Eurovision introduced its first semi-final in 2004.
The first semi-final was held in Istanbul, Turkey, on 12 May 2004, two days before the grand final. It was created because the number of participating countries had increased beyond what could comfortably fit into one televised final.
Countries that had performed strongly in previous contests, along with the host country and the so-called Big Four broadcasters, were initially exempt from the semi-final. The remaining participants competed for places in the final. Ukraine won the 2004 final after qualifying through this new round.
The semi-final system changed several times. In 2008 Eurovision moved to two semi-finals, allowing more countries to participate while keeping the final manageable. The automatic qualifiers also evolved, especially after the Big Five arrangement was introduced when Italy returned in 2011.
The 2004 semi-final is distinct from later national selection shows, which are used by individual countries to choose their entries. Eurovision’s semi-final is an international stage held immediately before the main contest final.