Eurovision 2025: The reasons behind Basel’s selection as the host city!

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A few days ago it was announced that Basel will host the Eurovision Song Contest 2025, since the selection process had come down to either Basel or Geneva. Behind this choice, there were some particular reasons which gave Basel the opportunity to be the host city.

Reto Peritz, the Co-Executive Producer for Eurovision 2025, in an interview with the swiss newspaper Blick, explained the three pillars the choice of Basel was based upon: the venue, the availability and the cities’ plans around the Contest.

Regarding the venue, Peritz mentioned that:

“With the Halle Saint-Jacques, Basel has a concert hall that has already proven itself. Geneva had a generous exhibition hall with plenty of space with Palexpo, but the entire infrastructure would have had to be installed there. Basel does have a smaller venue, but the “Arena Plus” concept and the integration of the St. Jacques stadium compensate for this.”

As for the stadium’s availability, Basel is able to make it available for a week longer, in comparison to Geneva.

Lastly, the creativity of the bids submitted by each city seem to have played their distinctive part. More specifically, Peritz noted:

“Not only are there plans for a fan zone, but the whole city of Basel is turning into a place dedicated to Eurovision as well.”

The organizers ultimately aim to create a Contest that will be supported by the Swiss population and they will be proud of, while they will also highlight their cultural diversity with its unique characteristics.

The Eurovision Song Contest 2025 is set to take place on the 13th, 15th and 17th of May in Basel, Switzerland.

Stay tuned to EurovisionFun for all the upcoming news!

Source: Blick

Montenegro: Montesong 2024 to be held on 26th and 27th of November!

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After a two-year hiatus, Montenegro returns to the Eurovision Song Contest by organizing its own selection process under the title Montesong 2024, which is going to take place on November 26th and 27th in Podgorica.

The national broadcaster of Montenegro, RTCG, announced a public competition for the selection of teh composition and the representative of Montenegro at this music competition, and the process will last until October 1.

As festival director Danijel Alibabić said at today’s press conference, 16 competing compositions will be presented. The best will represent Montenegro at the most famous European music competition, which will be held in Basel.

“The performers must be Montenegrin citizens, and the composers can be from all over the world. It will be a production venture that Montenegro has never seen before.”

Alibabić is full of optimism and believes that the festival will come to life.

“I would like it to have a tradition like the Croatian Dora and to be in that rank. I believe that the stage will be spectacular”

He is also convinced that Montenegro will have a representative who will qualify to the final.

“The fact that they will appear at the festival, where they will be paid for their entire performance, is enough stimulation for the performers. It will be a real spectacle”

According to him, the Association of Variety Performers of Montenegro made an effort to have a team of people at the festival who will deal with graphic design and lighting.

“There will also be rehearsals, so that the singers and the team can correct everything they don’t like and would change, if they want to”

Artistic director Vladana Vučinić announced that the process of judging the compositions will be transparent and Eurovision-style: 50% of the audience – 50% of the jury.

“The jury will include domestic musicians and musicians from abroad. It will be made up of eminent composers”

Vučinić also stated that the festival will be mostly financed by the Association of Variety Performers, and RTCG is in the role of co-producer.

“We want to give musicians support and an opportunity to present themselves. We have few musicians and I encourage everyone to come forward. We would like to hear diverse musical styles. There is room for everyone on stage”

She encouraged especially young performers to apply for the competition.

“Finances have always been our biggest problem. We have to provide young musicians with support, and this is a real opportunity”

When asked if the Ministry of Culture and Media has shown interest in the festival, Vučinić replied negatively.

“For now, they haven’t. But we hope to win the favor of the institutions.”

Source: RTCG

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Eurovision 2025: With “Arena Plus”, the hosts offer new possibilities to eurofans

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Swiss organizers have revealed details of Arena Plus, which will offer new viewing options for fans of the competition who will be attending Basel and will not be able to secure a ticket for St. Jakobshalle, where the Eurovision 2025 live shows will take place.

The city of Basel is ready to use the stadium St. Jakob-Park, which has a capacity of 20,000 spectators. Called “Arena Plus”, the St. Jakob-Park will effectively function as a second arena for Eurovision 2025, where eurofans will be able to watch the shows live, as was the case at Eurovision 2016 in Stockholm. In Stockholm, the Tele 2 Arena hosted side events during the Grand Final, while the main events took place at the Globen Arena.

The St. Jakob-Park is the largest football stadium in Switzerland and can accommodate around 20,000 spectators. The stadium in question is located next to the Eurovision 2025 venue, St. Jakobshalle. Additionally, it is home to Basel’s local team, Basel FC.

The Swiss plan is similar to the one implemented in Stockholm in 2016. That is, those of the friends of the contest who will travel to Basel for Eurovision 2025 and will not be able to secure a ticket, will be able to watch the show in St. Jakob-Park and live a Eurovision experience as close as possible to what the spectators will experience inside the arena where the final will take place.

From the municipality of Basel they emphasize:

A strong argument in the application and in the assessment by the SRG was the idea of ​​setting up an “Arena Plus” in the adjacent St. Jakob-Park football stadium on the final day. On the one hand, this will create additional capacity in the show arena, given the limited number of seats for ESC standards, and on the other hand, the ESC in Switzerland can come up with an innovative concept.

The “Arena Plus” is intended to offer as many fans as possible the opportunity to experience the ESC up close. Regardless of the hall capacity, tickets for the main show in the hall are a rare, expensive commodity. Many fans from all over the world therefore travel without show tickets and want to be as close to the action as possible.

Many Basel residents will also not receive tickets for the shows and would like to be able to take part in “their” ESC. The “Arena Plus” is more than just a public viewing. 

The stadium is intended to have a festival atmosphere with family offerings and concerts by former ESC stars.

During the show, the “Arena Plus” will be integrated into the main show via mutual live connections.

The “Arena Plus” is organized under the responsibility of the host city. The costs, in the order of CHF 2.5 million, can probably be fully covered by ticket, catering and hospitality revenues. The “Arena Plus” should therefore be cost-neutral for the canton. FC Basel is supporting the project, and the stadium will be available for the UEFA Women’s EURO 2025 on time and in the required quality.

Stay tuned to Eurovisionfun for all the updates!

Source: city of Basel

ERT’s decisions for Eurovision 2025: What to expect after September 15

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After September 15, ERT will announce the details of how to select Greece’s entry in Eurovision 2025. This decision follows the appointment of Yiannis Papadopoulos as temporary President of ERT, which is expected to be formalized on September 12. The administration will then proceed to make decisions and make official announcements about the contest, which will be held in Basel, Switzerland in May 2025.

The ceo of ERT, Katerina Kaskanioti, aims for a transparent and unbiased selection process, which will determine the artist and the song that will represent Greece on the Eurovision stage. ERT is looking for alternative methods of selection, which will ensure maximum transparency and reliability, with the scenario of direct assignment moving away, which you also read in our previous articles.

The team dealing with the project has already started the preparations, although the final decisions will be taken after the new administration takes office. Rumors and scenarios give and take, but ERT’s pursuit is to find the best possible solution for Greek participation, avoiding the mistakes of the past and keeping the interest of the television audience high, always aiming for a position in the top ten of the Eurovision final.

Stay tuned to Eurovisionfun for all the updates and official announcements that will determine Greece’s path to Eurovision 2025!

Iceland: Tomorrow the announcement of whether Iceland will participate in Eurovision 2025!

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Tomorrow, RÚV, the national broadcaster, will announce whether Iceland will participate in Eurovision in Basel next year. The Head of Delegation of Iceland said after this year’s competition that he expected Iceland to participate again next year, but nothing was set in stone.

There was great dissatisfaction among parts of the nation after Iceland’s participation in the competition this year. RÚV and other television stations were urged to withdraw from the competition because of Israel’s participation, and the EBU asked people to stop harassing contestants because of their participation.

Rúnar Freyr Gíslason said that the Israeli participation had a negative impact on the competition. It was not the unifying platform it should be. He said that he expects Iceland to participate again next year, but that has not been confirmed yet.

Rúnar said today in an interview with the news agency that the decision of RÚV on Iceland’s participation in Eurovision will be presented to the nation tomorrow. The format of the Söngvakeppnin will also be announced and presumably the dates for when artists can submit acts and more.

This year Iceland was represented for the second time by Hera Björk and the song “Scared of Heights” but failed to qualify for the final as it finished in 15th and last place of the first semi-final with just three points.

https://youtu.be/VChBgcycVl8

Source: visir.is

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Georgia: Eurovision 2025 participation confirmed!

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Earlier today, one more country confirmed its participation in the upcoming Eurovision Song Contest, which is set to take place next year in Basel, Switzerland!

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Poland: Jojo Siwa confirms that she is in talks for Eurovision 2025!

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One of the names that seems to be preoccupying the Eurovision world in this new season that has started is that of Jojo Siwa and the possibility of her representing Poland at the 69th Eurovision Song Contest which is going to take place in Basel, Switzerland in May 2025 .

The American singer with Polish roots a few days ago through a post on her TikTok account expressed her interest in getting on the big stage of Eurovision. You can read more about this in our related article.

JoJo Siwa expresses interest to participate in the Eurovision Song Contest?

In a new post on TikTok on the occasion of her visit to Poland Jojo Siwa confirmed that she is in talks to represent the country in Eurovision 2025.

In particular, in her new post she states:

“Somebody asked if I was gonna do it on Eurovision because [the song] was going viral in Poland. I initially jokingly replied to the comment saying ‘Yes’, but now it’s actually become a real conversation. Eurovision’s into it. We’re talking with the people in Poland because each country essentially decides who goes to Eurovision to represent that country.”

“We have been talking with everybody, obviously there’s a lot that goes into it, there’s a lot of logistics.”

Moreover, she also mentions that during the period when the competition will be held in Switzerland, another project of hers will be running at the same time, but this does not seem to deter her as she comments that:

“I might be able to make both work if Poland wants me to do it. If Poland wants me to represent, I will be there. I will make it happen, 1000 per cent.”

Below you can also watch the relevant TikTok post.

@itsjojosiwaUnedited GRWM for travel dayyy✨

♬ Yesterday’s Tomorrow’s Today – JoJo Siwa

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Cyprus: Theo Evan will represent the country in Basel!

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The dates, the host city as well as the venue that will host Eurovision 2025 were made public a couple days ago. Now, the first Eurovision 2025 participant was also announced. Following the tradition of announcing its representative at this early stage, RIK revealed moments ago that Theo Evan will represent the nation in Basel.

How was Theo Evan selected?

Theo Evan (nee Vangelis Theodorou) will fly the Cypriot flag in Basel and at Eurovision 2025.

As we have previously informed you, the young artist was selected by RIK’s evaluation committee, which based its decision on two criteria. Specifically, the broadcaster was looking for singers based in Cyprus and artists who can handle the pressure of the competition.

One of the two male artists who really stood out in the last round was Theo Evan. RIK made their selection last week and so today we had the official announcement.

Moreover, the song that will represent Cyprus in Eurovision 2025 was selected before the artist, as RIK usually does. Therefore, the song already exists and will be revealed at a later stage.

 

Δείτε αυτή τη δημοσίευση στο Instagram.

 

Η δημοσίευση κοινοποιήθηκε από το χρήστη Theo Evan (@theoevan_)

Who is Theo Evan?

Despite his young age, Evangelos Theodorou, known as Theo Evan, has already managed to stand out, leaving the promise of many things to come in the future. Theo Evan is a newcomer but highly talented singer and songwriter, who expresses himself equally through music and dance. A graduate of Berklee, perhaps the world’s top music university in America, he decided to return to Los Angeles, the city he chose to shape his own musical career, and in recent years has returned to his hometown of Nicosia.

He finished his studies earlier than their normal duration with honours. This did not leave his professors unimpressed, and at the last three graduation ceremonies he took part as a guest of honour, alongside music legends such as Justin Timberlake, Missy Eliott, Pharell Williams and John Legend.

At the age of 7, she started taking dance lessons in Nicosia. It was soon apparent that he was a gifted singer and dancer. His natural talent led him to success and awards in various competitions.

 In addition, he was a member of the school’s choir and took part at a number of musical events and performances, including talent shows and musical theater shows, which inspired and motivated him to write his own songs. His musical preferences have shifted over time toward Pop, while his inspiration has been Michael Jackson.

 

Δείτε αυτή τη δημοσίευση στο Instagram.

 

Η δημοσίευση κοινοποιήθηκε από το χρήστη Theo Evan (@theoevan_)

He has released several singles, such as “The Wall“, “SAVE ME FROM MYSELF” and “Dark Side“, gaining positive reviews. Theo Evan also made a small appearance at HBO’s second season of “Euphoria“, on episode seven.

 

Δείτε αυτή τη δημοσίευση στο Instagram.

 

Η δημοσίευση κοινοποιήθηκε από το χρήστη Theo Evan (@theoevan_)

For more about Theo Evan you can watch the video below

Stay tuned to EurovisionFun for all news regarding the Cypriot entry in Eurovision 2024.

Eurovision 2025: Céline Dion as a guest star is possible!

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The appearance of the world-class Canadian singer Céline Dion is considered possible according to a person from the production of the Eurovision Song Contest 2025!

As per the Swiss newspaper Basler Zeitung the producers of Eurovision 2025 in Basel are flirting with the idea of ​​Céline Dion appearing as a guest on the stage of the contest.

In his statements, the co-producer of the competition Reto Peritz said:

“Of course this is an issue for us. Actually, we want to put talent in the foreground at the ESC and not let them overshadowed by world-famous stars. But of course, it also has its appeal to have such a name on the show.”

Céline Dion and Switzerland share a special story around the Eurovision Song Contest. She represented Switzerland in 1988 with “Ne partez pas sans moi” and won, bringing the competition the following year to the country and specifically to Lausanne.

However, when asked if Céline Dion herself has been asked about this particular appearance at Eurovision 2025, Mr Peritz did not elaborate.

https://youtu.be/VXLWfXmlXPc

Source: Basler Zeitung

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Eurovision 2025: All you need to know about the coming season

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The Eurovision Song Contest never stops for a certain amount of fans, including us in Eurovisionfun, as well as you, our beloved readers. The 1st of September, is the crucial day, after which, any released song, is eligible to compete in the Contest. To put it simply, any song that is released, starting today, can be a potential participating song in the 69th Eurovision Song Contest, which is set to take place on the 13, 15 and 17 of May in Basel, Switzerland. Read more