The grand final of is finally here, with acts from across Europe – and Australia – coming together to perform in Turin, Italy.
Forty countries will be belting their hearts out and competing for the glory, including our very own who is proudly representing the UK with his song Space Man.
However, one country will be noticeably absent as was in light of Vladimir Putin’s invasion of .
Ukraine itself however will be at the competition and is one of the
But what will happen if Ukraine were to win, would they be able to host next year’s competition if the war was still ongoing? Here is what we know, as well as more information about the act…
Who is Ukraine’s act at Eurovision?
Rap group Kalush Orchestra will be doing the honours of representing Ukraine this year.
The collective consists of rapper Oleh Psiuk, multi-instrumentalist Ihor Didenchuk and dancer Vlad Kurochka, and were formed in 2019.
Their group name is an ode to Oleh’s hometown of Kalush, situated in the Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast of western Ukraine.
Were Kalush Orchestra given special permission to perform?
With the war still unfolding in Ukraine, a conscription banned men aged between 18 and 60 from leaving the country as they were required to fight against the Russians.
Members of Kalush Orchestra were on the frontline but received special permission to leave to take part in Eurovision 2022.
They told Eurovision TV: ‘We feel a big responsibility, since we received permits to leave Ukraine to be here. We have a duty to be useful to our country at this moment. We didn’t have any opportunity to rehearse together for a long time, but now, we’ve gone into “extra mode”.
‘We’re all very hard working, and we’re all doing what we can to make this happen. We’ve enjoyed seeing people singing our song, even if they didn’t know all the words. We really appreciate seeing people supporting Ukraine, and supporting us.’
What is Kaluch Orchestra’s song?
The rap group will be entering with the song Stefania, which was written to honour Oleh’s mother, who heard the song for the first time when it was performed live at the Ukrainian National Final.
Lyrics such as: ‘I‘ll always find my way home, even if all roads are destroyed,’ have taken on new meaning since the war began.
If Ukraine win Eurovision 2022, which country might host it next year?
The winner of Eurovision traditionally goes on to host the next year’s competition, so if Ukraine does win tonight, they will also gain the right to host in 2023.
However, with the ongoing conflict, it is hard to say at this point whether it will be safe enough for Eurovision 2023 to take place in Ukraine should they prove victorious.
Speaking to i, said he was is hopeful that in the event of a Ukrainian victory, ‘Eurovision next year [will be] in the free home and reconstructed and rebuilt and happy Ukraine’.
Should the invasion still be ongoing and Ukraine is unable to host, it is likely that one of the big five Eurovision countries – France, Germany, Italy, Spain and UK – will host the event.
‘Well, yes, it’s true that UK supports us a lot. The huge gratitude to the UK, of course, from all of the residents of this country to you,’ said Psiuk when asked about the UK potentially hosting the contest.
‘Lots of Ukrainians are expressing a very huge gratitude to your country as well.’
Spain has reportedly already offered their services as host of the 2023 competition should the need arise, withstating that broadcaster RTVE has met the European Broadcasting Union to discuss the bid.
Eurovision takes place tonight, Saturday May 14. Watch it live from 8pm on BBC One.
