These countries automatically qualify for Eurovision final — and here’s why
Eurovision Song Contest (photo: Getty Images)
Each year, millions of viewers watch the world’s largest song contest, but not everyone knows that some countries qualify directly for the grand final without participating in the semi-finals. This rule has existed for many years and is linked to both financial and organizational factors.
RBC-Ukraine explains the so-called automatic five of the contest and why these countries skip all preliminary stages of the show.
Germany
The country is one of the members of the so-called “Big Five” and therefore has the right to automatically advance to the Eurovision final without participating in or winning the semi-finals.
The “Big Five” refers to the countries that are the largest financial contributors to the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), which organizes the international song contest.
Because of this, Germany automatically secures a place in the final, regardless of its performance in the earlier stages.
United Kingdom
Thanks to the UK’s contributions, a significant part of the costs of hosting Eurovision is covered, as the country is also a member of the “Big Five”.
This rule has existed for many years and is not related to luck, but to the financial and organizational conditions of the contest.
It is worth noting that this year, the sponsor country in Vienna will be represented by performer, instrumentalist, and YouTuber Look Mum No Computer (Sam Battle) with the song “Eins, Zwei, Drei”.
In addition to the countries listed above, automatic spots in the Eurovision 2026 final are also already secured by Italy, Spain, and France. They are also donors to the EBU (European Broadcasting Union).
Money is not everything
Another well-known feature for viewers is that the country that won the contest the previous year also automatically qualifies for the grand final of the next show. Moreover, it also becomes the host nation. This allows it to organize a large-scale event and present it without additional qualification rounds.
In particular, this year Eurovision is being hosted by Austria, as it won the contest in 2025.
It is important to note that despite their privileged status, the results of these countries are not always high. Representatives of the “Big Five” sometimes end up at the bottom of the scoreboard, as in the final, they compete on equal terms with all other participants.
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