#36: Logistics!

We have Eurovision semi-final logistics! Hosting logistics! France and Czech Republic selection logistics! It’s the most wonderful time of year! First, we do what little extrapolation we can based on how this year’s Semi-Final Allocation draw shook out. Spoiler: a random draw created a random assortment. Now that we know how the field has divvied up, we can speculate on how hosting duties will be split among the four presenters. Oh no, four presenters again? Hmmm. We also learned that FYR Macedonia will be renamed North Macedonia eventually, Eurovision hasn’t caught up with the news quite yet. Going over this past weekend’s selections, we do a deep dive into the exciting conclusion of France’s Destination Eurovision. We have some opinions about some of the design choices made by eventual winner Waluigi Bilal Hassani, 36% of Frenchmen can’t be wrong, right? As for the Czech Republic, we’re not so sure the televoters got it right, as they broke the jury tie by awarding Lake Malawi the ticket to Tel Aviv. Over in Malta, The X Factor wrapped with Michela Pace winning the chance to represent her country at Eurovision. Finally, after trying to get an accurate headcount of folks still competing in Lithuania, we take a look at the week ahead. Estonia’s Eesti Laul, Sweden’s Melodifestivalen, plus songs from Iceland, Denmark, Norway, and last year’s winner Netta are on our calendar. Things are ramping up quick—trust the process! Episode Summary Episode Summary * Semi-Final Allocation (1:41) * Eurovision 2019 Hosts (4:17) * North Macedonia (6:37) * Destination Eurovision Final (France) (7:29) * Czech Republic Selection (16:25) * Michela Pace wins Malta X Factor (19:58) * How many people are still in the Lithuania Marathon? (21:56) * This Week in Eurovision (24:54) Links * Eesti Laul (Estonia) 2019 Playlist (Spotify) * Grace Jones Citroën ad Subscribe The EuroWhat? Podcast is available on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Spotify, Stitcher, or your podcast catcher of choice. When you subscribe, please rate and review us. We welcome your feedback and the ratings will help other Eurovision fans find this podcast. You can also follow us on Twitter @eurowhat, see our photos on Instagram @eurowhat, and like us on Facebook. Comments, questions, and episode topic suggestions are always welcome.