Israel: All the highlights from the first episode of HaKokhav Haba!

The highly anticipated Israeli selection process for Eurovision 2025 began tonight with the premiere of the first episode of HaKokhav Haba 2024. This competition, known in English as “The Next Star”, is the format used by Israel to choose its representative for the Eurovision Song Contest.

Since its debut in 2015, HaKokhav Haba has been the main selection method for Israel, excluding the years 2022 and 2023. The show has achieved significant success, notably securing Israel’s Eurovision victory with Netta in 2018.

Though filming for this season began on October 10 at Neve Ilan Studios, tonight marked the official broadcast of the first episode on Israeli television.

The Format

In the “HaKokhav Haba” format, each contestant performs a song, with the aim of securing at least a 70% approval rating. This score is determined by a combination of live audience votes from those attending the studio and a jury panel’s vote. Each member of the jury can contribute a maximum of 10% to the contestant’s total score.

Hosts and Judging Panel

Returning to host the show are Rotem Sela and Assi Azar. Azar has been involved with HaKokhav Haba since its inaugural edition in 2013 and previously hosted the 2019 Eurovision Song Contest. Sela joined as a host in the second season and has been a presenter ever since.

The judging panel for this season includes a diverse group of music industry veterans:

• Assaf Amdursky
• Keren Peles
• Shiri Maimon
• Eden Hason
• Ran Danker
• Itay Levi

With their combined experience, the panel ensures a high level of competition, which promises to be even more intense than last season’s edition.

Contestants and Their Performances

In tonight’s episode, six contestants took the stage, and five of them advanced to the next stage of the competition. Here’s a look at some of the standout performances:

• Nati Livian (25): Performing “I Wanna Dance With Somebody” by Whitney Houston, Nati impressed the judges with his vocal abilities and received an outstanding 93% score.

• KLÉR (22): Keller sang “Love On The Brain” by Rihanna. Her experience shone through, earning her a 96% score, and the judges noted her potential for Eurovision, comparing her to past Eurovision winner, Nemo.

• Renana Boaziza (29): Renana performed “Finished” by Idan Amedi. Despite a solid performance, the judges questioned whether she was a good fit for Eurovision, and she scored 82%. Assaf Amdursky did not vote for her.

• Ido Malka (26): Performing his original song “Psychopath”, Ido impressed the panel and received a 94% score, showing strong potential to represent Israel at Eurovision.

• Daniel Weiss (29): Daniel dedicated his performance of “I’m a Guitar” by Benny Amdursky to the victims of the October 7th incident, as he tragically lost his parents in the Israeli-Hamas conflict. His emotional rendition earned him the highest score of the night—97%.

The winner of HaKokhav Haba and therefore Israel’s representative in Eurovision 2024 was Eden Golan. Eden Golan performed her song “Hurricane“, finishing fifth overall.