It is truly getting exciting in Tel Aviv, as tonight the 26 finalists of Eurovision 2019 will perform in front of the professional juries!

The first dress rehearsal was this afternoon, yet tonight the important second dress rehearsal and jury show will take place: the 26 finalists will perform in front of the expert jury panels who will cast their 50% vote in advance of the Grand Final. The jury show is just as important as the actual show on Saturday evening, not only because 50% of the votes are already awarded, but also because it will be recorded in case the live show on Saturday should fail to broadcast.

The running order

An overview of the running order of the Grand Final:

How does it work?

The votes of the professional juries, which will deliver 50% of the eventual outcome, are traditionally cast during the jury show, which takes place on the Friday evening prior to the Grand Final on Saturday. The jury panels from all of this year’s 41 participating countries will view the 26 finalists and award their votes in the traditional Eurovision style (1 to 8, 10 and 12 points). The jury votes will constitute 50% of the eventual outcome in the Grand Final while they will be added up with the 50% televotes from the public. Thus, the jury votes will only be revealed during Saturday evening’s Grand Final.

Tonight’s jury show starts at 21:00 CEST (22:00 local time), but it’s NOT going to air live. The live broadcast of the Grand Final has been scheduled for tomorrow evening at the same time.

Which countries will be the favourites of the professional juries? And who will be the ultimate winner of the Grand Final of the Eurovision Song Contest 2019?