The day has come! After months of preparation and two Semi-Finals, acts from 26 countries will compete in the Grand Final of the 2019 Eurovision Song Contest. The result will be determined by a combination of expert juries and viewers from all 41 participating countries. The show will feature special guest performances from reigning Eurovision queen Netta, former winners Dana International, Conchita Wurst and Måns Zelmerlöw, as well as Eurovision icon Verka Serduchka. And... earlier this week we could also confirm that Madonna will perform as guest star during the show!
The Grand Final of the 64th Eurovision Song Contest is brought to you by the European Broadcasting Union and Israeli public broadcasting corporation KAN. The show will be hosted by Bar Refaeli, Erez Tal, Assi Azar and Lucy Ayoub, live from Expo Tel Aviv.
Tonight's 26 competing acts
Tonight's Grand Final will see acts from 26 countries compete for the title of 2019 Eurovision Song Contest winner. They represent the 10 countries with the highest points from each of the two Semi-Finals that took place earlier this week, along with the 'Big Five' - France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the United Kingdom - and host nation Israel.
Tonight's acts are:
Malta - Michela with Chameleon
Albania - Jonida Maliqi with Ktheju tokës
Czech Republic - Lake Malawi with Friend of a Friend
Germany - S!sters with Sister
Russia - Sergey Lazarev with Scream
Denmark - Leonora with Love Is Forever
San Marino - Serhat with Say Na Na Na
North Macedonia - Tamara Todevska with Proud
Sweden - John Lundvik with Too Late For Love
Slovenia - Zala Kralj & Gašper Šantl with Sebi
Cyprus - Tamta with Replay
The Netherlands - Duncan Laurence with Arcade
Greece - Katerine Duska with Better Love
Israel - Kobi Marimi with Home
Norway - KEiiNO with Spirit In The Sky
United Kingdom - Michael Rice with Bigger Than Us
Iceland - Hatari with Hatrið mun sigra
Estonia - Victor Crone with Storm
Belarus - ZENA with Like It
Azerbaijan - Chingiz with Truth
France - Bilal Hassani with Roi
Italy - Mahmood with Soldi
Serbia - Nevena Božović with Kruna
Switzerland - Luca Hänni with She Got Me
Australia - Kate Miller-Heidke with Zero Gravity
Spain - Miki with La Venda
You can vote for your favorite songs if you are in one of the 41 participating countries, regardless of whether your country made it through the Semi-Finals.
The opening act
After her victory last year, the honor of opening the 2019 Eurovision Song Contest falls to last year's winner Netta Barzilai. She will get the party started along with Israel's previous Eurovision winner, Dana International and Israel's first ever Eurovision representative, Ilanit.
As has become a tradition since the 2013 Eurovision Song Contest in Malmö, the Grand Final will open with a flag parade to introduce the 26 competing entrants before the Eurovision Song Contest begins.
The interval act
Switch song
As was already announced last month at the host broadcaster press conference, a special 'switch song' act is planned for the Grand Final featuring former Eurovision winners and runners up:
Conchita will sing Måns Zelmerlöw's Heroes (Sweden 2015)
Måns Zelmerlöw will sing Eleni Foureira's Fuego (Cyprus 2018)
Eleni Foureira will sing Verka Serduchka's Dancing Lasha Tumbai (Ukraine 2007)
Verka Serduchka will perform Netta's Toy (Israel 2018)
At the end all four artists will join Gali Atari on stage to perform her 1979 winning song, Hallelujah.
Netta goes bananas
Just before time runs out on Netta's reign as Eurovision Queen, she will perform her new song Nana Banana. If you want to sing along, there's still time to learn the words in Netta's lyric video.
Please give it up for... Madonna!
International pop icon Madonna will perform 2 songs during the Grand Final of the 2019 Eurovision Song Contest on 18 May: Her 1989 smash hit 'Like A Prayer' and a world exclusive of brand-new single 'Future', which she will perform together with American rapper Quavo.
Read all about the participants of the Grand Final here: eurovision.tv/event/tel-aviv-...