Five European nations are given a pass to the Eurovision finals due to their contribution to the European Broadcast Union.
Every year, the Eurovision Song Contest (ESC) is split into three shows - two semi-finals and the main event. The week-long stretch invites nations from across Europe to take part in the biggest music competition in the world with Australia recently joining as an honoured guest.
As countries battle it out in the semi-finals, six performers are given a straight pass to the main show. Whilst also bypassing a public vote to determine who moves forward in the competition, it also means Europe only gets to see their song performed once.
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In 1999, France, Germany, Spain and the United Kingdom were considered "the big four" and were exempt from relegation. In 2004 when the semi-finals were first introduced, Italy joined the group, forming "the big five."
Since then, the five countries have automatically qualified for the finals without needing to face a public vote. The advantage is due to the nations acting as the highest-paying European Broadcast Union members which significantly fund the contest each year.
Each year the final show consists of "the big five" and ten qualifiers from each of the semi-finals. Another pass is given to the previous year's winner who joins the big five as one of the automatic participants.
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