Belgium: National final for Eurovision 2023!

/0 Comments/in , /by

The Eurovision commentator for VRT, Peter Van de Veire, announced tonight during the tv show ‘Zomerhit’ that Belgium will organize a national final to select the representative for Eurovision 2023.

This marks the first time since 2016 that Belgium will host a national final to select its entry. Rumors were circulating since April but it is now official that Belgium will not have an internal selection as the last years. More details on the format will be revealed at a later stage by the broadcaster.

‘The Voice Belgique’ winner Jérémie Makiese represented Belgium in Eurovision 2022 with the song ‘Miss you’, placed 19th in the Grand final with 64 points in total.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sB09advfF6E

What do you think about Belgium returning on the national final selection? Tell us in the comments!

Source: Eurovoix

Azerbaijan: Nadir Rustamli wants to represent his country once again!

/0 Comments/in , , , , /by

Nadir Rustamli, the singer who represented Azerbaijan in Eurovision Song Contest 2022, said that he wants to return to the contest.

The latest representative of Azerbaijan in Eurovision has stated in his personal social media that he would like to represent his country again in the future. These are his words:

” My followers started a social media campaign for a new participation in the contest. I didn’t want to represent my country right away the following year. But if my fans want it and the invitation comes through, I would like to participate again because I don’t want to fail my audience and my listeners”.

Nadir Rustamli represented Azerbaijan in Eurovision Song Contest 2022 in Turin with the song “Fade to Black” and ended up in 16th place in the Grand Final with a total of 106 points. On the same time he is the first artist to qualify for the Grand Final while getting zero points from televote in the semi-final.

https://youtu.be/tegPzHEL4ms

Stay tuned on Eurovisionfun for all the news regarding participation of Azerbaijan in Eurovision Song Contest 2023, in the United Kingdom!

Source: eurovoix.com

The Rasmus: “Eurovision saved us from break up”!

/0 Comments/in , /by

The Rasmus frontman Lauri Ylonen has revealed the band came close to splitting up as lockdown and personal struggles drove the members apart, but their participation in the Eurovision Song Contest saved them from break up!

Lauri, Eero Heinonen, Aki Hakala and new guitarist Emilia ‘Empu’ Suhonen stormed back into the limelight this summer as they represented Finland in the Eurovision Song Contest with their song Jezebel.

While they didn’t get the result they – or their masses of fans – were hoping for, Eurovision saw the Finnish four-piece find new admirers and regain old ones, some of whom may not have followed them since their massive 2003 hit In The Shadows.

But Eurovision represented much more than that, as Lauri tells Metro.co.uk.

I think it was really something that saved us from destruction. It was just perfect timing for something like that. It really was important at this point, because we were really almost about to break up before all these good things started to happen. Everything was so uncertain, and I was thinking, what if this is the end? If we don’t get to play anymore?

EBU – NATHAN REINDS

Lauri previously revealed to Metro.co.uk that The Rasmus had been working on new record when they decide to stop it in its tracks and go for Eurovision instead, which, as he has now revealed, ended up to be a saving grace for the band.

That album, Rise, is set to release on 23 September and features hit single Jezebel, as well as new track, titular song Rise.

Now – in what will be a relief for fans of the band – there are no plans for The Rasmus to break up, and despite their newest album still weeks away from release, they’re already working on the next, with time in the studio booked and new songs ready to be recorded.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LSi9nfr65FE

Source: Metro

Eurovision 2023: Sam Ryder predicts the city that will host the contest!

/0 Comments/in , /by

Sam Ryder, the famous TikToker who managed to bring the UK to second place in this year’s competition, winning the jury’s vote, recently gave a radio interview on the occasion of the release of his new song. Among other things, he gave his prediction for the city that will be finally chosen by the BBC and the EBU, in order to host Eurovision 2023.

Between Manchester and Glasgow, Sam Ryder thinks the choice will be made for the city that will host the 67th Eurovision Song Contest.

Cardiff is out of the games right, and Birmingham have just had… (the Commonwealth Games).

I mean I’d be happy with it anywhere, but Manchester seems like a good bet, or Glasgow. They’re the ones that I think it could go to.

Sam Ryder was also asked if we will see him live at the next contest, with him not knowing anything yet, but being available for any role in Eurovision 2023 he is given, even selling tickets!

I have no idea…I hope so, I’m not going to be coy about it. Please let me do something! I’ll sweep, I’ll give the tickets out. I just want to see it, it’s just going to be so amazing, what an incredible experience for like a Eurovision fan!

Among the seven cities below, the city that will host Eurovision 2023 will be chosen:

  • Glasgow
  • Liverpool
  • Leeds
  • Manchester
  • Birmingham
  • Newcastle
  • Sheffield

The final announcement will be made in the fall.

Listen to Sam Ryder’s new song, released on August 19:

Stay tuned for Eurovisionfun for all the updates!

Source: planetradio

San Marino: On February 23 the final of Una Voce per San Marino!

/1 Comment/in , /by

Despite their non qualification this year, the public broadcaster of San Marino confirmed very early on that Una Voce per San Marino, the national final through which their participation in Eurovision 2022 was selected, will be repeated for the next contest. Today more information was given about the new edition of Una Voce per San Marino, while the dates of the show were also announced.

The dates and regulations

The process will remain almost the same as what happened at Una Voce per San Marino 2022. In other words, there will again be two categories, that of new artists, but also of established ones. The Academy and Casting process for the selection of the new artists who will compete in the final will take place from October 28, 2022 until January 27, 2023.

60 artists will be selected after the completion of the castings, to move on to the second phase of the process. Five semi-finals will follow (one only for artists of San Marino origin and one second-chance semi-final), from which those who will compete on February 23rd in the final of Una Voce per San Marino, which will take place at the Teatro Nuovo Dogana . The semi-finals will be televised, but the final will be televised live.

Unlike the previous year, established artists will not have the privilege of being directly in the final. Those of them who accept the invitation of the production company to participate in Una Voce per San Marino 2023 will simply avoid the first stage of the Academy and Casting. In other words, they will have to compete normally in the semi-finals and claim, with the new artists, their qualification to the final. Nevertheless, the production company reserves the right, if it deems that an artist is of particular importance, to give him the possibility to compete directly in the grand final, as an exception.

The winner will be selected by a five-member jury. Two judges will be from the country’s public television, two judges from the production company and one judge – a representative of the state government.

 

Achille Lauro was the winner of Une Voce per San Marino 2022

Submission of entries has begun

The submission of entries has already started and will last until January 20:

  • Applications until September 29 will cost 100 euros
  • Applications from October 1 to January 20 will cost 150 euros
  • Applications from Agios Marino artists will cost 50 euros, but before December 3rd

Una Voce per San Marino 2023 is open to citizens of the whole world, regardless of country of residence and nationality.

You can read the full regulations of Una Voce per San Marino 2023 here.

San Marino was represented at Eurovision 2022 by Achille Lauro, first winning Una Voce per San Marino 2o22 with the song Stripper. In the second semi-final where he competed, he took 14th place, without being able to qualify for the grand final.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vCmX64N_sXM

Stay tuned at Eurovisionfun for more updates!

Eurovision 2023: The first odds for next May’s winner!

/1 Comment/in , , , , , , , /by

The next Eurovision season may officially begin in two weeks, but your favorite column is back to give you a first taste of the betting odds ahead of the 67th Eurovision Song Contest.

While you are on holiday and preparing for a “hot” Eurovision winter, the bookers are already busy, with the Eurovision 2023 winner section already being offered to some companies. So we take the opportunity and present you the first bets for the next contest.

Advantage: Ukraine

With the war in Ukraine not over and the EBU making the decision that the next contest will not be held on the territory of the winner of Eurovision 2022, there are not a few who believe that Ukraine starts as the absolute favorite to win the 67th version of our favorite contest.

It is noteworthy that for the first time in history the winner of the next contest has been played at odds below 5-6 since August, nine months before the Eurovision. From this alone we understand that there are not a few who rushed to bet their money on the Ukrainian back-to-back win. The Ukrainian victory is played at odds between 2.84 and 3.25.

Second favourite, behind Ukraine, is Italy. The last host and 2021 winner, which is also the most successful country of the competition in recent years, could not be missing from the highest positions of the bookies, who, based on the long tradition of Sanremo, believe that Italians can well claim their fourth victory.

The same more or less applies to the third Sweden which is played at almost the same odds as Italy, with the Scandinavians wanting to get the coveted seventh victory and equal the record of the “Queen of Eurovision”, Ireland. Italy and Sweden return ten times the bet of those who bet on them.

The UK and Spain are in fourth and fifth place respectively according to the bookers, with both European powerhouses cashing in on second and third place in Turin. The success of Sam Ryder and Chanel has sparked interest in Eurovision in two countries that love the contest, but have not had particularly successful results in recent years.

With this renewed interest in the contest, and with the contest taking place on British soil giving the Brits a chance to throw a huge party to accompany the UK’s sixth win, the bookers are tipping a British win at odds between 8 and 13, while the corresponding Spanish one between 15 and 16.5.

Top 10

Behind the United Kingdom and Spain is another Big 5 country, France, which could not continue on the path of success this year in Turin, after Barbara Pravi’s second place in 2021 in Rotterdam, as it was ranked only 25th. Nevertheless, the bookers place France in 6th place at odds of between 17 and 19.

The remaining four positions in the top ten are filled by countries, which do not belong to the Big 5, but betting companies consider that they start from a more advantageous position compared to their competitors. Seventh is Norway, which is a not inconsiderable size for the competition and annually holds one of the most difficult national finals, the Melodi Grand Prix. The Nordic country is played at odds between 15 and 19.5.

Eighth is Switzerland, who have been one of the fastest growing powers in the competition from 2019 onwards. The Swiss victory is found at odds of 21 in three different companies.

The recovery of Greece‘s momentum in the Eurovision Song Contest is confirmed by the ninth place given by the bookers to the possibility of a second victory for the Mediterranean country.

Being one of only three countries that count consecutive placements within the top ten, Greece is considered if nothing else to be a highly reckonable size by the betting companies, who recognize the positive results of the 2021-2022 biennium and the change of approach by ERT within the current decade. Greece is played at odds between 17 and 23, being in one company in seventh place.

The top ten is completed by Australia, with the bookers – surprisingly – showing confidence in the distant Oceanian country, at the same time that the European viewers “turned their backs” once again on Australia’s participation, giving just two points to Sheldon Riley. An Australian win returns 24 times the bet.

Do you think Ukraine can make it back-to-back and become the first country since Ireland in the early 90s to achieve back-to-back wins in our beloved contest?

Ukraine: Submissions for Vidbir 2023 started | The Final will take place in December!

/0 Comments/in , , /by

The champions of this year’s Eurovision Song Contest, Ukraine, announced through their broadcaster’s Eurovision-themed social media, the rules with which their national selection for the 2023 Contest will be held. Ukrainian Television will accept song submissions from today until October 15, 2022. Applications for participation in the national final can be sent through the website www.eurovision.ua.

The rules of the Ukrainian national final, exactly as they were announced are as follows:

  • An online voting will determine the composition of the jury for the National Final and also the Ukrainian jury for the Eurovision Song Contest 2023
  • Both solo performers and bands, already existing or specificially created for this event, are allowed to participate
  • Songs can be submitted in any language, except the language of the aggressor state
  • Personal participation in listening to the longlisted participants is mandatory
  • The final of the National Selection will be held in December 2022 in Kyiv and broadcasted on Suspilne TV channels and digital platforms.

Two of the announced rules are of exceptional interest. First of all, the national final will be held relatively early, in December 2022, whereas previous versions of Vidbir usually determined Ukraine’s representative in February. The Albanian Festivali i Këngës is usually the first national final of each Eurovision season but also the only one to be held so early. So this may result in Ukraine being one of the first countries choosing their song for Eurovision 2023.

The second rule makes a very clear statement. The rule says that every language is allowed except for the language of the aggressor state, meaning obviously Russian.

Another announcement was made by the Ukrainian broadcaster, saying that Dmitry Šurov (also known as Pianoboy) will be the official music producer of the Ukrainian team for Eurovision. This is what he said:

“I’m glad to have the opportunity to work as a music producer of this year’s selection. I want Europe to hear and see a modern Ukrainian musician who is part of the global musical context.I know that we have such people, and although it is very difficult to create now, I invite and urge musicians of all styles and genres to urgently pick up their favorite instrument and join the selection.Acceptance of applications will last until October 15, so you have almost two months to create your winning song that breathes new Ukraine, a song that will touch and inspire the world”
Kalush Orchestra won Eurovision Song Contest 2022 for Ukraine, setting a new record of winning 28 sets of twelve points from the other cometing countries ans 439 televote points. Due to the ongoing war, the EBU decided that the contest can’t be held in Ukraine, but in the United Kingdom instead. However the Ukrainian entry will automatically qualify for the final to defend their title, while the EBU has promised that the contest will have many influences from Ukrainian style.

https://youtu.be/F1fl60ypdLs

Stay tuned on Eurovisionfun for all the news regarding the Ukrainian participation at the Eurovision Song Contest 2023, in the United Kingdom!

Spain: Soraya is open to a possible participation in the next Benidorm Fest!

/0 Comments/in , , , /by

Soraya Arnelas considers a possible participation at the next Benidorm Fest after finishing the recording of her new single. The representative of Spain in the 2009 contest will release a song with its own music video in September, entitled “Segunda parte”, a dance song written among others, by Ander Pérez, one of the creators, of  “Dime” by Beth. In an interview with Semana magazine, Soraya explained that current circumstances make her think about a possible participation in RTVE’s selection process.

“We don’t know what is going to happen. We’ll see… Let’s see what happens, let’s see if we can surprise you. I’m not saying no, but I’m not saying yes either.”

These are the words of the artist who performed “La Noche es para mí”, which became a big hit not only among the fans of the contest, even though the final result in the competition in Moscow was not what they expected (24th place with 23 points ). Although Soraya herself has always been somewhat reluctant to repeat the process, she now says that “there are things that are decided instantly and doors close, but there are other moments that open”, so she no longer rules out a second representation of Spain.

Soraya represented Spain in Eurovision Song Contest 2009 with the song “La Noche es para mí”:

The composer himself, Ander Pérez, posted on his social media that he already has a song ready to send to RTVE, and that the singer is very happy that they worked together. “The new single is at a high level, it’s true. We’re preparing new music” the singer says in between concerts and fulfilling her role as an ambassador for her country, which she’s proud of, also supporting areas affected by the fires. Soraya recently visited Las Hurdes (Cáceres) and showed the different parts of her town to her followers on social media, urging them to visit this “natural paradise”. So maybe we’ll see the singer at the next Benidorm Fest, with hopes for the next Eurovision Song Contest.

Stay tuned on Eurovisionfun for all the news regarding the Spanish participation at the Eurovision Song Contest 2023, in the United Kingdom!

Source: eurovision-spain.com

Eurovision 2023: Scotland’s First Minister is excited about the prospect of Glasgow hosting ESC despite internal reactions!

/0 Comments/in , /by

By far, the biggest supporter of Glasgow‘s bid to host Eurovision 2023 is certainly Scotland’s First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon.

As is well known, seven cities will be vying to host Eurovision 2023 in the coming months. These cities are Glasgow, Birmingham, Leeds, Liverpool, Manchester, Newcastle and Sheffield.

Hours after it was announced that Scotland’s most populous city is one of seven cities in the running to host the next Eurovision, Scotland’s First Minister has publicly voiced her support for Glasgow’s bid.

In a characteristic Tweet, Nicola Sturgeon said the contest should be held in Glasgow, wearing a festive hat to emphasize her excitement about the prospect.

https://twitter.com/NicolaSturgeon/status/1557998034927116288?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1557998034927116288%7Ctwgr%5E8f5fe82322a492627f532f3c737ce340f02e8de6%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Feurovisionfun.com%2F2022%2F08%2Feurovision-2023-CEB5CEBDCEB8CEBFCF85CF83CEB9CEB1CF83CEBCCEADCEBDCEB7-CEB7-CF80CF81CF8ECF84CEB7-CF85CF80CEBFCF85CF81CEB3CF8CCF82-CF84CEB7%2F

However, not everyone in Scotland shares Sturgeon’s enthusiasm, with several social media users taking sarcastic comments towards the Scottish first minister.

Does the leader of a nationalist government that wants to hold a referendum on Scottish independence want a celebration of British culture?

On the other hand: it will turn Eurovision into a showcase for the SNP, while the contest should be for the UK and Ukraine.

@Squirrelsings

How many selfies could you take there? What an opportunity for you!

@bobbyd424

Other users focused on the funds the Scottish government would have to spend on the Eurovision Song Contest should Glasgow be chosen to host the next contest, while the focus should be on the country’s domestic problems.

I’m sorry but I don’t want Glasgow tax payers money wasted on Eurovision if local people can’t heat their homes and/or feed their families.

@kenmckirdy

Glasgow is said to be the big favorite to host Eurovision 2023. Glasgow is Scotland’s largest city, with the River Clyde crossing it from east to west, passing through its centre.

Should Glasgow be the EBU and BBC’s choice for the next competition, it will be hosted at the OVO Hydro. The OVO Hydro is Scotland’s largest indoor stadium, hosting numerous sporting and cultural events every year and having the capacity to accommodate up to 14,000 spectators. Among others, huge names of the world music scene have passed through the OVO Hydro stage, such as Iron Maiden, Metallica, Muse, Adele, Dua Lipa, Billie Eilish, etc.

We await with great interest the developments of the coming weeks and months as the EBU and BBC will reveal the host city for the 67th Eurovision Song Contest.

Source: Daily Express

Eurovision 2023: Shortlist of Host Cities revealed!

/0 Comments/in , /by

One of the most important dates of the 67th Eurovision Song Contest is today, as the BBC announced a little while ago the list of cities that will officially vie to host Eurovision 2023.

As the nomination process to host the next contest has come to an end, the British public broadcaster and the EBU have finalized the cities that qualify for the second stage of selecting the host city of the 67th Eurovision.

As we knew until yesterday, at least ten cities had confirmed that they had submitted their proposals, while at least another five had expressed interest in submitting their own proposals, but had not officially done so.

The announcement was made through the morning radio broadcast of the BBC’s second program entitled “BBC Radio 2 Breakfast Show“. After the detailed examination of all the proposals, the cities that will claim the hosting of Eurovision 2023 in the coming months are:

  • Birmingham – Resorts World Arena (15,685 seats)

  • Glasgow – OVO Hydro (14,500 seats)

  • Leeds – First Direct Arena (13,781 seats)

  • Liverpool – M&S Bank Arena (11,000 seats)

  • Manchester – AO Arena (21,000 seats)

  • Newcastle – Utilita Arena Newcastle (11,000 seats)

  • Sheffield – Utilita Arena Sheffield (13,600 seats)

This means that the following cities were left out of contention:

  • Aberdeen
  • Bristol
  • Belfast
  • Darlington

A decision on where the Eurovision Song Contest 2023 will be held is expected to be made in the autumn. According to the BBC, the UK government may be consulted beforehand, but it will be the BBC and the EBU who decide the host city.

Eurovision 2023 will be held in the United Kingdom after Kalush Orchestra won this year’s contest with the song “Stefania“. Despite Ukraine’s victory, the EBU decided that the next contest will be held in the United Kingdom, which took second place, since due to the ongoing war in Ukraine after the Russian invasion, it is not possible for Eurovision to take place there.

In which city would you like Eurovision 2023 to take place?