The allocation draw pots for the 2026 Eurovision Song Contest have been revealed ahead of the contest in Vienna, Austria, outlining how countries will be split between the two semifinals. A total of 35 countries are confirmed to compete, with 30 taking part in the semifinals and divided into five pots of six. The remaining five countries, known as the Big Five and the host nation Austria, qualify directly for the final.
The purpose of the allocation draw is to reduce the impact of regional and diaspora voting by ensuring countries with established voting relationships are spread across both semifinals. The pot system has been in use for several years and is based on voting data from recent contests.
Eurovision 2026 Vienna Semi Final Allocation Draw Pots
| Pot 1 | Pot 2 | Pot 3 | Pot 4 | Pot 5 |
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The 2026 pots largely reflect the same voting-bloc structure seen in recent editions of the contest, with only limited changes from year to year. One pot again groups the Balkan countries, which continue to show strong regional voting links. Switzerland appears in this group in 2026, a shift from its more common placement alongside Western and Central European countries in earlier years.
Another pot contains the Nordic countries together with Australia and Estonia, continuing a grouping that has remained stable since 2023. These countries have long shown shared voting patterns through both juries and televoting, and the European Broadcasting Union has consistently kept them together in the allocation process.
The Eastern and Caucasus voting bloc is also clearly defined in 2026, with Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia joined by Israel, Poland and Ukraine. This grouping reflects a mix of regional proximity and diaspora voting that has become more pronounced over recent contests, particularly involving Poland and Ukraine.
Allocation Draw 12 January 2026 at Vienna City Hall
A mixed pot combines Belgium, Czechia, Luxembourg, Moldova, Portugal and Romania. This group does not represent a single voting bloc but is used to balance the overall draw, a role it has played in several recent editions of the contest.
The final pot includes countries with fixed bilateral voting relationships and smaller broadcasters, including Greece and Cyprus, Latvia and Lithuania, and Malta and San Marino. This structure closely mirrors the pots used in recent years and continues the effort to prevent guaranteed voting pairs from concentrating in one semifinal.
Overall, the 2026 semifinal allocation draw shows continuity with recent contests, with adjustments reflecting updated voting data rather than a change in approach. The pots now set the framework for the next stage of the draw, when countries will be assigned to either the first or second semifinal later in the Eurovision calendar.
