Eurovision Song Contest 2013

Eurovision Song Contest 2013
We Are One
Dates and venue
Semi-final 1
  • 14 May 2013 (2013-05-14)
Semi-final 2
  • 16 May 2013 (2013-05-16)
Final
  • 18 May 2013 (2013-05-18)
VenueMalmö Arena
Malmö, Sweden
Organisation
OrganiserEuropean Broadcasting Union (EBU)
Executive supervisorJon Ola Sand
Production
Host broadcasterSveriges Television (SVT)
Directors
Executive producerMartin Österdahl
PresenterPetra Mede
Participants
Number of entries39
Number of finalists26
Returning countries Armenia
Non-returning countries
Participation map
  •      Finalist countries     Countries eliminated in the semi-finals     Countries that participated in the past but not in 2013
Vote
Voting systemEach country awarded 12, 10, 8–1 points to their 10 favourite songs.
Winning song

The Eurovision Song Contest 2013 was the 58th edition of the Eurovision Song Contest. It consisted of two semi-finals on 14 and 16 May and a final on 18 May 2013, held at the Malmö Arena in Malmö, Sweden, and presented by Petra Mede. It was organised by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) and host broadcaster Sveriges Television (SVT), which staged the event after winning the 2012 contest for Sweden with the song "Euphoria" by Loreen. It was the first time that only one host had presented the show since the 1995 contest. Eric Saade, who had previously represented Sweden in 2011, acted as the green room host in the final.

Broadcasters from thirty-nine countries participated in the contest, with Armenia returning after a one-year absence. Bosnia and Herzegovina, Portugal, Slovakia, and Turkey all ceased their participation for various reasons. Slovakia and Turkey have yet to return to the contest since.

The winner was Denmark with the song "Only Teardrops", performed by Emmelie de Forest and written by Lise Cabble, Julia Fabrin Jakobsen and Thomas Stengaard. The song had the highest average score in both the televote and jury vote. Azerbaijan, Ukraine, Norway, and Russia rounded out the top five.

This year marked the reintroduction of the "Parade of Nations", a concept which was first used in the contest from 1959 to 1963 (with the exception of 1962) before making a one-off return in 1983. The concept had also been used, on-and-off, in the Junior Eurovision Song Contest since 2004. It sees all countries performing in the final presenting themselves with their national flags before the contest begins. This year, the contestants entered the main stage by walking across a bridge over the audience. This idea has subsequently continued in every edition of the contest onwards.

The EBU reported that 170 million viewers watched the semi-finals and final of the 2013 edition.