Canticum Certamine 13

PQR date
 Final date
 Venue
 Entries
 Returning
**Participation map**
* Participating countries     Did not qualify from the semi final or the PQR     Countries that participated in the past but not this edition
 System
 Winner

**Canticum Certamine 13**, often known as **CC 13**, is the thirteenth edition of Canticum Certamine. It took place in Kazakhstan, following NAZIMA's victory in the previous edition with the song "Lenty." It was the first time Kazakhstan hosted the contest.

Fifty-two countries confirmed their participation in the edition. Finland, Kosovo and San Marino returned after their absence from the previous editions, Meanwhile Algeria, Latvia and Slovakia withdrew from the contest.

The winner of the edition was Norway with the song "Sier ingenting" performed by Amalie Holt Kleive. This was Norway's first victory in the history of Canticum Certamine, this was also Norway's first top three placement since the third edition. The song gathered a total of 414 points, only 5 points ahead the runner-up, Cyprus, marking their best result, just an edition after achieving their worst for the second time, last in the semi final. Lithuania finished on third place, while the United Kingdom, Azerbaijan and Croatia completed the top 6 of the edition. All top five countries achieved their best result. Kosovo qualified for the first time ever, after six non-qualifications in a row, since their debut.

## Location

Kazakhstan is a vast landlocked country situated in Central Asia, bordered by Russia, China, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, and Turkmenistan. The country boasts a rich musical tradition, blending traditional Kazakh music with Western influences. Notably, Kazakhstan is the world's ninth largest country, featuring a space launch site and the world's largest open-pit uranium mine.

### Bidding phase

After Kazakhstan accepted the hosting of the 13th edition, on May 23rd 2023, the broadcaster Gakku TV announced that two cities across the nation with their venues had applied: Almaty and Astana.

According to the delegation's leader, each of the shortlisted host towns has what it takes to accommodate artists and fans from all across Europe. The prerequisites of adequate arena capacity, hotel accommodations, and city framework were all taken into account. A final visit to each city was performed in order to determine the 13th edition's host city.

On May 27th, Almaty was announced as the host city, alongside with Almaty Arena as the host venue.

**Key**      Host venue

 Saryarka Velodrome | 10,000

## Format

### Semi-final allocation draw

The draw to determine the allocation of the participating countries into their respective semi-finals took place on the 18th of April 2023. The first part of the draw determined in which semi-final the Big Six would have to vote. The second part of the draw decided in which half of the respective semi-finals each country would perform, with the exact running order determined by the producers of the show at a later date. Twenty countries will participate in both semi-finals, respectively. From each semi-final, ten countries will join the "Big 6" in the final, where a total of twenty-six countries will participate.

The forty-two semi-finalists were allocated into six pots, based on their geographical place and cultural similarities. Drawing from different pots helps in reducing the chance of so-called neighbour voting and increasing suspense in the semi-finals. Each time a country was drawn from the pot, its semi-final and half of the semi-final was determined.

The six pots were the following:

* Croatia
* Kosovo
* Moldova
* North Macedonia
* Romania
* Serbia
* Italy
* Monaco
* Portugal
* San Marino
* Spain
* Switzerland
* Bulgaria
* Hungary
* Lithuania
* Poland
* Russia
 Pot 4
 * Armenia
* Azerbaijan
* Cuba
* Cyprus
* Israel
* Lebanon
* Tunisia
* Estonia
* Faroe Islands
* Finland
* Iceland
* Norway
* Sweden
* Belgium
* Germany
* Ireland
* Luxembourg
* Netherlands
* United Kingdom

## Participating countries

### Semi-final 1

Twenty-one countries participated in the first semi-final. Andorra, Kazakhstan and Morocco also voted in this semi-final. The highlighted countries qualified for the final.

### Semi-final 2

Twenty-one countries participated in the second semi-final. France, Malta and Montenegro also voted in this semi-final. The highlighted countries qualified for the final.

## Other countries

*Further information: List of countries in Canticum Certamine*