 The semi-final allocation draw of the 2020 contest took place as planned on 28 January 2020, less than two months before the COVID-19 pandemic forced the EBU to eventually cancel the edition.Regardless if a country is exempt from competing in the semi-finals, all participating countries are allotted a semi-final in which to vote.For the 1988 and 1997 contests, both held in Dublin, the running order was announced at a dedicated event.