43 countries all are hoping for a good result at this year’s Eurovision Song Contest. Six of them perhaps a little more than the others as they find themselves in a bad circle of not being able to qualify for the final for quite some years.
When Anouk in 2013 brought the Netherlands into the final of the Eurovision Song Contest, she broke an eight year long period where the country never managed to take the next step after the semi-finals.
Six countries with a bad curse
For countries like FYR Macedonia, Ireland, Iceland, Finland, San Marino and Switzerland, it would be natural if their participants this year feel an extra pressure. They are all representing countries who we haven’t seen in the Eurovision final for quite some years.
Iceland
Statistically, it will be unrealistic that all of the six countries will break their bad curse as five of them are taking part in the first semi-final this year. First up is Iceland who has missed the final the past three years. Their last participant who took the country to the final was Pollapönk, who finished 15th in the 2014 edition held in Copenhagen.
This year they are represented by Ari Ólafsson’s and the song Our Choice. He is up at start number two in the semi-final, and currently the bookmakers have him last in the semi-final. Should he qualify it will therefore be somewhat of a big surprise.
FYR Macedonia
Starting as 11th in the final, we find FYR Macedonia. They haven’t made it to the final since Kaliopi came 13th in 2012. Will they change their five year long curse this year?
The duo Eye Cue represents the country this year with the song Lost And Found. At the moment it seems it will be another loss for FYR Macedonia who is tipped for a 15th place in the semi-final from where only ten makes it to the final.
Finland
Since their victory in 2006, results have been rather mixed for Finland, and the Nordic country hasn’t been in the final since 2014 where Softengine finished just outside top 10 with their 11th place.
Saara Aalto was an early bookmaker favourite to win, but things changed, and it is now not even sure, she will qualify. She is tipped 12th, and as such outside top 10 who will make it. With the song Monsters, she starts as number 15 in the first semi-final.
Switzerland
Over the years, it has been more than tough for the Swiss acts to qualify for the final of the Eurovision Song Contest. Since the introduction of semi-finals in 2004, the country has missed the final a total of ten times, and they haven’t been seen either since 2014 where Sebalter came in as 13th in the final.
Hoping to change things around this year is the sibling duo Zibbz. Singing the song Stones, they will go on stage as 17th in the semi-final. It’s however with the bookmakers against them as they currently predict the duo to end up as 16th in the semi-final.
Ireland
With seven wins, Ireland is the most successful country at the Eurovision Song Contest. In recent years, things have however not been going their way. The country hasn’t been in the final since 2013 where Ryan Dolan and his Only Love Survives finished 26th and last with only five points.
This year, it is another Ryan who is up for the challenge of breaking the series of bad Irish results. Ryan O’Shaughnessy goes on stage as 18th in the first semi-final. Currently the bookmakers place his song Together as 14th in the semi-final, and as such not near the top 10 which will qualify.
San Marino
As the only one of these six countries, with a current bad Eurovision curse, we find the small country of San Marino. They have only made it to the final once in their eight appearances. That was in 2014 where four times participant Valentina Monetta finished 24th in the final.
Will a Maltese/German duet be what San Marino needs? Not if you believe that the bookmakers might be spot on here. Jessika feat. Jenifer Brening are tipped last in semi-final two, and also least like candidate to win the 2018 Eurovision Song Contest. They go on stage in the semi-final as number four, squeezed in between Serbia and Denmark.
Poll
One thing is bookmaker predictions, another thing is the actual result. So far, all six of these countries are still in with a chance to finally get back to the final of the Eurovision Song Contest. Who do you think we will see in the final on the 12th of May? In the poll below, you can vote for all the songs you think will make it to the final this year.
To see more bookmaker predictions, we recommend that you visit Eurovision World’s Odds section.
