Eurovision Song Contest 2017 facts for kids
The Eurovision Song Contest 2017 was the 62nd time this big music competition happened. It took place in Kiev, Ukraine. Ukraine got to host it because Jamala won the year before with her song "1944" in Stockholm, Sweden.
This was the second time Ukraine hosted the contest, the first being in 2005. The shows were held over several days: the first semifinal was on Tuesday, May 9, the second semifinal on Thursday, May 11, and the grand final was on Saturday, May 13.
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Where the Contest Happened
The contest was held at the International Exhibition Centre in Kiev. This large building can hold about 13,000 people. It was specially prepared for the big event.
Many cities wanted to host the contest. These included:
Countries Not Taking Part in 2017
Some countries decided not to join the contest in 2017 for different reasons:
Bosnia and Herzegovina: Their TV company, BHRT, said they didn't have enough money. They had returned in 2016 thanks to sponsors, but couldn't find funding this time.
Kazakhstan: This country became a member of the EBU (the group that organizes Eurovision) in 2016. People thought they might join for the first time, but they weren't on the list of countries for 2017. No reason was given.
Luxembourg: Luxembourg announced they wouldn't return. They last took part in 1993. They have been away from the contest for the longest time compared to other past participants.
Turkey: Turkey's TV company, TRT, said they weren't happy with the voting system and the rules for the "Big-5" countries. Turkey hasn't been in the contest since 2013.
Slovakia: Slovakia's TV company, RTVS, also said they wouldn't return. They last participated in 2012.
Artists Who Returned
Some singers had been in the Eurovision Song Contest before. In 2017, they came back to represent their country again, or in a different role like a backing singer:
| Country | Artist | Participated before in... |
|---|---|---|
 Estonia |
Koit Toome | 1998 |
| Laura | 2005 | |
 Israel |
Imri Ziv | 2015, 2016 (as a backing singer) |
 Moldova |
SunStroke Project | 2010 |
 Serbia |
Tijana Bogićević | 2011 (as a backing singer) |
 Slovenia |
Omar Naber | 2005 |
Semi-Finals
Portugal and Romania returned to the contest after not taking part the year before. In total, 43 countries participated in 2017.
First Semi-Final
The first semi-final was on Tuesday, May 9, 2017. There were 18 countries competing. The 10 countries that received the most votes moved on to the Grand Final.
Italy, Spain, and the United Kingdom also voted in this semi-final.
| # | Country | Artist | Song | Language | Translation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| First Half (1-9) | |||||
| 04 |  Albania |
Lindita Halimi | "World" | English | |
| 03 |  Australia |
Isaiah Firebrace | "Don´t Come Easy" | English | |
| 08 |  Azerbaijan |
DiHaj | "Skeletons" | English | |
| 05 |  Belgium |
Blanche | "City Lights" | English | |
| 07 |  Finland |
Norma John | "Blackbird" | English | |
| 02 |  Georgia |
Tako | "Keep The Faith" | English | |
| 06 |  Montenegro |
Slavko Kalezić | "Space" | English | |
| 09 |  Portugal |
Salvador Sobral | "Amar pelos dois" | Portuguese | To love by the two |
| 01 |  Sweden |
Robin Bengtsson | "I Can´t Go On" | English | |
| Second Half (10-18) | |||||
| 16 |  Armenia |
Artsvik | "Fly With Me" | English | |
| 15 |  Cyprus |
Hovig | "Gravity" | English | |
| 14 |  Czech Republic |
Martina Bárta | "My Turn" | English | |
| 10 |  Greece |
Demy | "This Is Love" | English | |
| 13 |  Iceland |
Svala | "Paper" | English | |
| 18 |  Latvia |
Triana Park | "Line" | English | |
| 12 | Moldova |
SunStroke Project | "Hey Mamma" | English | |
| 11 |  Poland |
Kasia Mos | "Flashlight" | English | |
| 17 | Slovenia |
Omar Naber | "On My Way" | English | |
Second Semi-Final
The second semi-final happened on Thursday, May 11, 2017. There were 19 countries competing. Again, the 10 countries with the most votes qualified for the Grand Final.
France, Germany, and Ukraine also voted in this semi-final.
| Draw | Country | Artist | Song | Language | Translation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| First Half (1-10) | |||||
| 02 |  Austria |
Nathan Trent | "Walking On Air" | English | |
| 08 |  Denmark |
Anja Nissen | "Where I Am" | English | |
| 07 |  Hungary |
Joci Pápai | "Origo" | Hungarian, Romani | Origin |
| 09 |  Ireland |
Brendan Murray | "Dying To Try" | English | |
| 04 |  Malta |
Claudia Faniello | "Breathlessly" | English | |
| 06 |  Netherlands |
OG3NE | "Lights And Shadows" | English | |
| 03 |  Macedonia |
Jana Burčeska | "Dance Alone" | English | |
| 05 |  Romania |
Ilinca feat. Alex Florea | "Yodel It!" | English | |
| 01 | Serbia |
Tijana Bogićević | "In Too Deep" | English | |
| Second Half (10-19) | |||||
| 14 |  Belarus |
NAVI | "Historyja majho žyccia" | Belarussian | Story of my life |
| 15 |  Bulgaria |
Kristian Kostov | "Beautiful Mess" | English | |
| 11 |  Croatia |
Jacques Houdek | "My Friend" | English, Italian | |
| 17 | Estonia |
Koit Toome & Laura | "Verona" | English | |
| 18 | Israel |
Imri Ziv | "I Feel Alive" | English | |
| 16 |  Lithuania |
Fusedmarc | "Rain Of Revoltuion" | English | |
| 12 |  Norway |
JOWST feat. Aleksander Walmann | "Grab The Moment" | English | |
| 10 |  San Marino |
Valentina Monetta & Jimmie Wilson | "Spirit Of The Night" | English | |
| 13 |  Switzerland |
Timebelle | "Apollo" | English | |
Big-Five and Host Country
Some countries automatically qualify for the Grand Final. These are known as the "Big-5" because they contribute the most money to the contest. The host country also gets a direct spot in the final.
| Country | Artist | Song | Language | Translation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 France |
Alma | "Requiem" | French, English | - |
 Germany |
Levina | "Perfect Life" | English | |
 Italy |
Francesco Gabbani | "Occidentali´s Karma" | Italian | |
 Spain |
Manel Navarro | "Do It For Your Lover" | English, Spanish | |
 Ukraine |
O.Torwald | "Time" | English | |
 United Kingdom |
Lucie Jones | "Never Give Up On You" | English |
Other Interesting Facts
- The head of Ukraine's TV company, Zurab Alasania, left his job because he was unhappy with the government's budget for the broadcaster. A large part of their money for 2017 had to be spent on Eurovision.
- For the first time ever, Russia was placed in the second semi-final. Before this, they had always been in the first semi-final since these shows began.
- Belarus was represented by a song in the Belarussian language for the very first time.
- Christer Björkmann, a TV producer from Sweden who worked on past Eurovision contests, joined the Ukrainian team to help produce the show.
- Also for the first time, the contest was hosted only by men.
Images for kids
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International Exhibition Centre, Kyiv - host venue of the 2017 contest
-
Hosts Volodymyr Ostapchuk and Oleksandr Skichko (from rehearsal)
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Cover art of the official album
.JPG)
See also
In Spanish: Festival de la Canción de Eurovisión 2017 para niños
