The EBU confirms rumours about the semifinals
The EBU confirms rumours about the semifinals! What began as an accidental leak has now been officially confirmed. Martin Green, managing director of the Eurovision Song Contest, has stated that a new format for announcing the semi-final qualifiers will be introduced this year in Basel. The European Broadcasting Union (EBU) had planned to unveil the change during the live shows, but a rehearsal script aired by a Swiss broadcaster revealed the new procedure ahead of schedule.
The leak came during a routine rehearsal by Swiss broadcaster SRF, which inadvertently aired brief shots of the script during a news segment. Pages of the rundown showed the structure of the semi-final qualifiers segment, revealing the new sequence before the EBU had made an official announcement.
How the New Format Works
The traditional method of revealing the ten finalists — one by one, in random order — will be replaced by a phased system. In each round, three countries will be shown together on screen. The presenter will then announce which of the three has qualified for the Grand Final.
The remaining two are not eliminated at that point but stay “in play” for later announcements. This process will repeat nine times. The tenth and final qualifier will still be revealed individually, preserving a familiar and dramatic ending to the segment.
All Eyes on the Live Broadcast
The confirmation puts an end to speculation and marks a rare mid-season revelation of a format change. With the first semi-final just days away, the Eurovision community will now watch closely to see how the new reveal system translates to the live broadcast — and how it shapes the emotional landscape of this year’s contest.
