For the past 15 years, Eurovision has been held over three nights - two semi-finals and a final. The first semi-final is held on Tuesday, the second on Thursday, and the final is held on Saturday each time.
In the two semi-final nights, countries compete to be ranked in the top ten in order to secure their ticket to the grand final.
But if you notice, there are some states in power which never compete, but go directly to the final evening.
Spain, France, Great Britain, Germany and Italy are these countries that are always part of the final, not because of the audience or the quality of the songs, but because of the competition rules.
These countries are called the "Big Five" that are part of the final, because they are the countries that created Eurovision, and are known as the largest financial partners of the EBU (European Broadcasting Union), which is also the organizer of Eurovision.
Until 200, these countries were four, while with the return of Italy to Eurovision after a 14-year absence, these countries became five again.
The sixth country that directly qualifies for the final is the host country, in this case Israel. The six places directly placed in the final are divided into two semi-finals for voting. This year, Spain, France and Israel voted on the first semi-final night. Germany, Italy and the United Kingdom will be present and eligible to vote tonight. /Telegraph/
