

• Albania
• Australia
• Austria
• Azerbaijan
• Belgium (French)
• Belgium (Dutch)
• Croatia
• Cyprus
• Czech Republic
• Denmark
• Estonia
• Finland
• France
• Georgia
• Germany
• Greece
• Iceland
• Ireland
• Israel
• Italy
• Latvia
• Lithuania
• Malta
• Moldova
• Netherlands
• North Macedonia
• Norway
• Poland
• Portugal
• Romania
• Russia
• Serbia
• Slovenia
• Spain
• Sweden
• Switzerland (German)
• Switzerland (French)
• Switzerland (Italian)
• United Kingdom

Voting Procedures 2023. This page covers the voting procedures and rules for the 67th Eurovision Song Contest. To find out how to vote, visit this page.

Voting. In 2023, a number of changes have been made to the voting system at the Eurovision Song Contest.

From this year viewers watching around the world can vote for their favourite songs, alongside those in the participating countries, and determine the outcome of the competition.

There are also changes to how the qualifiers from each Semi-Final will be decided.

All voting is administered by digame, the EBU’s Voting Partner and overseen by E&Y, the Independent Voting Observer.

Audience Voting. For the very first time viewers watching in eligible countries not participating in this year’s competition will also be able to vote in each Semi-Final and the Grand Final.

All viewers in participating and non-participating countries alike can vote using the official Eurovision App or go directly towww.esc.vote– the new voting hub for the Eurovision Song Contest. Both App and website will provide the correct voting method for all eligible countries automatically.

In addition those watching in the participating countries can vote by telephone and/or SMS. Relevant numbers will be displayed on screen by each participating broadcaster and on http://www.esc.vote.

Professional juries. A Professional Jury is appointed by the broadcaster in each of the 37 countries taking part in the competition.

Each Jury consists of 5 members (including a chairperson) with a solid musical/artistic background and relevant professional experience (with proven track record) that justifies their appointment (such as singer, musician, composer, author of lyrics, professional in the TV/radio entertainment field, music critic/expert, dancer, or choreographer).

Each juror shall rank all the competing songs in each show from their least favourite to favourite based on the following criteria:

• – composition and originality of the song,
• – quality of the performance on stage,
• – vocal capacity of the performer(s),
• – overall impression of the act.

The ranks allocated to the individual songs by each Juror are converted into a specific score value from 12 downwards decreasing exponentially; the sum of all score values within a national Jury determines the final national jury ranking. The Top 10 songs with the highest ranks are awarded 1 – 8, 10, and 12 points.

Juries from the participating countries in Semi-Final 1 and Semi-Final 2 (as well as the pre-qualified countries voting in each of the Semi-Finals) will cast their votes, but their votes will not count towards the result of the Semi-Finals unless a valid audience vote has not been recorded or an aggregated substitute result cannot be used. 

The votes from Juries from all 37 participating countries will however be counted in the Grand Final.

Voting in the Semi-Finals. In a change to recent years, only viewers at home will determine the outcome of the two Semi-Finals of the Eurovision Song Contest. 

Viewers in the 15 countries taking part in Semi-Final 1 are eligible to vote alongside three of the countries pre-qualified for the Grand Final – France, Germany, and Italy.

Viewers in the 16 countries taking part in Semi-Final 2 are eligible to vote alongside three of the other countries pre-qualified for the Grand Final – Spain, Ukraine, and the United Kingdom.

Those watching in the participating countries can vote using the official Eurovision Song Contest app, or by telephone and/or SMS. Relevant numbers will be displayed on screen by each participating broadcaster.

Those watching in any other eligible non-participating country can vote via a secure online platform – www.esc.vote

Voting will open after the last song is performed for approximately 15 minutes.

When the vote closes the Top 10 most popular songs in each participating country will be allocated points from 1 to 8, 10 and 12 points.

The 10 songs that have received the most votes from the “Rest Of The World” will be allocated points using the same scale and have the weight of one additional voting country.

The Audience in each participating country will award a total of 58 points (1 – 8, 10 and 12)

The Audience voting online from non-participating countries will also award a total of 58 points (1 – 8, 10 and 12)

In the event that a valid national audience vote cannot be recorded in a participating country the points allocated from that country will be determined using an aggregated result which shall be calculated automatically on the basis of the results of a pre-selected group of countries.

In the unlikely event that an aggregated result is not available, it will be replaced by the results of the National Jury of the country concerned.

When all the points from the Audience are added together the 10 countries with the highest number of points will qualify for the Grand Final.

These countries will be announced in a random order decided by Executive Supervisor of the Eurovision Song Contest at the end of the live broadcast.

The number of points each qualifying country has received in their respective Semi-Final will be published after the Grand Final on eurovision.tv.

Voting in the Grand Final. Viewers in all 37 countries taking part in the Eurovision Song Contest 2023 can vote for the 26 songs in the Grand Final (10 qualifiers from Semi-Final 1 and 2 and THE 6 pre-qualified countries)

Those watching in the participating countries can vote using the official Eurovision Song Contest app, or by telephone and/or SMS. Relevant numbers will be displayed on screen by each participating broadcaster.

Those watching in any other eligible non-participating country can vote via a secure online platform –www.esc.vote

Voting will open after the last song is performed for approximately 40 minutes.

When the vote closes the Top 10 most popular songs in each participating country will be allocated points from 1 to 8, 10 and 12 points.

The 10 songs that have received the most votes from the “Rest Of The World” will be allocated points using the same scale and have the weight of one additional voting country.

The Audience in each participating country will award a total of 58 points (1 – 8, 10 and 12). 37 countries x 58 points = 2,146 points from the national audiences of the participating countries.

The Audience voting online from non-participating countries (Rest of The World) will also award a total of 58 points (1 – 8, 10 and 12).

The total number of points that will be distributed from the Audience will be 2,204 (37 participating countries + 1 Rest of the World “country”).

The Jury in each of the 37 participating countries will also award a total of 58 points (1 – 8, 10 and 12)

Each Jury will watch and cast their votes based on Dress Rehearsal 2 which will take place in the evening of Friday 12 May.

The total number of points that will be distributed by the 37 national Juries will be 2,146.

In the event that a valid national audience vote cannot be recorded in a participating country the points allocated from that country will be determined using an aggregated result which shall be calculated automatically on the basis of the results of a pre-selected group of countries.

In the unlikely event that an aggregated result is not available, it will be replaced by the results of the National Jury of the country concerned.

If a valid Jury result is not recorded in any of the participating countries, the result of the respective national Audience shall be doubled.

At the end of the televoting window, the results of each National Jury will be presented live one by one by a spokesperson in each participating country and appear on a scoreboard.

During this time, the EBU, its Voting Partner and Independent Voting Observer will count and verify the audience results.

After all the Jury points are given, the combined total points from the Audiences of the participating countries and the Rest of the World are presented.

The cumulative points total for each country in the Grand Final is then added to the scoreboard, country by country, beginning with the country that was ranked last by the Jury and working up the scoreboard to the country that was ranked first.

The country at the top of the scoreboard at the end of this sequence is the winner.

In the event of a tie, after all points are distributed from the Audience and Jury vote, the winner shall be the song which has which has obtained the highest rank from all the National Audiences and the ROTW Audience.

PLEASE NOTE: The national Audiences and national Juries cannot vote for the country they represent. The final results Including Audience and Jury results for every participating country and the Rest of The World result will be published on eurovision.tv after the Grand Final.

The Rules of the Contest 2023. The Eurovision Song Contest has a detailed set of Rules, which have been established by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) and are approved by the contest’s governing body, the Reference Group. On this page you can find the public summary of the Rules of the Eurovision Song Contest 2023.

This version of the Rules is provided for the public informational purposes only.

EBU CO PRODUCTION.

1.1 INTERNATIONAL CO PRODUCTION

The Eurovision Song Contest (the “ESC”) is an international co production by broadcasting organisations having the status of Members of the EBU, as defined under the EBU Statutes (the “Members”) which is carried out under the auspices of the European Broadcasting Union (the “EBU”) as part of the television programme exchange known as Eurovision for the benefit of the Participating Broadcasters and of the Host Broadcaster. The EBU appoints an Executive Supervisor (hereafter the “ESC Executive Supervisor”) to supervise the organization of the ESC and the production of the Shows and to oversee ESC operations throughout the year as further detailed under these Rules.

1.2 NUMBER OF PARTICIPATING BROADCASTERS

A maximum of 44 Members shall be allowed to participate (the “Participating Broadcasters”). 

Members from a maximum total of 26 countries shall compete in the Final. 

There shall be six guaranteed places therein, i.e. one for the producing organization, i.e. the Member which has won the preceding edition (the “Host Broadcaster”), and the five Members from France, Germany, Spain, Italy and the United Kingdom (the “Big 5”). Subject to a decision by the EBU in consultation with the Reference Group, the number of guaranteed places in the Final may be modified depending on circumstances. 

Apart from the six broadcasters with guaranteed places, all Participating Broadcasters from a maximum of 38 countries shall compete in one of the Semi-Finals for the remaining places in the Final.

FORMAT.

2.1 LIVE PRIME TIME ENTERTAINMENT SHOWS

The ESC is traditionally composed of three live Shows, two Semi-Finals, on Tuesdays and on Thursdays and one Final taking place on Saturdays taking place annually in May, in the country of the Host Broadcaster. The Acts are performed during the Shows in front of a live audience and the Shows are presented on stage, in both English and French, by the international presenters. 

The Shows are produced and transmitted live by the Host Broadcaster (see the Event Schedule) and are made available over the Eurovision network for live broadcast by the Participating Broadcasters.

Each Show is a state-of-the-art, prime-time entertainment programme, world-class live television production. It consists in a musical competition in which artists entered by the Participating Broadcasters (the “Contestants”) will compete at the ESC by performing on stage live on television, songs (the “Acts”) to represent their respective countries. The Acts are performed one after the other with short sequences (the “Postcards”) in between.

The allocation of the countries to the two Semi-Finals and the position of appearance of the Host Broadcaster in the Final shall be decided by means of draws. 

The outcome of the ESC is decided by the votes casted by the National Audiences and by National Juries appointed in the countries of the Participating Broadcasters.

During the televoting window and the time necessary to calculate the results, there shall be so-called “interval acts” produced by the Host Broadcaster (the “Interval Acts”).

The announcement of the results is generally followed from a so-called “Green Room” by the Contestants having entered the ESC.

National commentary by commentators appointed by each of the Participating Broadcasters is added to the international version of the Shows for broadcast in their respective countries.

2.2 ESC ENTRIES REQUIREMENTS

This Section 2.2 sets out the criteria to be respected in relation to the song and the Act entered into by a Participating Broadcaster. Failure to comply with one or more of these criteria may lead to disqualification.

2.2.1 SELECTION OF THE SONGS

Each song which competes in the ESC shall be selected through a national selection to be organized by each Participating Broadcaster. The national selection is organized under the sole responsibility of the Participating Broadcaster in question.

2.2.2 SONGS REQUIREMENTS

(i) RELEASE DATE

The songs (lyrics and music compositions) submitted to represent the country of each Participating Broadcaster’s country in the ESC must be original and must not have been released and/or publicly performed in part or in full before the Release Date (see the Event Schedule).

In case the song submitted has been made available to the public, for example, but not limited to, on online video platforms, social networks or (semi-) publicly accessible databanks and/or performed publicly, for example but not limited to during concerts, prior to the Release Date the Participating Broadcaster must inform the ESC Executive Supervisor, who shall have authority to evaluate whether the song remains eligible for participation in the Contest. 

In particular, the ESC Executive Supervisor shall assess whether such disclosure prior to the Release Date is likely to give to the song an advantage in the Contest vis-à-vis the other participating songs. 

The ESC Executive Supervisor shall have authority to authorise or deny participation of a song which may have been available to the public as described above. The ESC Executive Supervisor shall consult the Reference Group in case of doubt.

(ii) DURATION

The maximum duration of each song is three minutes. Any song/performance which is longer shall not be eligible to participate and the Participating Broadcaster may be disqualified in case it fails (i) to submit to the EBU a song complying with the requested duration hereunder by the prescribed deadline or (ii) to (have) perform(ed) on stage, a song complying with the requested duration hereunder.

(iii) LANGUAGE

Each Participating Broadcaster is free to decide the language in which its Contestant(s) will sing. […]

2.2.3 PERFORMANCES AT THE ESC

(i) PERFORMANCES IN THE SHOWSThe stage

performance shall be identical in all second (Jury) Dress Rehearsals and during the live Shows. 

(ii) LIVE PERFORMANCES ON STAGE

All songs shall be performed live on stage with a recorded Backing track complying with the requirements listed under par (iii) hereafter. 

The lead singer(s) of the selected song (the “Lead Vocal(s)”) shall perform live on stage only.

• Eventual vocal support(s) for the Lead Vocal(s) (the “Lead Dub(s)”) shall perform live, on stage or off stage, only.
• All other backing vocal(s) performing vocal harmonies (the “Backing Vocals”) may perform either live on stage or off stage and/or on a Backing track compliant to the requirements under par (iii) hereafter.

No on-stage Contestant (whether Lead Vocals, Lead Dubs or Backing Vocals or dancers) shall be allowed to lip-sync (playback) in such a way as to make it appear that they are singing all or most of the song when they actually are not.

Plugging instruments to play live on stage shall not be allowed. 

The Host Broadcaster and the ESC Executive Supervisor shall verify respect for this rule. 

(iii) BACKING TRACKS

The accompanying Backing track may optionally contain Backing Vocals. However, the Backing track in question shall not contain (i) Lead Vocals, (ii) Lead Dubs and/or (iii) any other vocals that would have the effect of, or aim at, replacing or unduly assisting the Lead Vocal(s) during the live performance on stage. 

In case there are live Backing Vocals, on or off stage, as part of the Act, they shall be mixed with the Backing track’s Backing Vocals (if any). […]

2.2.4 CONTESTANTS (ELIGIBILTY CRITERIA)

(i) MAXIMUM NUMBER OF CONTESTANTSE

ach performance may consist of a maximum of six artists on stage. No live animals shall be allowed on stage.

(ii) AGE OF CONTESTANTS

All Contestants and artists competing in a Semi-Final must be aged at least 16 on the day of the Final. All Contestants and artists competing only in the Final must be aged at least 16 on the day of the Final.

(iii) COUNTRY REPRESENTATION

No Contestant and/or artist may compete for more than one country in the ESC in a given year.

2.3 VOTING

The voting is compulsory in all the countries of the Participating Broadcasters. Each Participating Broadcaster shall cooperate with the pan-European voting Partner appointed by the EBU for the televoting and the national jury voting so as to ensure a central control and verification of the results. […]

2.3.1 CENTRALISED TELEVOTING – VOTES OF NATIONAL AUDIENCES

(i) IMPLEMENTATION

In the Semi-Final: All Participating Broadcasters presenting a song in a Semi-Final are obliged to implement the televoting system for that Semi-Final. The six Participating Broadcasters with guaranteed places in the Final shall also implement the televoting system for the Semi-Final which they are required to broadcast.

In the Final: All Participating Broadcasters are obliged to implement the televoting system for the Final.

(ii) MODALITIES

MEANS OF TELEVOTING: Viewers in the countries of the Participating Broadcasters are invited to vote for their favourite songs by means of televoting (votes of the National Audiences by telephone and SMS, including the ESC App).

NO VOTING FOR ITS OWN COUNTRY: Voters must be excluded from voting for the song of their own country of residence, and this must be made known to them.

2.3.2 VOTES OF NATIONAL JURIES(i) IMP

LEMENTATION

In addition to the Televoting, in each participating country, there shall be a National Jury to be appointed by that country’s Participating Broadcaster, unless decided otherwise by the Reference Group, to vote in the Semi-Finals and in the Final. […] the Reference Group may decide to change the jury voting set-up; […]

National Juries shall vote in all countries and in all cases.

In the Semi-Final: All Participating Broadcasters having a Contestant in a Semi-Final shall ensure that a National Jury votes in that Semi-Final. The six Participating Broadcasters with guaranteed places in the Final shall also appoint a National Jury to vote in the Semi-Final which they are required to broadcast.

In the Final: All Participating Broadcasters shall appoint a National Jury to vote in the Final (even if their song is not selected for the Final).

Implementation of the compulsory Televoting shall not exempt any Participating Broadcaster from appointing a National Jury.

The National Juries shall not be allowed to vote for the song of their own country.

(ii) COMPOSITION AND CRITERIA

The composition of the National Jury and the criteria with which the Jury Members shall comply shall be set out under the Official Voting Instructions.

When voting, Jury Members shall use all their professional skill and experience without favouring any Contestant on the account of their nationality, gender or likeliness and shall be free from bias, external influence or pressure.

2.3.3 POINTS

(i) NATIONAL AUDIENCES

In each country, the song which has received the highest number of votes from the National Audience shall be ranked first, the song which has received the second highest number of votes shall be ranked second and so on until the last song.

(ii) NATIONAL JURIES

The national jurors shall rank first their favourite song, second, their second favourite song, third, their third favourite song, and so on until their least favourite song which shall be ranked last. Abstentions are not allowed, except that the song representing the country of the Participating Broadcaster which has appointed the National Jury shall be excluded from the vote. It is not allowed to award the same rank to two different songs.

(iii) AWARD OF THE POINTS

In both Semi-Finals and in the Final, it being for the National Audiences or for the National Juries, the results in each country shall be determined as follows: 

• 12 points shall be allocated to the song having obtained the best rank;
• 10 points to the song having obtained the second-best rank, 
• 8 points to the song having obtained the third-best rank, 
• 7 points to the next, 
• and so on, down to 1 point for the song having obtained the tenth-best rank.

2.4 RESULTS

The points of the National Audiences and of the National Juries shall be combined according to a ratio which is determined by the EBU, subject to the Reference Group approval.

For example, if the ratio is 50-50, the points of the National Jury carry the same weight as the points of the National Audiences.

2.5 PRESENTATION AND ANNOUNCEMENT OF THE RESULTS

The results shall be announced once all songs have been performed, after the televoting window is closed and the results have been calculated.

2.5.1 IN THE SEMI FINALS

In the Semi-Finals, the international presenters shall announce the names of the countries which have qualified from the Semi-Finals for the Final.

2.5.2 IN THE FINAL

The results of the National Juries in each country are announced in turn by the spokesperson of each Participating Broadcaster clearly and distinctly in English or in French, stating the name of the country concerned and the points allocated by its National Jury according to the procedure laid down under the Voting Instructions.

The televoting results of the National Audiences are announced by the International Presenters.

The televoting results of the National Audiences for each song across all participating countries are added progressively to the scoreboard as long as the results are announced. 

The televoting points from the National Audiences from all participating countries are combined with the points of the National Juries, providing one combined score for each song.

At the end of the process, the International Presenters shall announce the winner(s).

The Contestants, song writer(s) and Participating Broadcaster of the winning song(s) in the Final shall receive the ESC Trophy, and the transmission of the Final shall end with a further performance of the winning song(s).

2.5.3 WINNERS

The respective winners of the Semi-Finals and of the Final shall be the song(s) which, according to all information made available to the EBU by the pan-European voting partner, has/have obtained the highest combined number of points once the results of the National Audiences and of the National Juries have been added at the time of announcement of the results. […]

2.6 ESC TITLE AND BRANDING

2.6.1 ESC TITLE

The main title of the Shows is the “Eurovision Song Contest”, followed by the year during which it takes place. 

It shall be used by all broadcasters, although they may instead use a translation into their national language, subject to the approval of the EBU. If the translation is approved, the main title need not be used. Broadcasters are also permitted to include a minor title under the main title, using the name by which the ESC has been known in recent years in their respective countries.

2.6.2 ESC BRANDING AND ESC DISTINCTIVE ELEMENTS

The official Logo of the ESC shall be used by the Participating Broadcasters together with the official Event Artwork designed by the Host Broadcaster (the “ESC Branding”). […]

2.7 RESPECT OF ESC AND EBU VALUES

DEFINITIONS: “EBU Values”: Universality, Independence, Excellence, Diversity, Accountability and Innovation.

“ESC Values”: universality, diversity, equality and inclusivity and proud tradition of celebrating diversity through music.

2.7.1 NON-POLITICAL EVENT

The ESC is a non-political event. All Participating Broadcasters, including the Host Broadcaster, shall be responsible to ensure that all necessary measures are undertaken within in their respective Delegations and teams to safeguard the interests and the integrity of the ESC and to make sure that the ESC shall in no case be politicised and/or instrumentalized and/or otherwise brought into disrepute in any way. 

2.7.2 VALUES AND INTEGRITY

The Participating Broadcasters shall at all times respect the EBU and the ESC Values and take all steps to protect the integrity of the ESC and of the Shows. 

They shall ensure that no contestant, delegation or country is discriminated and/or ridiculed in any manner. […]

THE SHOWS & RIGHTS.

3.2 EXPLOITATION/GRANT OF RIGHTS […]

(i) GRANT OF RIGHTS

The EBU is in exclusive control of all centralised marketing and exploitation of the ESC […]

(ii) DISTRIBUTION LICENSING

All broadcasting and other rights to the Shows and the ESC are exclusively owned by the EBU, to be managed centrally by the EBU on behalf of the Participating Broadcasters.

The EBU shall, in cooperation with an agent if needed, be responsible for coordinating all sales of the Shows (including any ESC content produced by the EBU), in whole or in part, to non-participating broadcasters from countries where rights remain available and to third parties, […]

Non-participating broadcasters are not allowed to broadcast any material from the Shows (rehearsals/preparations, etc.) without the prior written permission of, and without possible payment of a rights fee to, the EBU.

THE SHOWS.

Radio. All Members which are radio organisations shall be granted, free of charge (except for the usual rights payments to national collecting societies), for their territory, the right to broadcast on a linear basis the Shows (live or deferred), in whole or in part, an unlimited number of times until the next ESC, (the celebrity act may have to be excluded for deferred broadcasts taking place 30 days after the Final, if so notified by the EBU). In addition, they are entitled to make available on a non-linear basis until the next ESC audio extracts from the Shows on their fully owned website, as long as no more than 30 seconds per song are used.

Members which are radio organisations but which are not part of a Participating Broadcaster’s organisation and which are located in the country of a Participating Broadcaster which includes both a radio and a television service shall be entitled to broadcast the Shows only if they have obtained the prior written authorization of the Participating Broadcaster in that country.

Radio organisations (other than Members) from countries where rights remain available, may acquire the right to broadcast the Shows on their territory against possible payment of a rights fee.

Radio broadcasters shall not be entitled to sell any sponsorship package in relation to the ESC and/or in relation to their transmission of the Shows. […]

Television and online platforms. Television broadcasters and media organisations from countries where rights remain available may acquire the right to broadcast or otherwise transmit the Shows on their territory on a linear and/or non linear basis against possible payment of a rights fee. In countries where rights remain available, non-participating EBU Members shall have a first option, to be exercised within a deadline set by the EBU, to purchase the Shows for their territory. Depending on the facilities available, non-participating broadcasters from countries where rights remain available may also request the right to send a commentator, and/or a production team, to the ESC. […]

(b) EXTRACTS.

The EBU shall be entitled to grant licences with respect to any extracts from the Shows, and/or from the Dress Rehearsals and/or from the ESC Content produced by the EBU to third parties for inclusion in any audiovisual works or media products or services. […]

(iii) ESC LOGO AND ARTWORK

No commercial or non-commercial entity shall use the logo or other distinctive elements of the ESC or the Shows without the prior written permission of the EBU. […]

3.2.4 FREE ACCESS

Specific Reporting Access Rules for non-rights holders are made available separately by the EBU in advance of the ESC and shall be published on Eurovision.tv.

Each Participating Broadcaster hereby acknowledges and accepts that:

News access for non EVN members

Any broadcaster which does not hold any audiovisual media rights and which is not a Member participating in the Eurovision News Exchange shall be granted, except where national law or regulation provides otherwise, a total of two minutes’ news access from each of the three Shows (or, from any Dress Rehearsal), free of charge for use strictly in regularly-scheduled general news bulletins broadcast within 24 hours of the Semi-Finals and the Final respectively. On-Demand Use of the News Bulletins shall be possible only on Fully Owned Websites (i.e. operated under the editorial control of the Non-Right Holder) for no more than for one month after the Final.

News access for EVN members

Non-rights holder broadcasters which are EVN Members (i.e. an EBU Member participating in the Eurovision News Exchange) shall be granted on a free of charge basis a 3 minutes access from each of the three Shows (or, if requested, from any Dress Rehearsal) to be used strictly in the news context in general current affairs bulletins broadcast within 48 hours of the Semi-Finals and the Final respectively. On-Demand Use of the general current affairs bulletins possible only on Fully Owned Websites (i.e. operated under the editorial control of the Non-Right-Holder) for no more than for one month after the Final.

Accredited Media

All accredited media and International Sponsors shall be free to use any material filmed by them during the press conferences, open rehearsals and certain of the rehearsals in accordance with the specific ESC Access Rules. […]

PREVAILING VERSION OF RULES. These Rules are drafted in English and French. In the event of any inconsistencies between the two versions, the English version shall prevail.