The 66th Eurovision Song Contest is approaching its denouement. The final will take place on Saturday in PalaOlimpico in Turin. The Dutch entry S10 is the eleventh in action.

In the final, 25 countries will compete against each other. Fifteen countries dropped out in the past week. Ukraine has been the favorite for weeks. The country, which is currently at war with Russia, will receive many sympathy votes, according to the bookmakers, and thus win the Eurovision Song Contest for the third time.

Since its debut in 2003, Ukraine has already built up an enormous track record at the Eurovision Song Contest. The country reached the final in all seventeen entries. In 2004 and 2016, Ruslana and Jamala respectively claimed the victory. The only ones who can keep the group Kalush Orchestra from a victory seem to be Sam Ryder from the United Kingdom, Cornelia Jakobs from Sweden and the duo Mahmood and BLANCO from Italy.

The result of Saturday is already half determined. The professional juries of the participating countries already determined their distribution of points on Friday evening on the basis of the so-called second dress rehearsal, a kind of dress rehearsal. Those votes count for 50 percent. The millions of TV viewers in Europe and Australia determine the other half of the result on Saturday evening during the live broadcast.

During the show, presenters Mika and Laura Pausini will perform. Måneskin, last year’s winner, will also be in action and there will be a special performance by the now 74-year-old Gigliola Cinquetti. In 1964 she ensured the first Italian victory at the Eurovision Song Contest with the song Non ho l’età.