Unity Music Festival 1

Unity Music Festival 1, often referred as UMF 1, was the debut edition of the Unity Music Festival. The edition was held in Sydney, Australia as it was randomly chosen. Iggy Azalea was selected as the presenter of the event.

Forty-one countries participated in the first edition, all of them being debutants as it was the first edition.

It was lately cancelled due to the lack of time and due to the welcome of new hosts.

Location

 * For further information see Sydney

Sydney is the state capital of New South Wales and the most populous city in Australia and Oceania. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds the world's largest natural harbour, and sprawls towards the Blue Mountains to the west. Residents of Sydney are known as "Sydneysiders". Sydney is the second official seat, and second official residence, of the Governor-General of Australia, the Prime Minister of Australia and the Cabinet of Australia.

The first people to inhabit the area now known as Sydney were indigenous Australians having migrated from northern Australia and before that from south east Asia. Radiocarbon dating suggests human activity occurred in and around Sydney for at least 30,000 years. Development has destroyed much of the city's history including that of the first inhabitants. There continues to be examples of rock art and engravings located in the protected Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park.

The United Kingdom had for a long time been sending its convicts across the Atlantic to the American colonies. That trade was ended with the Declaration of Independence by the United States in 1776. Between 1788 and 1792 about 4,300 convicts were landed at Sydney. The colony was not founded on the principles of freedom and prosperity.

The year 1850 was the final year of convict transportation to Sydney, which by this time had a population of 35,000.

Participating countries
Forty-one countries participated in the first edition of the contest. The submissions for the first edition opened on 22 August 2015. Greenland wasn't allowed to enter the first edition.

Show
There were a total of five semi-finals (one per continent) and a grand final. The first semi-final was exclusive for the countries in Africa, the second one for the countries in America, the ones in Asia in the third, the ones in Europe in the fourth and the countries in Oceania in the fifth and last semi-final. The number of qualifiers depended in the numbers of participants in each semi-final.

Semi-final 1
In this semi-final, only African countries could take part. As there were five participants, only three could advance to the grand final.

Semi-final 2
In this semi-final, only American countries could take part. As there were ten participants, only six could advance to the grand final.

Semi-final 3
In this semi-final, only Asian countries could take part. As there were eight participants, only five could advance to the grand final.

Semi-final 4
In this semi-final, only European countries could take part. As there were fourteen participants, nine of them could advance to the grand final.

Semi-final 5
In this semi-final, only Oceanian countries could take part. As there were five participants, only three could advance to the grand final.