Edward af Sillen: What does the Turkish plalyer’s suspension in EURO remind me…?

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Through a post in his personal account in X, Edward af Sillen, the scriptwriter for the previous three contests in Sweden (2013, 2016 & 2024), parallels the two cases of a contestant’s suspension, in Eurovision 2024 and in Euro, wanting to make clear, that non-compliance with the regulations, causes punishments.

Wanting to comment on the Turkish football player’s, Merih Demiral, suspension from the two following games, he made the following post:

In Türkiye’s last game against Austria in the phase of 16, Merih Demiral, celebrated their win by making the sign of the Gray Wolves, a far-right fascist organisation. The punishment from UEFA, was immediate. The Turkish player was suspended from the following two games, which means that he won’t lose the rest of the EURO 2024.

The case of Merih Demiral’s suspension is indirectly but clearly paralleled by Edward af Sillen with that of Joost Klein’s disqualification from the Eurovision 2024 final, after his violation of EBU regulations. We remind you that Joost Klein was excluded from the final of the Contest after the complaints, by a production worker, for violence against her.

The EBU stated in its recent statement on everything that happened during Eurovision 2024, that the simplification of the rules and everyone keeping up with the regulations (members of delegations, artists, fans) is of crucial importance for the smooth running of the contest in the future.

Stay tuned on Eurovisionfun for all the news regarding the Eurovision Song Contest 2025, in Switzerland!

Martin Österdahl: Those who needed an outlet from their frustrations and disapproved of me, it was ok!

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In an interview with the Swedish newspaper Göteborgs-Posten, Martin Österdahl, executive supervisor of Eurovision, answers about the changes announced by the EBU, the limitation of his duties, the difficult situations due to the political developments in the Middle East that had an impact on the contest in  Malmö, but also for the boos he received during the final of this year’s competition.

Initially, Martin Österdahl is very positive about the changes announced by the EBU, but also about the fact that his responsibilities are being limited, since he will now have more control over what has been assigned to him.

The Eurovision Song Contest has grown explosively over the last four years and the organization has in many cases gotten away from us. If we compare ourselves to a bigger sporting event that has the same media pressure, we were probably a bit naive and didn’t really have the resources we needed.

Martin Österdahl is proud that Eurovision 2024 had high ratings. He points out that Eurovision has lived with “geopolitical tensions” over the years, but that it was particularly difficult in Malmö.

The Middle East issue is complex. They are fighting it out in the White House and in 10 Downing Street, so it is clear that it is also difficult for an organization like the EBU. I don’t have concrete answers as to how we are going to solve this in the future, but that decisions need to be made clearer and that communication is improved, that is what we will focus on.

Regarding the boos he received from the public, Martin Österdahl says that his only concern was that everyone was safe and that he has no problem with boos if they came from people who found an outlet for their frustration this way their.

My concern was that we would overcome these situations and that everyone would leave (Malmo) safe and sound. If they needed an outlet for their frustration, then boos are fine with me. The main thing was that no one was injured.

Stay tuned to Eurovisionfun for all the updates!

Source: Göteborgs-Posten

Within the coming week the conclusion of the EBU investigation into what happened in Malmö!

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The Swiss newspaper Blick reports in today’s publication that next week the EBU will publish the result of the investigation it requested, from an independent researcher.

The conclusion of the investigation into the “Shame of Malmö”, as described in Blick, is to be published in the coming days. The EBU proceeded to conduct an independent investigation into everything that happened inside and outside the Malmo Arena and tarnished the image of this year’s contest.

Blick mentions in its article, on the one hand, that during the week of the final there were several anti-Semitic incidents, while on the other hand several delegations complained about the behavior of members of the Israeli delegation. The highlight of all the negative publicity received by Eurovision 2024 was the moment when a large part of the audience inside the stadium loudly booed the contest’s executive supervisor Martin Österdahl.

We await with interest the outcome of the investigation, which may lead to further developments.

Stay tuned to Eurovisionfun for all the updates

Source: Blick

The Netherlands: “Why the f*ck not 2025”, says Joost Klein!

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He was undoubtedly one of the stars of Eurovision 2024, Joost Klein, who represented the Netherlands in this year’s competition with the song Europapa, but was unable to compete in the final after the EBU decided to disqualify him, seems he not rule out the possibility of returning to Eurovision in 2025.

Joost Klein sang at noon on Saturday at Pinkpop, Europapa. He had with him the team that also accompanied him to Malmö. The artist who was disqualified from the Eurovision final shortly before the start of the competition, due to an incident that brought him into contact with Swedish justice, says he could try again in 2025.

Without these people, the band and the people around me, there would be no Eurovision. So many people worked so hard, for months, everyone! Why the fuck not 2025?

Both the artist’s manager, as well as the Dutch public television Avrotros, did not want to comment on this. Everything, of course, will probably be decided by the outcome of the court with the employee of the Swedish public television, for the incident of violence that she denounced him and that happened behind the scenes of the competition.

Would you like Joost Klein to represent the Netherlands at Eurovision 2025? Tell us in the comments below!

Stay tuned to Eurovisionfun for all the updates!

Source: nu.nl

Eden Golan: “Votes in televoting gave hope to our people”

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In her first big interview after Eurovision, Eden Golan talks to The Free Press about her participation in the Eurovision contest, the reactions, the disapproval, the result, but also everything that happened in Malmö.

I was strengthened by the boos

Eden explains that the boos were something she expected and prepared for. But when the first rehearsal with the audience arrived, she realized that she couldn’t hear anything because of the strong reactions.

There were days with more boos. There were people who disapproved but those who applauded passionately.

Ultimately these reactions armed her with energy and passion to carry out her mission in the best possible way.

She was not afraid at any time of the journey

Despite the insults and threats, Eden Golan was not afraid at any point. As she explains, it was her choice to represent Israel in such an intense year.

What annoyed them the most was that I didn’t care at all about their reactions. Whatever they did.

For security issues

To the Polish journalist’s question and to the fact that because of her presence, the rest of the artists were in danger, Eden Golan clarifies that while she thought about not answering, she finally said the obvious. That is to say that the EBU had taken care of everyone’s safety and that she was essentially the one in danger and that is why they had forbidden her from leaving the hotel or the arena.

I didn’t know if we would participate in Eurovision after all

Eden Golan’s only concern throughout the previous period was whether Israel would finally be able to compete in the contest.

I believed that we had to do everything to participate this year and for that I immediately entered the studio to change the lyrics.

I heard the sirens on October 7th but didn’t think it was anything major

On October 7, Eden was at her home in Tel Aviv when the sirens sounded. She didn’t think it was anything important, because it is common for sirens to sound in the country.

I heard the sirens, but I wasn’t worried, because that’s what we’re used to in Israel. I thought Iron Dom would do the job.

I had no expectations for our place in Eurovision

Just taking part was a victory for Eden and her partners, so she had no expectations for the result, although fifth place was ultimately better than she could have imagined.

The support we got from the public vote was so important, so many 12s points. It gave hope to our people.

The performance of October Rain was more difficult

Finally, she said that she will always remember the welcome she received from her compatriots when she returned to Israel. For the performance of October Rain in Tel Aviv, she claimed that emotionally it was much more difficult than the performance of Hurricane in Malmö.

I was shaking when I sang October Rain. It was very difficult emotionally for me.

Eden Golan’s dreams and aspirations for the future include a lot of music. In the coming months, her first full-length album will be released and she is looking forward to being close to her audience with concerts and live performances.

Watch the full interview in the video below:

Stay tuned to Eurovisionfun for all the updates!

Marina Satti waved the symbol of Palestine at her concert in Thessaloniki

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Marina Satti’s concert in Thessaloniki on Monday June 17, at the Lazarist Monastery, was full. Marina Satti, together with the group that accompanied her on stage in Malmö, excited the audience of the Greek co-capital. Wanting to send her own message, our representative at this year’s contest brought with her on stage a huge fan-watermelon, which is used as a symbol of Palestine on social media and beyond.

Marina Satti’s attitude towards the armed conflict between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip, provoked many reactions during this year’s competition. Marina Satti’s yawning at the moment when the representative of Israel, Eden Golan, was speaking, became a topic of discussion in Greece and beyond, while the government representative was also asked about the issue, taking a clear distance, at the same time condemning the behavior of the Greek representative in the music contest.

Now freed from the Greek representation, Marina Satti, even though she had initially claimed that her behavior had nothing to do with the representative of Israel, it seems that she is now willing to show her real thoughts regarding the issue in question.

Stay tuned to Eurovisionfun for all the updates!

Spain: 600.000 euros was the participation cost for Eurovision 2024 | The first announcements for Benidorm Fest 2025 expected in July 8!

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The cost of Spain’s public television’s participation in Eurovision 2024 has been made public. With a budget of just under 600,000 euros, this year’s competition participation cost was significantly less than in previous years. Apart from that, however, preparations for Benidorm Fest 2025 have already begun and the first announcements are expected soon.

Less than 600 thousand euros spent for Eurovision 2024

The participation fee itself amounted to 334.432, 62 euros and with all the costs, Nebulossa’s participation in Malmö costed RTVE 595.000 euros in total.

It is indeed a significant decrease compared to last year, when for the participation of Blanca Paloma, RTVE spent more than 800.000 euros. In fact, it is the lowest participation cost for Spain since 2021.

Benidorm Fest 2025 is underway

RTVE will unveil its initial plans regarding Benidorm Fest 2025, the format via which Spain selects its Eurovision acts for the past few years, at a special press conference on July 8.

The winners of Benidorm Fest 2024 and therefore Spain’s representatives in Malmö were Nebulossa with their song “ZORRA“, which ended up in twenty-second place.

Stay tuned to EurovisionFun for all the news!

Source: esc-plus

Switzerland: Nemo gets hero’s welcome in their hometown

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Eurovision winner Nemo received a hero’s welcome on Monday as they took to the stage to give their Swiss hometown of Biel a celebratory rendition of the highly personal song “The Code”.

Five weeks on the 24-year-old was back in Biel for a special ceremony laid on by the town — which now hopes to host next year’s Eurovision.

Around 2,000 locals were in Biel’s main square — which Nemo used to walk through on the way to school — to see the artist receive a trophy and a giant bouquet of flowers, and perform “The Code”.

The Eurovision-winning song encapsulates Nemo’s journey towards realising their non-binary gender identity, and combines rap, drum and bass and opera. Nemo dedicated their victory to the “entire LGBTQIA+ community”.

To screams and a sea of camera phones, Nemo appeared on stage in a oversized pink fluffy hat and blew kisses to the crowd, which chanted their name.

“Thank you, everyone. I want to say it’s a great honour to be here, and I love you, Biel,” the singer said.

– ‘The right message’ –

The artist then signed autographs and posed for pictures with the crowd, many of whom voiced their pride in the singer’s journey to the top.

“He spreads out love and I think this is such a good thing. I want to support this,” said Gerlinka Neumayer.

“He is at the right time at the right place, with the right message. And he opens up many doors,” said Suzanne Castleberg.

Marie Schueppen also said Nemo “gives a positive message, and this is important for me”.

Now living in Berlin, Nemo sang “The Code” at the Zurich Pride Festival on Friday, in a first performance since winning Eurovision.

“The last few weeks have been completely crazy, everything has happened very quickly,” the singer told journalists before going on stage Monday.

Known by both its German and French names, Biel/Bienne in northwest Switzerland is the largest bilingual city in the country and the heart of the Alpine nation’s watchmaking industry.

“The spirit of tonight is Biel meets Nemo; Nemo meets Biel,” the town’s mayor Erich Fehr told AFP.

“Nemo’s victory is very important for our city because everybody in the whole of Europe is talking about Biel.

“We are very, very proud.”

– Battle for Eurovision 2025 –

Nemo is Switzerland’s third Eurovision winner after victories in 1956 and 1988. As per tradition, the Swiss will now host next year’s song contest.

Biel, in the canton of Bern, is looking at potentially co-hosting the event with the nation’s capital, though bigger cities like Zurich or Geneva might get chosen.

“We don’t have large enough infrastructure and we don’t have hotel capacities,” admitted Fehr.

“But Bern and Biel together, that will work — and that much’s more interesting than Geneva, which is only French, or Zurich, that’s only German,” he said, referring to the languages spoken.

“But Biel and Bern, German and French: that’s Switzerland.”

Dominique Buhler, president of the Bern canton’s parliament, said the region had a compelling case to offer the multi-lingual TV spectacular.

She told AFP that Nemo’s victory was “incredible and it shows that anything is possible”.

“You just have to follow your dreams, dream big… it’s definitely inspiring for all of us.”

Nemo last week announced a 24-date, 17-country European concert tour entitled “Break The Code”, for March and April next year.

The tour includes shows in London, Paris, Madrid, Amsterdam, Berlin, Prague and Vienna — a far cry from the Burgplatz square in Biel.

Stay tuned to Eurovisionfun for all the updates!

Source: 24news

Malta: Was Saba’s “Sand” one of Emma Muscat’s candidate songs for Eurovision 2022!

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According to the latest news, “Sand”, the song with which Saba represented Denmark this year, at Eurovision 2024, travelled a long way until it ended up on the stage of the Contest.

According to the Danish website Eurosong-DK, it seems that “Sand” was one of Emma Muscat’s candidate songs for Eurovision 2022.

https://youtu.be/4f_phiGot7w

We remind you that Emma Muscat won MESC 2022, the national final of Malta, with the song “Out of Sight”, however immediately after her victory, the search for a replacement song began, as read first from Eurovisionfun.

The final choice seems to have been made between “Sand” and the song that in the end represented Malta that year, “I Am What I Am”. Malta got 16th place in the second semi-final of 2022, while this year Denmark placed 12th.

https://youtu.be/DFCFM5qtvms

What would Malta’s fortune be if it was represented by Sand? Would the island country manage to qualify?

Stay tuned on Eurovisionfun for all the news regarding the Eurovision Song Contest!

Source: eurosong.dk

Moldova: TRM Denies Signing Unsigned Statement Regarding Eurovision 2024!

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In recent hours, an unsigned statement has been circulating online, purportedly sent by delegation members and artists who participated in the Eurovision 2024. According to ESC Gabe, this statement involves several participants expressing concerns about backstage events.

However, the Moldovan public broadcaster TRM has firmly denied any involvement in signing this statement. In a direct communication with the Eurovisionfun team, TRM officials stated:

“We haven’t signed anything in that regard. We had not faced any problems with any representative, and Israeli delegation members are not an exception.“

This statement from TRM comes in response to the claims made by the ESC Gabe account, which exclusively published the unsigned declaration. The statement purportedly signed by various delegation members and artists reads:

“In recent days, we have seen a series of inaccurate reports about what happened backstage during the Eurovision 2024 contest, the alleged behavior of artists towards the Israeli delegation, and the events surrounding the EBU’s decision to move the Israeli delegation to other backstage areas.

We are concerned about the inaccuracies being published. During the Eurovision 2024 contest, several artists and national delegations submitted complaints to the EBU regarding inappropriate behavior and rule violations by members of the Israeli delegation.

We are cooperating with the EBU and expect these complaints to be duly examined, in line with the commitment of EBU officials. While the process is ongoing, it would be inappropriate to publicly comment on specific incidents, but we will do so in due course.“

As of now, the ESC Gabe account has not disclosed the names of those who allegedly signed the statement, as requested. The veracity of this unsigned declaration remains uncertain, and it is yet to be seen if other delegations will refute or confirm their involvement.

https://x.com/esc_gabe/status/1797962245991023026

Stay tuned to Eurovisionfun for all the latest updates on Eurovision 2024 and beyond!