Pre-Qualification Round

The Pre-Qualification Round (abbreviated to PQR) is a visual event that determines the participation of various countries in The Song.

Format
PQR takes place before the first semi-final of every edition. It is not a televised event, only featured on YouTube.

Editions 1-3
The participants of PQR were determined after Heads of Delegations were matched with a country - the seven (or nine) last claimed countries were relegated - and the show would take place in the same city as the main contest. Results were split 50/50, the halves made up of jury votes form the participating delegations and an online audience televote.

Edition 4 onwards
The PQR was extended to feature 13, and later in Edition 6 15, countries: the non-qualifiers of the previous Pre-Qualification Round plus the eight lowest-scoring countries in the previous edition's semi-finals. In addition, the contest was moved to be hosted in the winning country of the previous edition's PQR (this reset did not take into account Slovenia, the winners of PQR 3, with PQR 4 being hosted at Loch Lomond, United Kingdom).