Europavision Song Contest 2019

The Europavision Song Contest 2019 was the 2nd edition of the annual Europavision Song Contest. It took place in Bern,, following Luca Hänni's win at the 2018 contest in Odessa, Ukraine with the song "Powder". It was the first time that the contest took place in. The contest was held at the PostFinance Arena, and consisted of two semi-finals on 12 and 14 March, and the final on 16 March 2019. The three live shows were hosted by Luca Hänni, Michael von der Heide, Michelle Hunziker and Tamara Sedmak.

Forty-three countries participated in the contest. withdrew due to financial issues whilst and  withdrew based on bad results. No countries debuted this time.

The winner was with the song "Forgive Me Friend", performed by Smith & Thell, and written by themselves. is the second winner of the contest and will host the Europavision Song Contest 2020. finished in last place with 17 points. The EBU reported that the contest had a worldwide audience of around 145 million viewers.

Venue
PostFinance Arena (originally known as Eisstadion Allmend and Bern Arena) is an arena in Bern, Switzerland. It is primarily used for ice hockey and is the home arena of SC Bern. It was built in 1967 and currently accommodates 17,031 people. A characteristic of the PostFinance Arena is that it has the world's largest standing room grandstand within an arena, with a capacity of 10,422 bench seats.

Switzerland
Switzerland is a mountainous Central European country, home to numerous lakes, villages and the high peaks of the Alps. Its cities contain medieval quarters, with landmarks like capital Bern’s Zytglogge clock tower and Lucerne’s wooden chapel bridge. The country is also known for its ski resorts and hiking trails. Banking and finance are key industries, and Swiss watches and chocolate are world renowned.

Bern
Bern, the capital city of Switzerland, is built around a crook in the Aare River. It traces its origins back to the 12th century, with medieval architecture preserved in the Altstadt (Old Town). The Swiss Parliament and diplomats meet in the Neo-Renaissance Bundeshaus (Federal Palace). The Französische Kirche (French Church) and the nearby medieval tower known as the Zytglogge both date to the 13th century.

The Gothic Cathedral of Bern has 15th-century stained glass windows and views over the Altstadt’s red roofs from its commanding spire. Across the Kirchenfeldbrücke – one of 18 bridges over the Aare – the Bern Historical Museum incorporates an Einstein Museum dedicated to the famous physicist and former city resident. Works by 20th-century artist Paul Klee are the focus of Zentrum Paul Klee, a modern museum with an undulating roof designed by Renzo Piano. The Kunstmuseum spans European art history. Bears, a mascot of the city, can be viewed in their riverside habitat, BärenPark.

Semi-final allocation draw
The draw to determine the allocation of the participating countries into their respective semi-finals took place at Column Hall on 12 November 2018, hosted by Luca Hänni and Tamara Sedmak. The thirty-seven semi-finalists had been allocated into six pots, based on historical voting patterns as calculated by the contest's official televoting partner Digame. Drawing from different pots helps to reduce the chance of so-called "bloc voting" and increase suspense in the semi-finals.

Rules and Voting.
 * The singer must have connection with the country.
 * The song can't be overused and worldchart.
 * The song can't be cover or instrumental.
 * All competing countries are obliged to vote in their own semi final. Failing to do so will result in a disqualification of the entry and risk to lose their spot in the final.
 * The automically qualified countries were assigned one semi final they are obliged to vote in.
 * There will be 10 qualifiers from each semi final.

Semi-final 1
The first semi-final took place on 12 March 2019 at 20:00. Nineteen countries participated in the first semi-final. Those countries, plus, , and the voted in this semi-final. The highlighted countries qualified for the final.

Semi-final 2
The second semi-final took place on 14 March 2019 at 20:00. Eighteen countries participated in the second semi-final. Those countries, plus, , and voted in this semi-final. The highlighted countries qualified for the final.

Final
The final took place on 16 March 2019 at 20:00 WEST (21:00 CEST). Twenty-six countries participated in the final, with all 43 participating countries eligible to vote. The running order for the final was revealed after the press conference of the second semi-final qualifiers on 11 July.