Eurovision 2016: Everything you need to know about the favourites

Forget The Voice and The X Factor, the world's biggest singing competition is back! The 2016 Eurovision Song Contest promises to be the biggest ever, with 43 countries battling it out for the chance to raise the trophy in Stockholm, Sweden.

Aside from six countries – 'Big Five' France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the UK, plus last year's winner Sweden – everyone has to perform in a semi-final to be in with a chance of the big one.

With only three minutes and as many key changes as they can handle to impress the juries and the voters at home, the competition is tough. But who's going to be in with a good chance of lifting the trophy and who's staring disappointment and disgrace in the eye? We mull over some of the favourites – and a few who should probably think twice before even unpacking their suitcase.

The favourites

Russia

2008 winners Russia have qualified for every Grand Final since the semis were introduced in 2004, and last year they came pretty close to victory, finishing second. With an eye on the prize, Russia have changed tack this year, eschewing a big ballad in favour of what we can only describe as a banger. Part Abba classic, part homage to Rachel Stevens' stellar hit Some Girls, You Are The Only One is currently a hot favourite.

Russia's Sergey simply can't take his eyes off that stain on the carpet.

"Thunder and lightning, it's getting exciting!" belts the relatively easy-on-the-peepers Sergey Lazarev – and he's not wrong. The video for You Are The Only One features fire eaters – no word yet on whether he'll be bringing them along to Stockholm. Or his shirt, which seems to fall off with startling regularity.

Will it win? It's not the favourite for nothing, and Russia seem confident, but we do like a last-minute upset.

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France

Our nearest continental neighbours have romped to victory an impressive five times, although there's been a bit of a drought situation lately – they haven't lifted the trophy in 39 years. And you thought the UK had problems. To add to their misery, France haven't finished Top 10 for seven years, either, but hoping to turn things around is Amir, with J'ai Cherché (I Searched, or I Searched For if you're our French teacher who used to get very annoyed when we forgot the 'for').

Amir's the French hopeful for 2016 (Pic: Renaud Corlouer)

There's more than a hint of Avicii about this one – lots of "oohs" (descriptive, we know) and a few real instruments over the top of a banging beat.

Will it win? France are long overdue a victory, but voters at home don't tend to go for countries from the 'Big Five'. Or maybe it's just us.

Australia

Yes, our cousins from Down Under are back again. After a special invitation last year to mark the 60th Eurovision, and in recognition of the cult following the contest enjoys in Australia, the Aussies return as a fully fledged regular contestant. It's a controversial move for die-hard Eurovision fans, but we reckon the more, the merrier.

Dami Im's hoping to turn Eurovision upside down – by taking the trophy Down Under (Peter Brew-Bevan)

After Guy Sebastian took them Top 5 last year, all eyes are on The X Factor winner Dami Im to get them through their first-ever semifinal. Sound of Silence is a dramatic, sweeping ballad that wouldn't sound out of place on a Sia album, or at least somebody else's album, kindly donated by Sia. She does that.

Will it win? We reckon casual Eurovision lovers might chuck Australia plenty of points, but there's no getting away from the fact the more devoted fans might penalise them for not actually being in Europe.

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Sweden

Truly, Sweden are the very definition of "Oh, for goodness' sake, let someone else have a go". Not content with winning it TWO of the last four contests, they've only gone and sent another gem to the finals. If I Were Sorry is a jaunty, simple mid-tempo which is a bit like a cutesier George Ezra track. Well, kind of. Singer Frans is a mere 17 years old and shot to fame in his native Sweden at the age of 7, when he had a massive hit with a song about a footballer, Zlatan Ibrahimovic. As you do.

Get your hands in the air for Frans!

If Frans brings it home for Sweden again – and let's face it, he doesn't have far to go so could easily manage it – it will be the first time a country has won two consecutive Grand Finals since Ireland in 1994, who actually went on to win a third time in 1995. Talk about a raging thirst.

Will it win? Nobody likes someone who hogs all the limelight – Sweden's likely to suffer at being the incumbent.

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Malta

Malta aren't particularly famed for bringing it when it comes to Eurovision, but the small Mediterranean island has suddenly discovered its mojo in the shape of Ira Losco and her punchy entry Walk On Water. Like an explosion in an amazingness factory, detonated by Jess Glynne and Emeli Sandé, Walk On Water is a singalong, toe-tapping, hands-in-the-air banger.

If Ira Losco doesn't score Malta their first victory, there'd always be plenty of work for her as a Kate Middleton lookalike (Allen Venables)

Will it win? Malta have never scored a win, so it would be fun if they got to lift the trophy. And who wouldn't want a few days in sunny Valletta in 2017? Come on, Malta, make it happen!

Bulgaria

There's quite a bit of buzz around this entry from Poli Genova, who's represented her country at Eurovision before, in 2011. Bulgaria have qualified for the Grand Final just once since 2007, but the poppy, energetic If Love Was A Crime looks set to change all that.

Poli's country has only been in one Grand Final. Can she stage a comeback? (Kostadin Krustev)

Will it win? Well, no. But it's looking good for Top 5, which will be a personal best for Bulgaria, and long overdue.

Thanks for coming…

As ever, the quality of tracks varies wildly, and while we applaud their enthusiasm, there are one or two entries we reckon may have a date with destiny – and that destiny is nul points and their cab fare home. 

San Marino

With a voice not unlike your most embarrassing uncle at a wedding, and a taste in hats to rival maverick MP George Galloway, Serhat probably has a bit of a fight on his hands to qualify, to be honest.

Serhat. He likes hats. (Klaus Roethliesberger)

I Didn't Know isn't actually too bad, if you like a healthy helping of old-school lift-muzak disco with a few Boney M handclaps thrown in for good measure. We just worry its cheesy vibe won't be contemporary enough for choosy Eurovision fans.

Montenegro

X Factor contestants Highway certainly have the rock credentials, but The Real Thing has far too much going on to endear itself to Eurovision enthusiasts. It stops and starts quite a lot, which might not translate very well to a live performance on the Eurovision stage, where you have a mere three minutes to make your case and be memorable.

Can you turn it down a bit? It's Highway. (Djordje Zivaljevic)

The grungy guitars in the chorus are quite entertaining, if a little distracting. Your grandma would call this 'noise'.

Greece

Full points for weaving traditional music elements into their entry, but it's a resounding zero for the strained rapping, uninspiring lyrics (even for Eurovision), inconsistent tempo and the general air that this one's kind of been thrown together.

Greece is the word – can Argo win? (Beetroot Design/Costas Pappas)

Not sure Argo are going to go all the way with Utopian Land. Probably best to just leave the taxi running outside, guys.

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Austria

If Vanessa Paradis bumped into Petite Meller down the local karaoke after eating a few too many Chewits, the resulting frantic, sugar-fuelled sing-off may well sound a bit like from this one from Zoë. Loin D'Ici (Far From Here) is quite sweet and the chorus is very catchy, and all in French, but we reckon its fluffiness might fall foul of those who take the contest very seriously.

Zoë, making the best of a bad situation, banished by an evil sorceress to spend all eternity trapped in a child's painting. (ORF/Milenko Badzic)

Obviously, if it were up to us, Austria would win with the maximum points possible, but sadly, and unjustly, it is not, so we reckon it's an early shower for Zoë.

Bosnia & Herzegovina

There's some pretty impressive cello action from Ana Rucner on Ljubav Ve (Love Is), but ultimately the tune isn't massively memorable.

Two men, two women, and a cello. (Vanja Lisac)

The whole thing feels dated, and while there's no denying Dalal and Deen have some powerful pipes between them, it gets a bit shouty toward the end and nobody likes being screamed at.

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Belgium

Laura has given up on trying to assemble her flat-pack furniture and has decided to sit on this box instead. (Wim Van de Genachte/VRT)

Strong pop disco vibes from 19-year-old Laura Tesoro on the oddly titled What's The Pressure. It sounds like S Club 7 never went away, really, which is amazing, obviously, but it has no chance of winning because, as we said, this kind of thing is beyond our control.

Relive and reminisce every previous UK entrant in our Eurovision gallery: