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Baku hosts Eurovision Running Order Draw, Azerbaijan to perform 13th
Baku, March 21 (AZERTAC). Thirty-six Semi-Finalists, the so-called Big 5 countries - France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the UK - and the host nation, Azerbaijan were anxiously awaiting the results of the draw for the 2012 Eurovision Song Contest which took place in Baku. Azerbaijan`s Sabina Babayeva will perform 13th.
The running order draw is considered important for a good placing in the Eurovision Song Contest, that`s why lots of TV-people, journalists and fans were nervously awaiting for the event to know on which position would their country perform in Baku.
Spots at the very end of the draw are usually preferred, but during the years, songs with a low starting position have done well, too, so no general statement about the outcome is possible.
Earlier this year, the participating Semi-Finalists were already drawn either in the first or the second half of either Semi-Final 1 or Semi-Final 2.
In each half of every respective Semi-Final, one country received a wildcard to choose its starting position. The remaining positions were drawn afterwards. The draw for the first Semi-Final: Montenegro
Iceland, Greece, Latvia, Albania, Romania, Switzerland, Belgium, Finland (wildcard), Israel, San Marino
Cyprus, Denmark, Russia, Hungary, Austria, Moldova, Ireland (wildcard).
The draw for the second Semi-Final brought the following result: Serbia, Macedonia, the Netherlands, Malta, Belarus, Portugal, Ukraine (wildcard), Bulgaria, Slovenia, Croatia, Sweden, Georgia, Turkey, Estonia, Slovakia, Norway, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Lithuania (wildcard).
For the Grand Final, the starting positions of the Big 5 countries (Italy, France, Germany, Spain, and The United Kingdom) plus the host, Azerbaijan, were also drawn, with one of them, again, getting a wildcard to freely choose their starting position: 01. United Kingdom, 09. France, 10. Italy, 13. Azerbaijan, 19. Spain (wildcard), 20. Germany.
The rest of the Final spots will be drawn at the winners` press conference right after the Semi-Finals` results are known.
The 2012 Eurovision Song Contest will take place with two Semi-Finals on the 22nd and 24th of May and with the Grand Final following up on the 26th.