The Sound Of Europe 9

## Editions

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The **Sound Of Europe 9**was the 9th edition of the Sound Of Europe. It took place in **O2 Arena, Prague, Czech Republic**, following **Czech Republic's victory** in the 8th edition with **Gabriela Gunčíková** and her song **"Černý Anděl"**. This was the first time that Czech Republic hosted the contest. The 9th edition consisted of **two semi-finals**, which took place on 18 June 2016, and **a final**, held on 2 July 2016. The shows were presented by **Václav Bárta** and **Marta Jandová** while **Gabriela Gunčíková** was hosting the green room. Forty-seven countries participated in the 9th edition.

Once all the votes had been announced, based on 50% jury and 50% televoting, **Denmark** won the contest, with **MØ**'s song **"Final Song"**.

## Location

**Prague** is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. It is the 14th largest city in the European Union. It is also the historical capital of Bohemia. Situated in the north-west of the country on the Vltava river, the city is home to about 1.26 million people, while its larger urban zone is estimated to have a population of nearly 2 million. The city has a temperate climate, with warm summers and chilly winters.

Prague has been a political, cultural, and economic centre of central Europe with waxing and waning fortunes during its history. Founded during the Romanesque and flourishing by the Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque eras, Prague was the capital of the kingdom of Bohemia and the main residence of several Holy Roman Emperors, most notably of Charles IV (r. 1346–1378). It was an important city to the Habsburg Monarchy and its Austro-Hungarian Empire. The city played major roles in the Bohemian and Protestant Reformation, the Thirty Years' War, and in 20th-century history as the capital of Czechoslovakia, during both World Wars and the post-war Communist era.

Prague is home to a number of famous cultural attractions, many of which survived the violence and destruction of 20th-century Europe. Main attractions include the Prague Castle, the Charles Bridge, Old Town Square with the Prague astronomical clock, the Jewish Quarter, Petřín hill and Vyšehrad. Since 1992, the extensive historic centre of Prague has been included in the UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites.

The city boasts more than ten major museums, along with numerous theatres, galleries, cinemas, and other historical exhibits. An extensive modern public transportation system connects the city. Also, it is home to a wide range of public and private schools, including Charles University in Prague, the oldest university in Central Europe.

Prague is classified as an "Alpha-" global city according to GaWC studies. Prague ranked sixth in the Tripadvisor world list of best destinations in 2016. Its rich history makes it a popular tourist destination, and the city receives more than 6.4 million international visitors annually, as of 2014. Prague is the fifth most visited European city after London, Paris, Istanbul and Rome.

### **Venue**

The contest took place in O2 Arena in Prague, following Czech Republic's victory at the 8th edition of the contest in Turin with the song "Černý Anděl", performed by Gabriela Gunčíková. O2 Arena has a capacity of approximately 18,000 attendees. It is a multi-purpose arena and it is home to HC Sparta Prague of the Czech Extraliga and is the second-largest ice hockey arena in Europe. O2 Arena has hosted important sporting events such as the European Athletics Indoor Championships, two Ice Hockey World Championships (2004, 2015), the Euroleague Final Four 2006, the World Floorball Championship, the Davis Cup finals, as well as a handful of NHL and KHL games, including the 2014 Gagarin Cup final. It can also host stage shows, such as concerts, and other large-scale events.

## Format

The edition consisted of two semi-finals and a final. The ten countries with the highest scores in both semi-finals qualified to the final.

Each participating country had their own national jury, which consisted of five professional members of the music industry. Each member of a respective nation's jury was required to rank every song, except that of their own country. The voting results from each member of a particular nation's jury were combined to produce an overall ranking from first to last place. Likewise, the televoting results were also interpreted as a full ranking, taking into account the full televoting result rather than just the top ten. The combination of the jury's full ranking and the televote's full ranking produced an overall ranking of all competing entries. The song which scored the highest overall rank received 12 points, while the tenth-best ranked song received 1 point.

### **Running order**

The final running order of the competing performances at the semi-finals and the final were decided by the producer of the show and approved by the Executive Producer, the Executive Supervisor, the CBU and the Reference Group.

### **Presenters**

On 28 May 2016, ČT announced that **Václav Bárta** and **Marta Jandová**were the hosts of the 9th edition. **Gabriela Gunčíková** , last edition's winner, was also chosen as host of the green room.

### **National host broadcaster**

During an initial meeting between the host broadcaster ČT and CBU (Contest Broadcasting Union), the representatives of the core organising team were selected. **Merfi Amadeus** was announced as the executive producer and **Kostas Bouris** as the executive supervisor.

## Participants

47 countries participated in the edition. This was the biggest number of participants ever in the contest. The edition consisted of two semi-finals with 21 countries, from which the 10 with the highest scores qualified to the final. Australia was the country which made its debut in the contest. Andorra returned to the contest after a five-edition break. None country withdrew from the contest.

### **Big 5**

  United Kingdom | Bring Me The Horizon
  Italy | Laura Pausini feat. James Blunt
  France | Greg June
  Greece | The FaDe

## Results

### **Semi-final 1**

21 countries took part in the first semi-final. The ten songs in places 1 to 10 qualified for the final and are marked in orange. Czech Republic, United Kingdom and Italy voted from the Big 5.

### **Semi-final 2**

21 countries took part in the second semi-final. The ten songs in places 1 to 10 qualified for the final and are marked in orange. Czech Republic, France and Greece voted from the Big 5.

## Other countries

### **Active CBU members**

* FYR Macedonia - MRT announced that the country would not return in the 9th edition of the Sound Of Europe.