Eurovision Song Contest 2000
Participating countries
Participating countries
-----------------------

Per the rules of the contest twenty\-four countries were allowed to participate in the event, one more than the twenty\-three countries that participated in the .  entered the contest for the first time, and , , , , and  returned after being absent from the previous year's event. 1999 participants , , ,  and  did not participate in this year's contest.

Several of the performing artists had previously competed as lead artists in past editions. 's [Serafín Zubiri](/wiki/Seraf%C3%ADn_Zubiri "Serafín Zubiri") and 's [Roger Pontare](/wiki/Roger_Pontare "Roger Pontare") both competed in the contest for the second time, having previously participated for their countries in  and in  alongside [Marie Bergman](/wiki/Marie_Bergman "Marie Bergman") respectively. The two members of Cypriot duo Voice, [Alexandros Panayi](/wiki/Alexandros_Panayi "Alexandros Panayi") and [Christina Argyri](/wiki/Christina_Argyri "Christina Argyri"), had also both participated in Eurovision before, with Panayi having previously represented  in , while Argyri had been a backing performer at the same contest. A number of former participating artists also returned to perform as [backing vocalists](/wiki/Backing_vocalist "Backing vocalist") for some of the competing entries: , having previously represented  in  alongside [Stefán Hilmarsson](/wiki/Stef%C3%A1n_Hilmarsson "Stefán Hilmarsson"), returned to support the Icelandic duo August and Telma as a backing singer; [Albano Carrisi](/wiki/Albano_Carrisi "Albano Carrisi"), who twice represented  with [Romina Power](/wiki/Romina_Power "Romina Power") in  and , supported Switzerland's Jane Bogaert on stage; and Gabriel Forss, a member of the group Blond that represented Sweden in 1997, was a backing singer for 's [Claudette Pace](/wiki/Claudette_Pace "Claudette Pace") in this year's event. Additionally, [Eamonn Toal](/wiki/Eamonn_Toal "Eamonn Toal") competed for  in this year's contest, having previously served as backing vocalist for [Eddie Friel](/wiki/Eddie_Friel "Eddie Friel") in 1995\.

| \+ Participants of the Eurovision Song Contest 2000 |
| --- |
| Country | Broadcaster | Artist | Song | Language | Songwriter(s) |
|  | [ORF](/wiki/ORF_%28broadcaster%29 "ORF (broadcaster)") | [The Rounder Girls](/wiki/The_Rounder_Girls "The Rounder Girls") | "All to You" | English | Dave Moskin |
|  | [RTBF](/wiki/RTBF "RTBF") | [Nathalie Sorce](/wiki/Nathalie_Sorce "Nathalie Sorce") | "" | [French](/wiki/French_language "French language") | Silvio Pezzuto |
|  | [HRT](/wiki/Croatian_Radiotelevision "Croatian Radiotelevision") | [Goran Karan](/wiki/Goran_Karan "Goran Karan") | "" | [Croatian](/wiki/Croatian_language "Croatian language") |  |
|  | [CyBC](/wiki/Cyprus_Broadcasting_Corporation "Cyprus Broadcasting Corporation") | Voice | "" () | [Greek](/wiki/Greek_language "Greek language"), [Italian](/wiki/Italian_language "Italian language") |  |
|  | [DR](/wiki/DR_%28broadcaster%29 "DR (broadcaster)") | [Olsen Brothers](/wiki/Olsen_Brothers "Olsen Brothers") | "[Fly on the Wings of Love](/wiki/Fly_on_the_Wings_of_Love "Fly on the Wings of Love")" | English | [Jørgen Olsen](/wiki/J%C3%B8rgen_Olsen "Jørgen Olsen") |
|  | [ETV](/wiki/Eesti_Televisioon "Eesti Televisioon") | [Ines](/wiki/Eda-Ines_Etti "Eda-Ines Etti") | "Once in a Lifetime" | English |  |
|  | [YLE](/wiki/Yle "Yle") | [Nina Åström](/wiki/Nina_%C3%85str%C3%B6m "Nina Åström") | "A Little Bit" | English |  |
|  |  | [Sofia Mestari](/wiki/Sofia_Mestari "Sofia Mestari") | "" | French |  |
|  | [NDR](/wiki/Norddeutscher_Rundfunk "Norddeutscher Rundfunk") | [Stefan Raab](/wiki/Stefan_Raab "Stefan Raab") | "" | [German](/wiki/German_language "German language"), English | [Stefan Raab](/wiki/Stefan_Raab "Stefan Raab") |
|  | [RÚV](/wiki/R%C3%9AV "RÚV") | August and Telma | "[Tell Me!](/wiki/Tell_Me%21_%28August_and_Telma_song%29 "Tell Me! (August and Telma song)")" | English |  |
|  | [RTÉ](/wiki/RT%C3%89 "RTÉ") | [Eamonn Toal](/wiki/Eamonn_Toal "Eamonn Toal") | "Millennium of Love" | English |  |
|  | [IBA](/wiki/Israel_Broadcasting_Authority "Israel Broadcasting Authority") | [PingPong](/wiki/PingPong_%28band%29 "PingPong (band)") | "" () | [Hebrew](/wiki/Hebrew_language "Hebrew language") |  |
|  | [LTV](/wiki/Latvijas_Telev%C4%ABzija "Latvijas Televīzija") | [Brainstorm](/wiki/Brainstorm_%28Latvian_band%29 "Brainstorm (Latvian band)") | "My Star" | English | [Renārs Kaupers](/wiki/Ren%C4%81rs_Kaupers "Renārs Kaupers") |
|  | [MRT](/wiki/Macedonian_Radio_Television "Macedonian Radio Television") | XXL | "100% " (100% ) | [Macedonian](/wiki/Macedonian_language "Macedonian language"), English |  |
|  | [PBS](/wiki/Public_Broadcasting_Services "Public Broadcasting Services") | [Claudette Pace](/wiki/Claudette_Pace "Claudette Pace") | "Desire" | English |  |
|  | [NOS](/wiki/Nederlandse_Omroep_Stichting "Nederlandse Omroep Stichting") | [Linda](/wiki/Linda_Wagenmakers "Linda Wagenmakers") | "No Goodbyes" | English |  |
|  | [NRK](/wiki/NRK "NRK") | [Charmed](/wiki/Charmed_%28group%29 "Charmed (group)") | "My Heart Goes Boom" | English |  |
|  | [TVR](/wiki/TVR_%28TV_network%29 "TVR (TV network)") | [Taxi](/wiki/Taxi_%28Romanian_band%29 "Taxi (Romanian band)") | "[The Moon](/wiki/The_Moon_%28song%29 "The Moon (song)")" | English | Dan Teodorescu |
|  | [ORT](/wiki/Channel_One_Russia "Channel One Russia") | [Alsou](/wiki/Alsou "Alsou") | "Solo" | English |  |
|  | [TVE](/wiki/Televisi%C3%B3n_Espa%C3%B1ola "Televisión Española") | [Serafín Zubiri](/wiki/Seraf%C3%ADn_Zubiri "Serafín Zubiri") | "" | [Spanish](/wiki/Spanish_language "Spanish language") | José María Purón |
|  | [SVT](/wiki/Sveriges_Television "Sveriges Television") | [Roger Pontare](/wiki/Roger_Pontare "Roger Pontare") | "[When Spirits Are Calling My Name](/wiki/When_Spirits_Are_Calling_My_Name "When Spirits Are Calling My Name")" | English |  |
|  | [SRG SSR](/wiki/Swiss_Broadcasting_Corporation "Swiss Broadcasting Corporation") | Jane Bogaert | "" | Italian |  |
|  | [TRT](/wiki/Turkish_Radio_and_Television_Corporation "Turkish Radio and Television Corporation") | [Pınar](/wiki/P%C4%B1nar_Ayhan "Pınar Ayhan") and the SOS | "" | [Turkish](/wiki/Turkish_language "Turkish language"), English |  |
|  | [BBC](/wiki/BBC "BBC") | [Nicki French](/wiki/Nicki_French "Nicki French") | "[Don't Play That Song Again](/wiki/Don%27t_Play_That_Song_Again "Don't Play That Song Again")" | English |  |

### Qualification

Due to the high number of countries wishing to enter the contest, a [relegation system](/wiki/Relegation_in_the_Eurovision_Song_Contest "Relegation in the Eurovision Song Contest") was introduced in  in order to reduce the number of countries which could compete in each year's contest. Any relegated countries would be able to return the following year, thus allowing all countries the opportunity to compete in at least one in every two editions. The relegation rules introduced for the 1997 contest were again utilised ahead of the 2000 contest, based on each country's average points total in previous contests. However the rules were modified for 2000 to ensure that the four participating countries which provide the largest financial contribution towards the organisation of the contest would be given an automatic place in the contest every year. This groupcomprising , ,  and the was subsequently dubbed the "[Big Four](/wiki/Big_Four_%28Eurovision%29 "Big Four (Eurovision)")" group of countries. Alongside the previous year's winning country and the Big Four, the remaining places in the 2000 contest were given to any eligible countries which had not competed in the 1999 contest, and the countries which had competed in 1999 that had obtained the highest average points total over the preceding five contests. In cases where the average was identical between two or more countries, the total number of points scored in the most recent contest determined the final order.

, , ,  and  were therefore excluded from participating in the 2000 contest, to make way for the return of Finland, Macedonia, Romania, Russia and Switzerland, and debuting country Latvia. Broadcasters in ,  and , participating countries from the  which had not competed in 1999, and were therefore eligible to participate in 2000, decided not to enter, reportedly due to financial reasons.

The calculations used to determine the countries relegated for the 2000 contest are outlined in the table below.

**Table key**
  Qualifier
  Automatic qualifier 
  New/returning countries which did not compete in 1999

| \+ Calculation of average points to determine qualification for the 2000 contest |
| --- |
| Rank | Country | Average | Yearly Point Totals | | | | |
|  |  |  |  |  |
| 1 |  | 116\.80 | 76 | 77 | 227 | 166 | 38 |
| 2 |  | 115\.33 | 81 |  |  | 172 | 93 |
| 3 |  | 90\.40 | 100 | 100 | 36 | 53 | 163 |
| 4 |  | 89\.00 | 44 | 162 | 157 | 64 | 18 |
| 5 |  | 84\.60 | 91 | 98 | 24 | 131 | 79 |
| 6 |  | 81\.40 | 76 | 68 | 66 | 165 | 32 |
| 7 |  | 76\.00 |  | 78 | 5 | 150 | 71 |
| 8 |  | 75\.50 |  | 94 | 82 | 36 | 90 |
| 9 |  | 75\.20 | 148 | 114 | 0 | 79 | 35 |
| 10 |  | 62\.67 | 92 |  | 25 |  | 71 |
| 11 |  | 62\.25 | 1 |  | 22 | 86 | 140 |
| 12 |  | 61\.50 | 31 | 51 | 18 |  | 146 |
| 13 |  | 57\.60 | 79 | 72 | 98 | 37 | 2 |
| 14 |  | 53\.00 | 67 | 68 | 12 |  | 65 |
| 15 |  | 50\.80 | 119 | 17 | 96 | 21 | 1 |
| 16 |  | 49\.00 | 21 | 57 | 121 | 25 | 21 |
| 17 |  | 47\.50 | 8 | 22 |  | 122 | 38 |
| 18 |  | 45\.40 | 84 | 16 | 60 | 17 | 50 |
| 19 |  | 44\.80 | 94 | 18 | 95 | 3 | 14 |
| 20 |  | 33\.75 | 14 | 13 | 22 |  | 86 |
| 21 |  | 29\.00 | 5 | 92 | 0 | 36 | 12 |
| 22 |  | 27\.20 | 15 | 31 | 54 | 19 | 17 |
| 23 |  | 25\.00 | 17 |  | 33 |  |  |
| 24 |  | 16\.00 |  |  |  | 16 |  |
| 25 |  | 15\.50 |  | 9 |  | 22 |  |
| 26 |  | 13\.00 |  |  |  |  | 13 |
| 27 |  | 9\.00 |  | 22 | 5 | 0 |  |
| 28 |  | 6\.00 |  |  |  | 6 |  |
| – |  | – |  |  |  |  |  |


How many questions do you see in this text?