Canticum Certamine 23

Canticum Certamine 23, also known as CC 23, was the twenty-third edition of Canticum Certamine. It took place in Beirut, Lebanon, It was the first time Lebanon hosted the contest, after Khansa won with his song "Sirna". Lebanese Broadcasting Corporation International (LBC) chose the Saida Municipal Stadium, with Lukas Abdul and Shirin El-Hage as the hosts.
A total of fifty-three countries competed in Lebanon, the same amount of participants as the previous edition. Azerbaijan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Hungary, and Moldova returned to the contest. A total of four countries withdrew from the contest, those being Greece, Finland, Slovenia, and Uzbekistan. All countries are expected to make a return in upcoming editions.
The winner of the edition was Latvia, with the song "summer is over and so are we" performed by Múr. This was the first time Latvia won the contest as well as the first Baltic nation to win. The country scored 393 points, 2 points ahead of the runner-up, United Kingdom. Spain achieved their first ever third place, achieving every place in the top three, meanwhile Azerbaijan, Sweden and Egypt completed the top six of this edition. All countries were pre-qualified in the next edition.
==Location==
With its high literacy rate and traditional mercantile culture, Lebanon has been an important commercial hub for the Middle East. It has also often been at the centre of Middle Eastern conflicts, despite its small size, because of its borders with Syria and Israel and its uniquely complex communal make-up. Lebanon's broadcasting scene is developed, lively and diverse, and reflects the country's pluralism and divisions. It was the first Arab country to permit private radio and TV. These outlets dominate the broadcasting scene and air some of the most outspoken TV talk shows in the region.
Sidon or Saida is the third-largest city in Lebanon. It is located in the South Governorate, of which it is the capital, on the Mediterranean coast. Tyre to the south and Lebanese capital Beirut to the north are both about 40 kilometres (25 miles) away. Sidon has a population of about 80,000 within city limits, while its metropolitan area has more than a quarter-million inhabitants.
===Bidding phase ===
Key Host venue
City 	Venue 	Capacity
Beirut 	Camille Chamoun Sports City Stadium 	49,500
Ghazir 	Ghazir Club Court 	5,000
Sidon 	Saida Municipal Stadium 	22,600
Tripoli	Tripoli International Olympic Stadium	22,400
Tripoli	Tripoli Municipal Stadium 	10,000
==Participating countries==
===Pre-Qualification Round===
Draw	Country	Artist 	Song 	Place	Points
01 	 	The Envlps 	"Stare" 	6 	101
02 	 	Krrysopher 	"Homesick" 	5 	115
03 	 	Ivana Mer 	"Earth" 	4 	121
04 	 	T'oi 	"Tildesu" 	7 	99
05 	 	angel cara 	"sick of me" 	3 	127
06 	 	ANIKK 	"Tig eis ti?" 	2 	127
07 	 	Frum 	"For The Blue Sky"	8 	86
08 	 	Pluto's Doubts	"Ne Begaj, Begaj" 	9 	78
09 	 	Manal 	"Morak" 	1 	132
===Semi-final 1===
Twenty-one countries participated in the first semi-final. Estonia, Ireland and Spain also voted in this semi-final. The highlighted countries qualified for the final.
Draw	Country	Artist 	Song 	Place	Points
01 	 	Vajnija 	"Antilopa" 	6 	153
02 	 	Güneş 	"Pop" 	17 	96
03 	 	Joost Laméris	"Remember" 	19 	86
04 	 	Cobrah 	"Feminine Energy" 	2 	228
05 	 	MIBLU 	"Island" 	20 	86
06 	 	Losez 	"Bambina" 	21 	72
07 	 	Novaé Lita 	"Morphine" 	18 	93
08 	 	Ivana Mer 	"Earth" 	15 	104
09 	 	Yuvi 	"30 povinʹ" 	4 	162
10 	 	Meg 	"Fortefragile" 	1 	235
11 	 	ANIKK 	"Tig eis ti?" 	11 	132
12 	 	Sasi 	"Wzór" 	9 	145
13 	 	Nuha Ruby Ra 	"My Voice" 	8 	145
14 	 	Nela 	"Nebo gori" 	7 	151
15 	 	happydieyoung	"Dancing in Limbo" 	5 	157
16 	 	capétte 	"Kirozini" 	16 	101
17 	 	Karola 	"Majdnem Szerelem" 	13 	117
18 	 	Ruth Koleva 	"Energy" 	14 	108
19 	 	Ikkimel 	"Keta und Krawall" 	3 	205
20 	 	Bébe Yana 	"Vision Getting Blurred"	12 	130
21 	 	Solann 	"Rome" 	10 	136
===Semi-final 2 ===
Twenty-one countries participated in the first semi-final. Lebanon, San Marino and the United Kingdom also voted in this semi-final. The highlighted countries qualified for the final.
Draw	Country	Artist 	Song 	Place	Points
01 	 	Ayla D'lyla, Miss Madeline	"Life Could Be Sweet" 	11 	126
02 	 	Pussy Riot 	"Rage" 	12 	125
03 	 	Lores 	"Balerina" 	19 	85
04 	 	Reinel Bakole 	"eye land" 	1 	210
05 	 	Emilija Karosaitė 	"100 valandų" 	4 	195
06 	 	Helena Gao 	"God's Favorite" 	5 	180
07 	 	Marie Sahba 	"Give Me A Sign" 	3 	199
08 	 	Faux Real 	"Faux Maux" 	16 	95
09 	 	Šajzerbiterlemon 	"Metak" 	13 	107
10 	 	Carolina Deslandes 	"Saia da Carolina" 	17 	94
11 	 	angel cara 	"sick of me" 	14 	101
12 	 	Nina Rossell 	"Idées noires" 	15 	96
13 	 	Lepnina 	"Na volyu" 	8 	162
14 	 	Beba 	"Limonare" 	21 	66
15 	 	Magic Flowers 	"Tvoe Telo" 	9 	152
16 	 	DíSA 	"Cure" 	10 	148
17 	 	Luan Durmishi 	"Makth (Ballkanik)" 	6 	170
18 	 	Manal 	"Morak" 	7 	167
19 	 	Mariami 	"Aries" 	18 	87
20 	 	Billow 	"Badlands" 	20 	77
21 	 	Múr 	"summer is over and so are we"	2 	200
===Final===
Draw	Country	Artist 	Song 	Place	Points
01 	 	Helena Gao 	"God's Favorite" 	11 	280
02 	 	DíSA 	"Cure" 	25 	146
03 	 	Yuvi 	"30 povinʹ" 	12 	278
04 	 	Marie Sahba 	"Give Me A Sign" 	4 	365
05 	 	Maris Pihlap 	"So Much More" 	18 	241
06 	 	Nela 	"Nebo gori" 	23 	173
07 	 	Cobrah 	"Feminine Energy" 	5 	351
08 	 	Lepnina 	"Na volyu" 	24 	166
09 	 	Solann 	"Rome" 	21 	185
10 	 	Mon Laferte 	"Autopoiética" 	3 	387
11 	 	Manal 	"Morak" 	16 	244
12 	 	Nuha Ruby Ra 	"My Voice" 	6 	308
13 	 	MUNA 	"What I Want" 	22 	182
14 	 	Ikkimel 	"Keta und Krawall" 	15 	265
15 	 	Sasi 	"Wzór" 	20 	207
16 	 	Vajnija 	"Antilopa" 	17 	242
17 	 	Emilija Karosaitė	"100 valandų" 	14 	275
18 	 	Rea 	"Cadono" 	26 	103
19 	 	happydieyoung 	"Dancing in Limbo" 	19 	232
20 	 	Rachel Chinouriri	"The Hills" 	2 	391
21 	 	Thoom 	"American Terrorist" 	13 	277
22 	 	Meg 	"Fortefragile" 	9 	300
23 	 	Múr 	"summer is over and so are we"	1 	393
24 	 	Reinel Bakole 	"eye land" 	7 	304
25 	 	Luan Durmishi 	"Makth (Ballkanik)" 	8 	301
26 	 	Magic Flowers 	"Tvoe Telo" 	10 	284