Only a few short hours after Semi Final 2 concluded Thursday, the full running order for Saturday’s Grand Final was released:

There are lots of opinions and superstitions about how a country’s position in the running order effects their chances of winning or losing, but we won’t get into that here. Instead, we will briefly cover each of the twenty-six acts in order, and let you know which one is our favorite at the end.

Austria: Teya & Salena – “Who the Hell is Edgar?”

Opening the show, we have Austria’s amazing female duo performing their dance bop “Who the Hell is Edgar?” The story behind the lyrics is that Edgar Allen Poe (yes, the 19th-century poet) has possessed Teya and Salena and is writing their song. The real inspiration however is a critique of how music streaming services like Spotify only pay musicians a pittance.

The energy couldn’t be higher for the beginning of this epic show, and the audience will be chanting along “Poe Poe Poe Poe Poe…”

Portugal: Mimicat – “Ai coração”

Directly following Austria is another high-energy dance song, this time with a cabaret vibe. Portugal’s “Ai coração” pairs a quirky dance number with some of the strongest vocals in the competition.

Switzerland: Remo Forrer – “Watergun”

As one of only three male ballads in the final, Remo Forrer’s voice really makes this song shine. Its haunting melody reminds us of Switzerland’s song in 2021, “Tout l’Univers” by Gjon’s Tears. Also, singing an anti-war song at Eurovision is usually a crowd-pleaser. 

Poland: Blanka – “Solo”

“Baby, it’s kinda crazy” that Blanka is here in the final. This year’s most often meme-d entry is usually referenced with only its opening word: “Bejba” (pronounced BEY-BAH). Blanka has been mocked and ridiculed for her singing and dancing – not to mention the alleged corrupt jury vote which led to her winning Poland’s national final ahead of fan-favorite Jann. But she has embraced her iconic online persona, most notably with the dress she wore on the turquoise carpet. Her song “Solo” is a good generic summer pop song with an infectious melody. And while we don’t like the many digital effects they added to her performance in Semi Final 2, we’re still here for the slayage and how everyone shouts “bejba” at the start of her performance.

Serbia: Luke Black – “Samo mi se spava”

Luke Black and his song “Samo Mi Se Spava” have become iconic in their own right. The title translates to “I want to sleep forever” which is a sentiment that everyone can relate to. Additionally, the simple lyrics, “Hello?” and “Game Over” have their own meme-able content as well (along with the unofficial addition that has now become iconic).

France: La Zarra – “Évidemment”

As one of the big five, France is guaranteed a spot in the final and has not competed in the semifinals. As a result, we have not exactly seen what France will bring to the Eurovision stage, but the rehearsal footage shows La Zarra on an elevated tower with a larger than life skirt, followed by disco lights and lots of sparkles. We think this will be very exciting and fits perfectly with the sleek and refined, but still over the top and French, aesthetic La Zarra has been pulling off so well – évidemment.

Cyprus: Andrew Lambrou – “Break a Broken Heart”

“Break a Broken Heart” has skyrocketed in our rankings after seeing the live staging done SO well. You have fog, you have water, you have pyrotechnics, and an excellent use of the LED screens. 10/10. Plus Andrew Lambrou’s vocals live up to the staging. One of the simplest, but most effective stages of the night.

Spain: Blanca Paloma- “Eaea”

We have known about Blanca Paloma’s impressive vocal talent since her performance at BenidormFest (Spain’s national final) last year. Unlike the ballad she did then, this year with “Eaea” she has brought some traditional Spanish sound and flamenco flair. Her beautiful vocals are supported by clapping backup dancers and yards of red fringe.

Sweden: Loreen – “Tattoo”

Loreen has been the favorite to win all season long. She won the Eurovision Song Contest in 2012 with “Euphoria” and while some have critiqued “Tattoo” as being incredibly similar, Sweden seems to be embracing the spirit of if it ain’t broke don’t fix it. Loreen easily has one of the most memorable stage pieces, as she performs sandwiched between two giant LED screens. For everyone else at this competition, Sweden is most definitely the one to beat. 

Albania: Albina & Familija Kelmendi – “Duje”

Albina & Familija Kelmendi perform the dramatic song “Duje” as a family, with their singular prop being tiny red handkerchiefs. At first, we didn’t really know what to make of it, but after watching the semifinal performance, we have decided that it is very Eurovision and we are happy it is in the final.

Italy: Marco Mengoni – “Due vite”

Italy is another one of the big 5 so, we have not exactly seen what Marco Mengoni will bring to the Eurovision stage with “Due vite.” However, the rehearsal footage shows Marco doing the classic ballad staging with a single mic stand, lots of lights, and … giant trampolines in the background? We are not totally sure what role those will play yet, but are excited to see. In a relatively light year for ballads, “Due vite” might stand out against the other entries, or it might get buried as a slower paced song. Side note: we think Marco Mengoni looks like a cross between George Clooney and Steve Carell.

Estonia: Alika – “Bridges”

Alika’s “Bridges” is a solid piano ballad, complete with an on-stage mechanical piano and fantastic blue pantsuit. While the song is nice with a pleasant message and stable singing, we are worried that it will get lost among songs with higher energy and sleeker stages.

Finland: Käärijä – “Cha Cha Cha”

Cha Cha Cha!!! Representing Finland we have Käärijä and his song “Cha Cha Cha.” This song with its infectious, upbeat chorus and mix of genres has been a clear favorite this season. Since winning Finland’s national contest, it has taken on an even grander scale: a bigger box, LED screens, and enough rainbow lights to make any gay pride fest jealous. It is impossible not to sing (or shout) along with the numerous “cha cha chas.” In addition to all of this, Kaarija himself has become an icon – his neon green bolero and black spikes have taken eurofans by force. He’s a jovial Finnish man who is just so happy his music career is lifting off. This song is a glorious celebration of Eurovision. Pass the piña coladas! 

Czechia: Vesna – “My Sister’s Crown”

Taking a different route than their funky music video full of different colors and outrageous styling, Vesna’s on stage performance of “My Sister’s Crown” stays tight and cohesive with matching pastel pink outfits, black and white LED screens, and very long hair braids. The staging works for them and elevates this already pretty awesome, feminist anthem.

Australia: Voyager – “Promise”

After performing as a spectacular closing act in Semi Final 2, Voyager’s “Promise” brings high energy rock alive. It’s a blast, and it’s clear that they are having fun performing with a car and their keytars on stage. (We also learned that the band’s lead guitarist seems to be the real vocal MVP of the band.) While Semi Final 2 had many other rock performances, Voyager really stood out from the rest. We will have to see how they do amongst the stiffer competition in the final.

Belgium: Gustaph – “Because of You”

It is impossible to watch Gustaph perform the groovy disco bop “Because of You” and not end up grinning from ear to ear. His joy in performing on stage is just that infectious. We love the addition of the back-up dancer that joins him on stage, and his back-up vocalists are killing it as usual. We could also tell that the live crowd at the Semi Final was 100% loving this performance as much as we did. It is an absolute pleasure to watch.

Armenia: Brunette – “Future Lover”

Brunette performs her song “Future Lover” on a slanting platform in the center of the small stage with lots of cool projection effects. To accentuate the unexpected genre transition from lofi pop to high energy rap, she has also added a dance break towards the end of her performance. One of our favorite lines is “I decided to be good, do good, look good,” because it sounds an awful lot like “I decided to be goo, do goo, look goo,” which is a lovely sentiment.

Moldova: Pasha Parfeni – “Soarele și Luna”

Moldova brings some Eurovision staples to the stage with Pasha Parfeni’s “Soarele si Luna.” We have intense drummers, bare feet, flute solos, strange headpieces, and some LED screen choices that are giving Sauron. Add to that the sound of the Fire Benders during the end credits theme of Avatar the Last Airbender, and you have *chefs kiss* Eurovision.

Ukraine: TVORCHI – “Heart of Steel”

“Heart of Steel” is a groovy R&B song with a unique sound that stands out from the other entries this year. We also think that the performance does some very cool things with the videography and projection. As the winning country from last year, Ukraine secured a spot in the final and did not compete in any of the semifinals. As a result, we have not seen exactly what TVORCHI will bring to the Eurovision stage, but the rehearsal looked fantastic and we know what they were capable of in Ukraine’s national final.

Norway: Alessandra – “Queen of Kings”

“Queen of Kings” is a girlboss anthem that took TikTok by storm after Alessandra won Norway’s Melodi Grand Prix in February. It’s giving viking warrior, Wonder Woman, and fantasy queen, complete with a sing-a-long “lai-da-dai-di-da” and a whistle tone power moment. And there’s a cape.

Germany: Lord of the Lost – “Blood and Glitter”

Lord of the Lost’s “Blood and Glitter” seamlessly pairs incredible vocals, positive messaging, and lots of glitter with their hard rock sensibility. While screamo and heavy metal aren’t genres either of us typically enjoy, this song has been one of our favorites since it was chosen. The last several years have been disappointing for Germany, and they finished dead last in 2022 – so we hope Lord of the Lost breaks Germany’s nul-points streak!

Lithuania: Monika Linkytė – “Stay”

Monika Linkytė is performing her song “Stay (ČIŪTO O TŪTO)”. Her performance has stayed very similar to her national final one with the exception of her team changing up her dress every single rehearsal in the days leading up to her semifinal performance. She has incredible vocals, and her song will stand out among the final five songs of the competition.

Israel: Noa Kirel – “Unicorn”

Starting in an LED light box and ending with a dance break that includes a flip, Noa Kirel brings a pop performance. Though still lacking in unicorns, the song is fun and has some K-pop vibes. It also has the mind bending, tongue-twisting lyric: “It’s gonna be phenomen- phenomen- phenomenal. Phenomen-phenomenal. Feminine-feminine-femininal.” Overall, one could say, it’s phenomenal.

Slovenia: Joker Out – “Carpe Diem”

Joker Out, one of Slovenia’s biggest rock bands, performs their song “Carpe Diem” on the small center stage. This song is reminiscent of some classic rock songs from the 70s, as are their stage outfits. The song and the performance are fine, but they have not really been bringing the same amount of energy to the stage that the other rock bands have been (see Australia, Germany, and Croatia). Overall, a fan-favorite, but they have not managed to seize the day for us.

Croatia: Let 3 – “Mama ŠČ!”

Let 3 generated a lot of buzz after their semifinal performance of “Mama ŠČ!” with its wild visuals, military drag, and satirical anti-war message. We are so glad that they are in the final! In addition to the rockets, tractor noises, stripping, sequin bodysuits, and chorus lines from the national final, they have added fun interactions with the LED floor. In fact, this performance alone is a great reason to watch the Eurovision final this year.

United Kingdom: Mae Muller – “I Wrote a Song”

Closing out the final this year is the host country UK’s entrant, Mae Muller performing “I Wrote A Song.” She has a lot to live up to after the UK finished 2nd place last year with “SPACEMAN.” And in truth, no one can sing like Sam Ryder (who we will get to see perform again during an interval act this year). “I Wrote a Song ” is super catchy, but her live vocals are still a bit of an unknown. And the glimpses of the staging we have seen are unfortunately not inspiring a ton of confidence in the performance. We’ll just have to wait and see.

Watch the Grand Final on
PeacockTV.com at 12pm PST
(premium subscription required)

Voting!

YES YOU CAN VOTE! This year, for the first time EVER, everyone everywhere around the globe can vote on the Eurovision app or at ESC.vote and all the votes cast in non-participating countries will be aggregated and counted as one “Rest of the World” category. (It absolutely does cost money to vote though: 0.99€ per vote.)

Overall, the two of us are immensely pleased with the songs that made it through to the Final. Our favorite to win is probably Finland, but we will just have to see what happens! To quote the iconic front man of Croatia’s Let 3, “In war there are no winners, and in Eurovision there are no losers.”