Editing Eurovision Song Contest (section)

== Expansion of the contest ==
{{Further|List of countries in the Eurovision Song Contest}}
{{multiple image
 | width = 280
 | footer = [[Revolutions of 1989|Changes in Europe in the 1980s and 1990s]] impacted the contest, as {{Esccnty|Yugoslavia}} ceased participating under one name and new countries in Central and Eastern Europe started competing.
 | image1 = Eurovision Participants 1992.svg
 | alt1 = Map of countries in Europe, North Africa and Western Asia showing boundaries in 1992; contest participants in 1992 are coloured in green, with Yugoslavia coloured in red.
 | caption1 = {{center|Participating countries in {{Escyr|1992}}; [[Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia|Yugoslavia]] (in red) participated for the final time}}
 | image2 = Regular Participants 1994.svg
 | alt2 = Map of countries in Europe, North Africa and Western Asia showing boundaries in 1994; contest participants in 1994 are coloured in green
 | caption2 = {{center|Participating countries in {{Escyr|1994}}}}
}}
From the original seven countries which entered the first contest in 1956, the number of competing countries has steadily grown over time. 18 countries participated in the contest's tenth edition in 1965, and by 1990, 22 countries were regularly competing each year.<ref name="Naples 65" /><ref name="Zagreb 90">{{Cite web |title=Eurovision Song Contest: Zagreb 1990 |url=https://eurovision.tv/event/zagreb-1990 |access-date=27 February 2021 |publisher=Eurovision Song Contest}}</ref>

Besides slight modifications to the voting system and other contest rules, no fundamental changes to the contest's format were introduced until the early 1990s, when [[Revolutions of 1989|events in Europe in the late 1980s and early 1990s]] led to the [[breakup of Yugoslavia]], with the subsequent admission into the EBU of the broadcasters of the countries that emerged from the breakup, and to the merger in 1993 of the EBU with its Eastern European counterpart, the [[International Radio and Television Organisation]] (OIRT), which further expanded the number of broadcasters by including those from countries of the former [[Eastern Bloc]]. These events impacted the contest as they expanded the number of broadcasters eligible to participate with those from new countries.<ref>{{Cite book |url=https://www.ebu.ch/CMSimages/en/dossiers_1_04_eurovision50_ve_tcm6-13890.pdf |title=50 Years of Eurovision |date=2004 |publisher=[[European Broadcasting Union]] |pages=32–33 |access-date=1 July 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050129162217/https://www.ebu.ch/CMSimages/en/dossiers_1_04_eurovision50_ve_tcm6-13890.pdf |archive-date=29 January 2005 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

=== Pre-selections and relegation ===
Broadcasters from 29 countries registered to take part in the 1993 contest, a figure the EBU considered unable to fit reasonably into a single television show. A pre-selection method was subsequently introduced for the first time in order to reduce the number of competing entries, with the seven new countries from [[Central and Eastern Europe]] participating in {{lang|sl|[[Kvalifikacija za Millstreet]]}}, held in [[Ljubljana]], Slovenia, one month before the event. Following a vote amongst the seven competing countries, {{Esccnty|Bosnia and Herzegovina}}, {{Esccnty|Croatia}} and {{Esccnty|Slovenia}} were chosen to head to the contest in [[Millstreet]], Ireland, whilst {{Esccnty|Estonia}}, {{Esccnty|Hungary}}, {{Esccnty|Romania}} and {{Esccnty|Slovakia}} were forced to wait another year before being allowed to compete for the first time.<ref name="Millstreet 93">{{Cite web |title=Eurovision Song Contest: Millstreet 1993 |url=https://eurovision.tv/event/millstreet-1993 |access-date=1 July 2020 |publisher=Eurovision Song Contest}}</ref>{{sfn|O'Connor|2010|pp=132–135; 219}} A new [[Promotion and relegation|relegation system]] was introduced for entry into the 1994 contest, with the lowest-placed countries being forced to sit out the following year's event to be replaced by countries which had not competed in the previous contest. The bottom seven countries in 1993 were required to miss the following year's contest, and were replaced by the four unsuccessful countries in {{lang|sl|Kvalifikacija za Millstreet}} and new entries from {{Esccnty|Lithuania}}, {{Esccnty|Poland}}, and {{Esccnty|Russia}}.<ref name="Millstreet 93" /><ref name="Dublin 94">{{Cite web |title=Eurovision Song Contest: Dublin 1994 |url=https://eurovision.tv/event/dublin-1994 |access-date=1 July 2020 |publisher=Eurovision Song Contest}}</ref>{{sfn|O'Connor|2010|pp=136–139}}

This system was used again in 1994 for qualification for the {{Escyr|1995||1995 contest}}, but a new system was introduced for the {{Escyr|1996||1996 contest}}, when an audio-only qualification round was held in the months before the contest in [[Oslo]], Norway; this system was primarily introduced in an attempt to appease Germany, one of Eurovision's biggest markets and financial contributors, which would have otherwise been relegated under the previous system.<ref name="Oslo 96">{{Cite web |title=Eurovision Song Contest: Oslo 1996 |url=https://eurovision.tv/event/oslo-1996 |access-date=1 July 2020 |publisher=Eurovision Song Contest}}</ref>{{sfn|O'Connor|2010|pp=144–147}} 29 countries competed for 22 places in the main contest alongside the automatically qualified Norwegian hosts. However, Germany would ultimately still miss out, and joined Hungary, Romania, Russia, {{Esccnty|Denmark}}, {{Esccnty|Israel}}, and {{Esccnty|North Macedonia|t=Macedonia}} as one of the seven countries to be absent from the Oslo contest.<ref name="Oslo 96" />{{sfn|O'Connor|2010|pp=144–147}} {{asof|2024}} this is the only contest Germany has not participated in. For the {{Escyr|1997||1997 contest}}, a similar relegation system to that used between 1993 and 1995 was introduced, with each country's average scores in the preceding five contests being used as a measure to determine which countries would be relegated.<ref name="Dublin 97">{{Cite web |title=Eurovision Song Contest: Dublin 1997 |url=https://eurovision.tv/event/dublin-1997 |access-date=1 July 2020 |publisher=Eurovision Song Contest}}</ref>{{sfn|O'Connor|2010|pp=148–151}} This was subsequently changed again in 2001, back to the same system used between 1993 and 1995 where only the results from that year's contest would count towards relegation.<ref name="Copenhagen 01">{{Cite web |title=Eurovision Song Contest: Copenhagen 2001 |url=https://eurovision.tv/event/copenhagen-2001 |access-date=1 July 2020 |publisher=Eurovision Song Contest}}</ref>{{sfn|O'Connor|2010|pp=164–167}}

=== The "Big Five"<span class="anchor" id="Big Four"></span><span class="anchor" id="Big Five"></span> ===
In 1999, an exemption from relegation was introduced for France, Germany, Spain and the United Kingdom, giving them an automatic right to compete in the 2000 contest and in all subsequent editions. This group, as the highest-paying EBU members which significantly fund the contest each year, subsequently became known as the "Big Four" countries.<ref name="Jerusalem 99">{{Cite web |title=Eurovision Song Contest: Jerusalem 1999 |url=https://eurovision.tv/event/jerusalem-1999 |access-date=1 July 2020 |publisher=Eurovision Song Contest}}</ref>{{sfn|O'Connor|2010|pp=156–159}}<ref name="99 Rules">{{Cite web |title=Rules of the 44th Eurovision Song Contest, 1999 |url=http://www.eurosong.net/archive/esc1999.pdf |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190418112958/http://www.eurosong.net/archive/esc1999.pdf |archive-date=18 April 2019 |access-date=1 July 2020}}</ref> This group was expanded in 2011 when Italy began competing again, becoming the "Big Five".<ref>{{Cite web |date=31 December 2010 |title=43 nations on 2011 participants list! |url=https://eurovision.tv/story/43-nations-on-2011-participants-list |access-date=1 July 2020 |publisher=Eurovision Song Contest}}</ref> Originally brought in to ensure that the financial contributions of the contest's biggest financial backers would not be missed, since the introduction of the semi-finals in 2004 the "Big Five" countries have now automatically qualified for the final alongside the host country, and have not been required to compete in the semi-finals.<ref name="Decade Istanbul 04">{{Cite web |date=25 December 2009 |title=The end of a decade: Istanbul 2004 |url=https://eurovision.tv/story/the-end-of-a-decade-istanbul-2004 |access-date=1 July 2020 |publisher=Eurovision Song Contest}}</ref>{{sfn|O'Connor|2010|pp=176–180}} 

There remains debate on whether this status prejudices the countries' results, based on reported antipathy over their automatic qualification and the potential disadvantage of having spent less time on stage through not competing in the semi-finals;<ref>{{Cite web |last=Rowe |first=Callum |date=2023-09-26 |title=Swedish commentator urging Martin Österdahl to change Big Five rule |url=https://eurotrippodcast.com/2023/09/26/svt-presenter-urging-martin-osterdahl-about-big-five-change/ |access-date=2023-09-27 |website=The Euro Trip Podcast |language=en}}</ref> however, this status appears to be more complex given that the results of the "Big Five" countries can vary widely.<ref name="BBC lessons learned">{{Cite web |date=19 May 2019 |title=Eurovision 2019: Five lessons learned |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-48325868 |access-date=1 July 2020 |website=[[BBC News]]}}</ref><ref name="Brexit to blame?">{{Cite web |date=20 May 2019 |title=Eurovision: Is Brexit to blame for the UK's latest flop? |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-48334089 |access-date=1 July 2020 |website=[[BBC News]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Adessi |first=Antonio |date=2 June 2021 |title=Eurovision 2022: cambiamenti in vista per Germania, Spagna e Regno Unito |trans-title=Eurovision 2022: Changes in sight for Germany, Spain and the United Kingdom |url=https://www.eurofestivalnews.com/2021/06/02/eurovision-2022-cambiamenti-in-vista-per-germania-spagna-e-regno-unito/ |access-date=7 September 2021 |website=Eurofestival News |language=it-IT}}</ref> This status has caused consternation from other competing countries, and was cited, among other aspects, as a reason why {{Esccnty|Turkey}} had ceased participating after {{Escyr|2012}}.<ref name="Turkey LGBT">{{Cite web |date=4 August 2018 |title=Turkey to return Eurovision 'if no more bearded divas' |url=https://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/turkey-to-return-eurovision-if-no-more-bearded-divas-135427 |access-date=1 July 2020 |website=[[Hürriyet Daily News]]}}</ref> In response to the criticism on less stage time from these countries, since {{escyr|2024}} the entries from the "Big Five" countries, along with the host country, have been performed live in one of the two semi-finals outside of the competition for qualification, a change which was announced as giving these countries "a fairer playing field" in the final.<ref>{{cite web |title=Major changes for Malmö: Big Five & Sweden perform LIVE in Semi-Finals and you can vote for longer |url=https://eurovision.tv/story/big-five-sweden-perform-semi-finals |publisher=Eurovision Song Contest |access-date=3 January 2025 |date=11 March 2024}}</ref>

=== Introduction of semi-finals ===
[[File:Eurovision semifinal qualification rate map.svg|thumb|upright=1.5|alt=Map of countries in Europe, North Africa and Western Asia, with Australia as an insert in the top-right corner, shaded to indicate their semi-final qualification rates: countries with high rates are shown in shades of blue, while countries with low rates are shown in shades of red and orange|Qualification rates per country (2004–2025; automatic qualifications not included)]]
An influx of new broadcasters applying for the {{Escyr|2003||2003 contest}} resulted in the introduction of a semi-final from 2004, with the contest becoming a two-day event.<ref name="new format">{{Cite web |last=Bakker |first=Sietse |date=29 January 2003 |title=EBU confirms new Eurovision Song Contest format |url=http://esctoday.com/1192/ebu_confirms_new_eurovision_song_contest_format/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201029133229/http://esctoday.com/1192/ebu_confirms_new_eurovision_song_contest_format/ |archive-date=29 October 2020 |access-date=22 March 2021 |website=esctoday.com}}</ref>{{sfn|O'Connor|2010|pp=172–175}} The top 10 countries in each year's final would qualify automatically to the following year's final, alongside the "Big Four", meaning all other countries would compete in the semi-final to compete for 10 qualification spots.<ref name="Decade Istanbul 04" /> The {{Escyr|2004||2004 contest}} saw a record 36 countries competing, with new entries from {{Esccnty|Albania}}, {{Esccnty|Andorra}}, {{Esccnty|Belarus}}, and {{Esccnty|Serbia and Montenegro}} and the return of previously relegated countries.<ref name="Decade Istanbul 04" />{{sfn|O'Connor|2010|pp=177–179}} The format of this semi-final remained similar to the final proper, taking place a few days before the final; following the performances and the voting window, the names of the 10 countries with the highest number of points, which would therefore qualify for the final, were announced at the end of the show, revealed in a random order by the contest's presenters.<ref name="Decade Istanbul 04" />{{sfn|O'Connor|2010|pp=177–179}}

The single semi-final continued to be held between 2005 and 2007; however, with 42 countries competing in the {{Escyr|2007||2007 contest}}, that year's semi-final had 28 entries competing for 10 spots in the final.<ref>{{Cite web |date=18 January 2012 |title=Countdown to Baku – Helsinki 2007 |url=https://eurovision.tv/story/countdown-to-baku-helsinki-2007 |access-date=2 July 2020 |publisher=Eurovision Song Contest}}</ref> Following criticism over the mainly Central and Eastern European qualifiers at the 2007 event and the poor performance of entries from Western European countries, a second semi-final was subsequently introduced for the {{Escyr|2008||2008 contest}}, with all countries now competing in one of the two semi-finals, with only the host country and the "Big Four", and subsequently the "Big Five" from 2011, qualifying automatically.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Eurovision Song Contest: Two Semi-Finals in 2008 |url=http://www.ebu.ch/CMSimages/en/PR_ESC%20Semi-Finals_01.10.07_EN_tcm6-54154.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120928062242/http://www.ebu.ch/CMSimages/en/PR_ESC%20Semi-Finals_01.10.07_EN_tcm6-54154.pdf |archive-date=28 September 2012 |access-date=2 July 2020 |publisher=[[European Broadcasting Union]]}}</ref><ref name="2 semis announcements">{{Cite web |date=11 January 2008 |title=Two Semi-Finals Eurovision Song Contest in 2008 |url=https://eurovision.tv/story/two-semi-finals-eurovision-song-contest-in-2008 |access-date=2 July 2020 |publisher=Eurovision Song Contest}}</ref> 10 qualification spots would be available in each of the semi-finals, and a new system to split the competing countries between the two semi-finals was introduced based on their geographic location and previous voting patterns, in an attempt to reduce the impact of [[Voting bloc|bloc voting]] and to make the outcome less predictable.<ref name="Semi-Final Allocation">{{Cite web |date=14 January 2017 |title=Eurovision Song Contest: Semi-Final Allocation Draw |url=https://eurovision.tv/about/in-depth/semi-final-allocation-draw/ |access-date=2 July 2020 |publisher=Eurovision Song Contest}}</ref><ref name="08 semi draw">{{Cite web |date=24 January 2008 |title=All you need to know for Monday's draw! |url=https://eurovision.tv/story/all-you-need-to-know-for-monday-s-draw |access-date=2 July 2020 |publisher=Eurovision Song Contest}}</ref>{{sfn|O'Connor|2010|pp=192–195}}