Why are these countries called the ‘Big Five’? Well, we have the answer.
Scott Mills and Rylan will be presenting this year’s Eurovision semi-finals on behalf of the UK.(Image: BBC)
It is the first semi-final of the Eurovision Song Contest 2025, and the first set of 15 countries are battling it out to compete in the grand final this Saturday, May 17. For those of you familiar with the competition, you may be aware of how it is structured annually, but for those of you who are new to the wonderfully mad world of Eurovision, firstly, welcome, and secondly you have a lot to learn.
You may be thinking to yourself who are “The Big Five” and why do they automatically qualify for the grand final of the biggest music competition in the whole of Europe.
Well, let us start with the basics. The Eurovision Allocation Draw. For the latest TV and showbiz gossip sign up to our newsletter.
What is the Eurovision Allocation Draw?
Due to the large number of participating countries, the European Broadcasting Union splits them into two semi-finals using an Allocation Draw. This year’s first semi-final features 15 different countries, whilst 16 others will compete in the second semi-final this Thursday, May 15.
The official Eurovision Song Contest website details the selection process: “The countries that will take part in the semi-finals are divided into pots based on their historic voting patterns and then chosen at random to compete in either the first or second semi-final.”
This procedure ensures that nations with a history of exchanging votes are less likely to be in the same semi-final, thereby heightening the suspense during the live broadcasts. The sorting of countries into pots is sanctioned by both the contest’s executive supervisor for the EBU and the chairman of the Reference Group, which governs the contest.
This year, in the UK the semi finals are being presented by Scott Mills and Rylan. They will air live on BBC One and BBC iPlayer at 8pm tonight, Tuesday, May 13 and on Thursday, May 15.
Who are “The Big Five”?
Viewers watching tonight’s event might question why France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and the United Kingdom are given a pass straight to the final. These nations are referred to as the “Big Five” and, along with the Host Country (aka the winner of the year previous), they automatically advance to the Grand Final.
Nevertheless, the Allocation Draw will determine which semi-final these countries can participate in regarding voting rights.
The concept of the Big Five in Eurovision is detailed by the competition’s official website, which clarifies: “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.”
2023’s Eurovision Song Contest was an exception to the rule, as Ukraine joined the United Kingdom in automatically qualifying for the Grand Final due to the UK hosting the contest in place of the 2022 Eurovision winner, Ukraine, as a result of war with Russia.
This year, Switzerland will automatically qualify for the grand final as they are hosting the competition in Basel this year following their act Nemo winning the competition last year.
This means that the confirmed acts for this year’s competition so far include Spain’s entry, Melody, Germany’s entry, Abor & Tynna, France’s entry, Louane, Italy’s entry, Lucio Corsi, Switzerland’s entry Zoë Më, and not forgetting the United Kingdom’s entry, Remember Monday.
Earlier this year the BBC officially announced that Remember Monday would be representing the United Kingdom with their song, What The Hell Just Happened? The trio comprise of Lauren Byrne, Holly-Anne Hull, and Charlotte Steele who are best friends who met in sixth form.