Israel was scooped to death in the Eurovision 2020 semifinals

It is still unclear who will represent us on stage in Rotterdam, but today it is decided which countries we will have to move to qualify for - and it seems difficult, even very difficult

Israel was scooped to death in the Eurovision 2020 semifinals

The opening shot for the Eurovision 2020 was shot (Tuesday) in Rotterdam, with the lottery taking part in the two semifinals. Israel will participate in the second part of the first semi-final, to be held on May 12 in Rotterdam Ahoy. It is not yet known which of the children of the "Last Star for Eurovision" represented us, but today it is determined that he or she will face the representatives of Northern Macedonia, Belarus, Lithuania, Sweden, Slovenia, Australia, Ireland, Russia, Norway, Cyprus, Croatia, Azerbaijan Geneva, Malta, Ukraine, Romania and Belgium.

This is a tough lottery because these semifinals will feature very strong countries, including Sweden, Russia, Norway, Australia, Ukraine and Azerbaijan - countries that almost always qualify for the finals.

The second semi-final will take place on May 14 and the competition is expected to be less quality. They will face Austria, Moldova, Poland, San Marino, Serbia, Iceland, Czech Republic, Greece, Estonia, Denmark, Bulgaria, Switzerland, Finland, Armenia, Latvia, Georgia, Portugal and Albania.

The twenty countries that make it through to the semi-finals will join Italy, Britain, Germany, Spain and France - known as the Big 5. In addition, of course, the host Netherlands will also skip straight to the finals. Italy, Germany and the Netherlands will vote in the first semi-final, Britain, Spain and France will vote in the second semi-final. The final will take place on Saturday, May 16, as usual at 22:00, Israel time, and will be broadcast here 11. We will also be there, deliver live reports and wish the Israeli representative to bring Israel a sixth consecutive final and place as high as possible.

After the dramatic change: Here's how to save "The Next Star"

It will be difficult to surpass us. Eurovision 2019 in Tel Aviv (screenshot)

The 2019 Eurovision held in Tel Aviv and broadcast here was selected as the best Eurovision show of the last decade in the international ESC best of the decade competition, as announced in the competition's official Instagram account (Photo: screenshot)

As every year, the traditional Eurovision keys from last year's host city, Tel Aviv, to the new host, Rotterdam, also took place. Tel Aviv was represented by Deputy Mayor Tzipi Brand Frank, who said hosting the Eurovision had a huge impact on the city. "It was the biggest event ever in Israel. We had no such thing before," she stated, adding: "We brought the special flavor of Tel Aviv, the high-tech scene, and won the most successful Eurovision award in the last decade." She then added the City of Tel Aviv to the bundle of keys from previous years, which has already reached thirty pounds.

Assi Ezer, Bar Refaeli, Erez Tal, and Lucy Job will replace Jan Smit, Chantal Jansen, and Adesilia Rumblei, who represented the Netherlands twice at Eurovision: for the first time in 1998, when she faced Dana International and finished in fourth place. In 2007, she returned to the competition and finished 21st in the lone semifinal then, three places above our Teapacks, and everyone could only watch the finals on television.

During the Dutch lottery, they honored some past winners and showed them their winning moment, including Izhar Cohen, who said: "I was song number 18. In Hebrew 18 it is 'live', a word that brings a lot of luck in Israel."

"It was the biggest event ever in Israel." Eurovision 2019 in Tel Aviv (screenshot)

Eurovision 2019 Tel Aviv (Photo: AP)

And what's next?

Wait a minute, but you didn't say what song number the Israeli song would be

Right. The lottery today only divided the states into the semi-finals, and in what part each will appear. Legend has it that it is better to appear in the second part, because by the time the soul comes out and who ever remembers the first songs. The order of the songs is determined by the Eurovision production only after all the songs are set. This is expected to happen in late March or early April. The production realizes that this is a TV show that should keep you awake, trying to prevent a succession of dreary ballads or too many circus songs one by one.

Israel is low on gambling - and it really doesn't matter

One of the things we like to deal with is gambling agencies. Although only one single song has been published today, Albania's almost annual screaming show, but to the agencies it does not bother to give a preliminary forecast. Israel ranks 35th, but since no competitor is known yet, it really doesn't matter. At least Albania ranks even lower, ranking 37th. Italy, Russia, Sweden, Malta, and Norway lead the list at this point, but if we don't emphasize it enough - at this point it is of no importance other than cheap entertainment.

Where does Eurovision 2020 take place?

Just like last year, this year Eurovision is also held in a city that is not the host country's capital. Although Amsterdam has public transport on Saturday, it gave up hospitality very quickly. They reached Maastricht and Rotterdam, which won the final stage in the competition for hospitality. Along the way, she overcame Utrecht, Arnhem, and Dan Boss.

When will the Eurovision take place?

The first semi-final will take place on Tuesday, May 12, the second half on Thursday, May 14, and the final on Saturday, May 16. All transmitters start at 22:00 Israel time.

This time we will not automatically qualify. Kobe Marimi at Eurovision 2019 (Photo: PR)

Kobe Merrimi cries at end of Eurovision performance (Photo: screenshot)

How many countries are participating in Eurovision 2020?

41 countries will participate in Eurovision this year, as were the number of participants in Tel Aviv last year, but not in the same lineup. Ukraine and Bulgaria return after a hiatus, Montenegro and Hungary are retiring. While Montenegro will not miss many in the competition, it is worth reading what Alon Amir wrote about Hungarian retirement.

Where to buy Eurovision tickets?

The first round of sales is already behind us. If you're an amateur, addict, or just coming to the Netherlands in May - don't worry, the second round of tickets will take place on Thursday, January 30 at 1:00 PM Israel time. All in all, there are nine shows: Returns of Judges, Returns of Families, and the show itself for each of the finals and finals. It is recommended that you purchase tickets only on the official site and not on the spot.

How much does a ticket cost?

This year's tickets are cheaper than last year. The most expensive tickets to the final cost this year are € 258.50, less than NIS 990, compared with NIS 1,700 last year and NIS 2,000 for the VIP complex. We have already seen prices at the speculator sites ranging from € 650-1,500 (up to NIS 5,720), so we recommend that you buy only on the official website.

Are you also traveling to Rotterdam this year? Did you manage to find a hotel or apartment at a reasonable price? Who do you think should win the next star? Tell us in the comments?

Where the government is homophobic, it is no wonder that Hungary is also retiring from the Eurovision