Eurovision Song Contest 2017

Eurovision Song Contest 2017
Celebrate Diversity
Dates
Semi-final 1	9 May 2017
Semi-final 2	11 May 2017
Final	13 May 2017
Host
Venue	International Exhibition Centre, Kiev, Ukraine
Presenter(s)	Oleksandr Skichko Volodymyr Ostapchuk Timur Miroshnychenko
Directed by	Troels Lund (da) Alexander Kolb Ladislaus Kiraly
Executive supervisor	Jon Ola Sand
Executive producer	Pavlo Hrytsak
Host broadcaster	National Public Broadcasting Company of Ukraine (UA:PBC)
Opening act	Semi-final 1: "Spinning" performed by Monatik Semi-final 2: Eurovision Medley performed by Oleksandr Skichko and Volodymyr Ostapchuk Final: The 26 participants of the 2017 Eurovision Song Contest were introduced in the traditional flag ceremony
Interval act	Semi-final 1: "1944" and "Zamanyly" performed by Jamala, Verka Serduchka video - part 1 Semi-final 2: Apache CREW performing The Children's Courtyard, Verka Serduchka video - part 2 Final: "It's Magical" performed by Ruslana, ONUKA & NAOFI (National Academic Orchestra of Folk Instruments of Ukraine), "I Believe in U" performed by Jamala together with Anna Kuksa, Naile Ibraimova and Kemi Oke
Participants
Number of entries	42
Debuting countries	None
Returning countries	Portugal  Romania
Withdrawing countries	Bosnia and Herzegovina  Russia
Participation map[hide]      Participating countries     Did not qualify from the semi final     Countries that participated in the past but not in 2017
Vote
Voting system	Each country awards two sets of 12, 10, 8–1 points to their 10 favourite songs: one from their professional jury and the other from televoting.
Nul points	None
Winning song	Portugal "Amar pelos dois"
← 2016 Eurovision Song Contest 2018 →

The Eurovision Song Contest 2017 was the 62nd edition of the Eurovision Song Contest. It took place in the International Exhibition Centre in Kiev, Ukraine, following Ukraine's victory at the 2016 contest in Stockholm with the song "1944", written and performed by Jamala. This was the second time the contest took place in Kiev, after 2005, as well as the fourth Eurovision event, after the Junior Eurovision Song Contest in 2009 and 2013. The contest consisted of two semi-finals on 9 and 11 May, and a final on 13 May 2017. All three live shows were hosted by Oleksandr Skichko, Volodymyr Ostapchuk and Timur Miroshnychenko.

Forty-two countries participated in the contest. Portugal and Romania returned to the contest after a year's absence, while Bosnia and Herzegovina withdrew on financial grounds. Russia had originally planned to participate, but announced their withdrawal on 13 April 2017, after their representative, Yulia Samoylova, was banned from entering Ukraine by virtue of having travelled directly from Russia to Crimea in 2015, a region that was annexed by Russia in 2014, to give a performance, which is illegal under Ukrainian law.

The winner was Portugal with the song "Amar pelos dois" (Loving For The Both of Us), performed by Salvador Sobral, and written by his sister Luísa Sobral. This was Portugal's first win – and first top five placing – in 53 years of participation, the longest winless run by a country in Eurovision history. It was also the first winning song entirely performed in a country's native language since Serbia's "Molitva" in 2007, and the first winner written in triple metre since Ireland's "The Voice" in 1996. Additionally, this was the second consecutive year in which a returning country won the contest following Ukraine's victory in 2016. The top three countries – Portugal, Bulgaria and Moldova – all achieved the highest position in their Eurovision history, while host country Ukraine received its worst placing to date in a Eurovision final. The EBU reported that 182 million viewers worldwide watched the contest, 22 million fewer than the 2016 record.