Fans who follow Eurovision every year know that Spain has not performed in the semi finals in recent editions. This year, the presentation aired on TVE for the first time. In this edition of the Eurovision Song Contest, a brief clip aired yesterday featuring the Spanish representative, Blanca Paloma, yet Spain did not participate in the semi finals. Many viewers wonder why a country can reach the Eurovision final without advancing through the semi finals. This piece explains how the Eurovision system works and why some nations enjoy a direct pass to the final.
Privilege of Eurovision: Big Five
The reality is that a handful of countries have long enjoyed privileges that effectively grant direct access to the final. The group known as the Big Five includes Spain, Italy, the United Kingdom, Germany, and France. These nations are guaranteed a place in the grand final each year.
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Beyond these privileged nations, there is a sixth participant that sometimes enters the final by rule: the previous year’s winner. In this case, Italy holds the title of winner for various editions, and its status as part of the Big Five can influence its pathway, though specifics have varied over time.
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What does it take for a country to join the Big Five? Simply, it is a matter of financial contribution. The members of the Big Five are the nations that provide the largest funding to the European Broadcasting Union for the festival each year.
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During those years when other regions faced changes, the presence of the Big Five or Big Four sometimes affected the routing to the final. In some editions, reduced participation from certain countries led to debates about fairness and system balance.
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History of the Big Five at Eurovision
The idea of granting direct access to the final began to take shape in the mid-1990s, anchored in the financial contributions to the festival. In some early years, the balance of the final route caused controversy when a Big Five member faced semi final exclusion.
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As the competition evolves, the largest financial contributors retain a seat in the event. The Big Five nations also have the right to vote in one semi final, and the host country participates under the same framework.