Record high 43 countries to participate in 2017 Eurovision Song Contest

PanARMENIAN.Net - A record high 43 countries will participate in the 2017 Eurovision Song Contest in Kyiv, equalling the total set in 2008 and 2011. The list includes Romania and Portugal who are returning to the competition after a year’s absence. The 62nd Contest will be organised by the European Broadcasting Union and Ukrainian national broadcaster NTU following Jamala’s win with 1944 earlier this year in Stockholm, the Eurovision web page reports.

Australia is set to make a third appearance in the Eurovision Song Contest. Earlier this year Dami Im finished second with her song The Sound of Silence and in 2015 Guy Sebastian took fifth place in Vienna. Unfortunately Bosnia & Herzegovina will not participate in 2017 due to restructuring within the national broadcaster BHRT. The 2017 contest will be a special one for Austria and Denmark which are celebrating the 60th anniversary of their first participation in 1957.

As was earlier reported, Cyprus became the first country to announce its act for the 2017 Eurovision Song Contest. Hovig, who is a Cypriot performer of Armenian origin, was selected internally by Cypriot broadcaster, CyBC.

Hovig is 27 years old and participated in X Factor Greece in 2009, the same year that Evi Adamou, Cyprus' representative in Eurovision 2012, took part.

The 2017 Eurovision Song Contest will take place in Ukraine’s capital city, which previously hosted the competition in 2005, as well as the Junior Eurovision Song Contest in 2009 and 2013. The International Exhibition Centre, the venue for the contest, has capacity for up to 11,000 spectators.