Eurovision 2023 running order: Grand Final order explained, how is it decided, what time is Mae Muller's song?

Following the second semi-final on Thursday night (11 May), the 26 countries to have made it to this year's Grand Final have now been confirmed, and the running order in which they will perform has been set.

The acts that advanced from each semi-final are chosen out of a bowl to perform in either the first or second half of the final. The "big five" - France, Spain, the UK, Italy, and Germany - automatically advance to the final as they make large payments to the host broadcaster.

The winner from the previous year - in this instance TVORCHI from Ukraine - is also automatically qualified.

The producers of the show then create the running order for the Grand Final. They aim to ensure a diverse and engaging show, taking into consideration factors such as song genres, tempos, languages, and stage performances. Occasionally, changes to the running order may occur for logistical reasons or due to unforeseen circumstances.

While performing last might seem like a daunting task, performing towards the latter part of the show allows for a bigger impact and keeps the audience engaged. Viewers are also more likely to recall a song that's fresh in the memory when the voting lines open than one at the beginning of the competition.

43 of the 67 former Eurovision winners performed in the second half of the show.

What is the running order for the Eurovision Song Contest 2023?

The confirmed running order for the Eurovision Song Contest 2023 looks like this:

1. Austria | Teya & Salena - Who The Hell Is Edgar?
2. Portugal | Mimicat - Ai Coração
3. Switzerland | Remo Forrer - Watergun
4. Poland | Blanka - Solo
5. Serbia | Luke Black - Samo Mi Se Spava
6. France: La Zarra - Évidemment
7. Cyprus | Andrew Lambrou - Break A Broken Heart
8. Spain: Blanca Paloma - Eaea
9. Sweden | Loreen - Tattoo
10. Albania | Albina & Familja Kelmendi - Duje
11. Italy: Marco Mengoni - Due Vite
12. Estonia | Alika - Bridges
13. Finland | Käärijä - Cha Cha Cha
14. Czechia | Vesna - My Sister's Crown
15. Australia | Voyager - Promise
16. Belgium | Gustaph - Because Of You
17. Armenia | Brunette - Future Lover
18. Moldova | Pasha Parfeni - Soarele şi Luna
19. Ukraine: TVORCHI - Heart of Steel
20. Norway | Alessandra - Queen of Kings
21. Germany: Lord of the Lost - Blood & Glitter
22. Lithuania | Monika Linkytė - Stay
23. Israel | Noa Kirel - Unicorn
24. Slovenia | Joker Out - Carpe Diem
25. Croatia | Let 3 - Mama ŠČ!
26. United Kingdom | Mae Muller - I Wrote A Song

What time will Mae Muller be performing?

The exact time that we'll see the UK's Mae Muller take to the stage is hard to pin down, as it can be affected by the length of the previous performances, and other logistical factors.

However, she'll obviously be performing at the very tail end of the live performance section of the show, ahead of voting lines opening. With that section of the show running for around two hours, we'd expect Muller to be onstage just before 10pm, though obviously this is subject to change.

How can I watch it?

Graham Norton, Alesha Dixon, Hannah Waddingham, and Julia Sanina host the 67th Eurovision Song contest, with commentary from Mel Giedroyc and Graham Norton. BBC One's coverage kicks off at 8pm on Saturday 13 May.