Own Americavision Song Contest 8

Own Americavision Song Contest 8, often referred to as OAmSC #8, is the 8th edition of Own Americavision Song Contest. It took place in Havana, Cuba, following Mayra Verónica’s win in the 7th edition with the song "Mama Mia". It was the first time Cuba had hosted the contest. The contest was held at the Coliseo de la Ciudad Deportiva, and consisted of two semi-finals and the final. The three live shows were hosted by Camila Cabello.

Thirty-eight countries participated in the contest — one less than the record number of 39 set at the third edition. Guam made their debut this edition. Bolivia, British Virgin Islands, Colombia, Dominican Republic, Jamaica, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Suriname and Trinidad and Tobago returned to the contest. Meanwhile, Aruba, Panama, Saint Lucia, Uruguay and Venezuela withdrew for various reasons.

Location
Further information on the host country: Cuba

Host City
Havana is the capital city, largest city, province, major port, and leading commercial center of Cuba. The city has a population of 2.1 million inhabitants, and it spans a total of 781.58 km2 – making it the largest city by area, the most populous city, and the fourth largest metropolitan area in the Caribbean region.

Contemporary Havana can essentially be described as three cities in one: Old Havana, Vedado and the newer suburban districts. The city extends mostly westward and southward from the bay, which is entered through a narrow inlet and which divides into three main harbors: Mari melena, Guanabacoa and Antares. The sluggish Almendares River traverses the city from south to north, entering the Straits of Florida a few miles west of the bay.

The city attracts over a million tourists annually; the Official Census for Havana reports that in 2010 the city was visited by 1,176,627 international tourists, a 20% increase from 2005. Old Havana was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1982. The city is also noted for its history, culture, architecture and monuments. As typical of Cuba, Havana experiences a tropical climate.

Venue
Coliseo de la Ciudad Deportiva is an indoor sporting arena located in Havana, Cuba. The capacity of the arena is 15,000 spectators and opened in 1957. The arena is part of the Ciudad Deportiva complex. It is used to host indoor sporting events and hosts the Cuba men's national volleyball team.

On March 1, 2016, The Rolling Stones announced they'd be playing a free concert at the arena on March 25, the first open air concert by a British rock band in the country's history.

In 1974, the Coliseo hosted the World Amateur Boxing Championships. In 1984 it hosted the boxing component of the Friendship Games, which was hosted in boycott of the 1984 Summer Olympics. The Ciudad Deportiva complex also hosted the competitions in men's volleyball and water polo during the Friendship Games. The complex was also used to host events during the 1991 Pan American Games in Havana.

Semi-final Allocation Draw
The draw to determine the allocation of the participating countries into their respective semi-finals took place on 24 February 2020. The first part of the draw determined in which semi-final the Big Six would have to vote. The second part of the draw decided in which half of the respective semi-finals each country would perform, with the exact running order determined by the producers of the show at a later date. Sixteen countries participated in each semi-final. From each semi-final, ten countries joined the "Big 6" in the final, where a total of twenty-six countries participated.

The thirty-two semi-finalists were allocated into six pots, based on their geographical place and cultural similarities. Drawing from different pots helps in reducing the chance of so-called neighbour voting and increasing suspense in the semi-finals. Each time a country was drawn from the pot, its semi-final and half of the semi-final was determined.

The six pots were the following:

Semi-final 1
Sixteen countries participated in the first semi-final. Cuba, Puerto Rico and United States also voted in this semi-final.

Semi-final 2
Sixteen countries participated in the second semi-final. Ecuador, El Salvador and Haiti also voted in this semi-final.

Final
Twenty-six countries participated in the final, with all 38 participating countries eligible to vote.

Other countries
Eligibility for potential participation in the Own Americavision Song Contest requires a national broadcaster with active OABA membership that would be able to broadcast the contest. As in every edition, an invitation to all the members have been sent in order to confirm whether they will participate or not.
 * The broadcaster announced that it would not participate in the contest due to a lack of singers.
 * Aruba had originally confirmed their participation in the contest. However, the OABA announced that the delegation had failed to submit a song before the deadline, thus being forced to withdraw.
 * Broadcasting Corporation of the Bahamas announced that Bahamas would not return due to a possible change in the delegation.
 * Despite showing interest in returning in the contest, Great Belize Television announced that they will stay away for one more edition.
 * Radio y Televisión de Guatemala failed to confirm or withdraw from the edition on time and were fined by the council.
 * It was confirmed that the broadcaster had not signed up to compete in the contest.
 * Despite confirming their participation in the contest, the Panamanian broadcaster decided to withdraw without a given reason.
 * The Lucian broadcaster announced its withdrawal due to a change in their delegation.
 * Televisión Nacional Uruguay failed to confirm their participation in time and was forced to withdraw.
 * Corporación Venezolana de Televisión announced that they would not participate in the contest, due to financial reasons. A return was speculated in the next edition.