Εurovision 2025: The two potential host-cities will be anounced this Friday

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The Swiss newspaper “Blick” reports that the SSR-SRG will select tomorrow evening the possible cities that will host Eurovision 2025, reducing the number of candidate cities from four to two. The official announcement on the selected cities will be made on Friday 19 July.

A total of four cities are bidding to host the upcoming 2025 Eurovision Song Contest in Switzerland: Geneva, Zurich, Bern (together with Bienne) and Basel. Geneva and Zurich are the frontrunners and favourites to advance to the next stage of the race to host Eurovision 2025. Both Geneva and Zurich are bidding to host the event with strong bids and significant financial contributions.

A steering committee overseen by the business firm Pricewaterhouse Coopers will determine the city that will host Eurovision 2025. This committee, headed by Gilles Marchand (CEO of SRG), will meet tomorrow Thursday 18 July and will come up with two candidate cities.

The Eurovision 2025 committee is composed of the following members:

  • Gilles Marchand (SRG Director General)
  • Nathalie Wappler (SRF Director)
  • Mario Timbal ( RSI Director)
  • Beat Grossenbacher  ( SRG Chief Financial Officer)
  • Bakel Walden (SRG Director of Development & Services /Eurovision Reference Group Chairman)

The city that will host Eurovision 2025 is expected to be revealed at the end of August.

Switzerland will host the Eurovision Song Contest following Nemo‘s victory with his song “The code” at Eurovision 2024. This will be the third time in the history of the contest that Switzerland has hosted the contest as it has been the host country in 1956 and 1989.

Stay tuned to Eurovisionfun for all the latest updates on the Eurovision Song Contest 2025!

Source: ESC Kombakt

The Netherlands: Anouk wants to return on the Eurovision stage!

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The Dutch singer Anouk wants to take part in the Eurovision Song Contest, once again, next year. During her apperance at the North Sea Jazz last Saturday, she mentioned that she has a perfect track for the Eurovision Song Contest.

In her statement she mentioned:

“I have recorded a strong track… perfect for the Eurovision Song Contest, but there’s no committee anymore, so I don’t know who to send it to.”

The singer has already taken part in Eurovision once in 2013. With the song “Birds” she managed to bring the Netherlands back to the final after 8 consecutive years of non-qualifications.

However, the participation of the Netherlands in Eurovision 2025 still remains uncertain due to the disqualification of this year’s representative Joost Klein a few hours before the Eurovision 2024 final.

Would you like to see Anouk again on the Eurovision stage? Let us know your thought in the comments below.

Source: songfestival.be

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

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Cyprus: Many potential representatives | RIK has started its search for Eurovision 2025!

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Cyprus is one of the countries that traditionally begins its preparations for the Eurovision Song Contest early and this year is no exception. There are many artists that have already expressed their wish, either publicly or cladestinely, to represent the nation in the upcoming Contest in Switzerland and RIK, the Cypriot broadcaster has set off the process.

Many potential candidates for the representation

A plethora of renowned and less known artists have stated their interest in representing Cyprus at Eurovision 2025.

A singer who has turned the public interest on her several times in the past regarding Eurovision and the possibility of going there, is Josephine. Besides, Eurovision is a topic that she has been discussing a lot with her label and she would love to go up to the Eurovision stage next year, waving either the greek or the cypriot flag.

Another artist who has already submitted his musical proposal to RIK for Eurovision 2025, is Biased Beast, also known as Christophoros Ilias. He has studied music and theater in New York and through his social media presence, he has made his wish to participate at Eurovision very clear.

An artist who has some Eurovision experience is Sophia Patsalides. She represented Cyprus at the Junior Eurovision Song Contest in 2014 and she recently posted a cover of “Mon Amour” in Greek, being praised for her vocal abilities.

Lastly, Feidias is an artist who has appeared in several greek talent shows and is assigned to one of the biggest record companies in Greece. He mentions that his biggest goal is to sing at the Eurovision stage on behalf of Cyprus in every interview he gives out.

Of course, there are several other artists who may have not expressed their interest publicly, but they may have negotiated with the public broadcaster privately.

 

The next representative will be based in Cyprus

RIK’s team whose duties revolve around Eurovision has proved all these years that they organise their participation meticulously and plan ahead the details.

According to our exclusive information, RIK’s decision for Eurovision 2025 is to choose an artist who is based in Cyprus. After 2 years of selecting artists who are a part of Cypriot diaspora, this year their aim to give the opportunity for a native talent to shine. How will the next representative be chosen though?

Important people from the music industry and Eurovision “experts” are taking part in a focus group, which will act advisorily and will narrow down the possible candidates that the national broadcaster will choose based on the following criteria:

  • To be able to manage the demanding Eurovision stage
  • To be based in Cyprus

If everything goes according to plan, the name of the Cypriot representative will go public in the beginning of autumn. The ultimate goal is to have a song and a stage presence that will make all cypriot people proud.

Despite being one the smallest participating countries, Cyprus has managed in the last ten years to achieve dignified results, especially taking into account that countries that are bigger than Cyprus have qualified to the Grand Final fewer times.

Cyprus was represented this year by 17-year-old Silia Kapsis with “Liar” and managed to end up 15th at the Grand Final.

https://youtu.be/c4wMioZXbMk?si=tAuhG4ZWCTYlmgq_

Who would you like to see waving the cypriot flag next May in Switzerland? Tell us in the comments!

Stay tuned to EurovisionFun for all the upcoming news!

Switzerland: Calls for referendums against hosting Eurovision 2025!

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The Federal Democratic Union (UDF) is challenging the funding allocated for the Eurovision Song Contest 2025 organization. The party has announced the launch of referendums, with the Alemannic Federation of Taxpayers, closely aligned with the Swiss People’s Party (UDC), primarily targeting Zurich’s candidacy.

The ultra-conservative evangelical party UDF criticizes the Eurovision Song Contest (ESC) for evolving into an event with “increasingly anti-Semitic incidents” and “more satanic and occultist contributions.” They cite protests in Malmö, Sweden, against Israel’s participation in the last ESC due to the Gaza war as an example.

According to the UDF, such manifestations predict a high-security risk for the ESC in Switzerland next May. The party aims to coordinate the collection of signatures against the funds allocated for the potential hosting cities: Zurich, Geneva, Basel, and Bern/Bienne.

Referendums Planned in Zurich and Bern

On Tuesday, UDF sections in the city and canton of Zurich decided to launch a referendum against the city’s 20 million francs funding framework, approved last Wednesday by the legislature. This money is intended to co-finance the event if Zurich is chosen as the host city for the ESC. The cantonal parliament also approved a 5 million francs credit on Monday.

Last Wednesday, the UDF sections in Bern decided to initiate a referendum against the credits for the joint candidacy of Bern and Bienne. In Bern, UDC and Alternative Green politicians have already submitted a referendum text. At the cantonal level, the UDC and UDF will call for a referendum if the nearly 30 million francs credit is approved by the Grand Council.

“The canton of Bern still has significant debt and some of the highest taxes in Switzerland. In this context, we want strict financial policies,” stated UDC National Councillor Manfred Bühler on Tuesday evening in Forum. He affirmed that the UDC Bern‘s opposition is motivated purely by financial concerns, not socio-cultural conservatism.

However, Cyprien Louis, co-president of the Bern Greens, countered that “the economic, visual, and audiovisual benefits that such an event can bring to the region” should also be considered.

UDF Geneva Supports the Contest

The UDF is also targeting the funding for the Geneva and Basel candidacies. In these cities, the funds have yet to be voted on by their respective parliaments.

However, in Geneva, even the UDF is enthusiastic about the potential of hosting the Eurovision. “The UDF Geneva is excited about the local economic benefits of such an event, whether cultural or sports-related. We regret the disappearance of events like the Geneva Motor Show, which hinders the local economy,” explained Lionel Dugerdil, president of UDF Geneva, in the 12h30 program.

Meanwhile, the Alemannic Federation of Taxpayers is focusing on opposing Zurich’s candidacy. The federation questioned why Zurich taxpayers should co-finance the ESC, calling it “a private event,” and is set to decide on launching a referendum against the city’s funding on Wednesday.

By the end of August, the SSR will choose the host city for the Eurovision Song Contest in consultation with the European Broadcasting Union (EBU). Potential referendums will be possible only afterward.

Stay tuned to Eurovisionfun for all the latest updates on the Eurovision Song Contest 2025!

Source: RTS

Spain: The dates of Benidorm Fest 2025 | A significant change!

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Preparations for Eurovision 2025 have already begun in Spain, as today a press conference for the upcoming edition of Benidorm Fest took place.

The Benidorm Fest 2025 dates were announced at the press conference. In particular, the planning for all Benidorm Fest’s shows will be as following:

  • First Semi-Final: January 28, 2025
  • Second Semi-Final: January 30, 2025
  • Grand Final: February 1, 2025

A significant change coming to Benidorm Fest 2025

In contrast to previous Benidorm Fest editions, the specific outcomes of the semifinals will not be made public during the show. Rather, no additional information will be released other than the names of the finalists, until Benidorm Fest is concluded.

Submissions for Benidorm Fest 2025

The submission window has been open for more than one month and will remain open until October 10.

Spain: Submission window for Benidorm Fest 2025 opens today!

When the submissions are completed, a jury panel from RTVE, will assess and select 16 songs to participate in the festival and six more reserve entries.

The previous winners of Benidorm Fest and Spain’s representatives in Eurovision 2024 were Nebulossa, with their songs “Zorra” and ended up in 22nd place of the Final.

Stay tuned to EurovisionFun for all the news!

Source: eurovision-spain

Bosnia and Herzegovina: Court orders sale of BHRT real estate to repay debts to EBU

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A Sarajevo court orders Bosnia and Herzegovina Public Television (BHRT) to sell its real estate to pay off a debt to the EBU.

The divestment of BHRT’s large real estate is ordered by a court decision in Bosnia and Herzegovina. BHRT owes the EBU just over 8 million Euros. Because of this debt, the country’s public television has not had access to the EBU’s services since 2018 and, of course, cannot take part in the Eurovision song contest either.

BHRT owns nine properties, worth 82 million Euros. The sale of the property ordered by the court order is set for September 24. The decision has been appealed.

If BHRT repays its debt to the EBU, it opens the way for its return to the Eurovision Song Contest.

Bosnia and Herzegovina debuted in the contest in 1993 and since then has participated 19 times, with their last appearance being in 2016. Their best finish is third, at Eurovision 2006 in Athens, when they came third with Lejla .

Stay tuned to Eurovisionfun for all the updates!

Source: Eurovoix

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!

EXCLUSIVE: With a powerful song for Eurovision 2025, the Songwriting Camp in Elounda was completed!

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The first Eurovision Songwriting Camp ever held in Greece ended yesterday, Friday, July 5, in Elounda, Crete. According to our exclusive information, the composers who participated in the camp are delighted with the result, since they consider that they have a very strong song for Eurovision 2025 in their hands.

All week long, the four established musicians with great experience, as well as successes in the competition, worked intensively to prepare songs for Eurovision 2025. The creators of Nemo’s The Code, Lasse Midtsian Nymann and Linda Dale, the well-known Norwegian songwriter Elsie Bay, as well as Dream Team’s composer Dimitris Kontopoulos, joined forces with the result, as we are informed, fully justifying them.

All these camps usually involve many more songwriters, and aim to write many songs for various artists. The duration of these camps does not exceed three days and the time that each composer has to work with other musicians is very limited, since the composition of the working groups is rotated for practical reasons.

In the songwriting camp of Elounda, as you read above, four composers participated and their goal was to write one or more songs, for a single artist as we can now reveal to you, who seems to have already been selected in a country or has the intention to submit a song. The time they had was much longer than the usual songwriting camps that are held in Europe, while all five days they worked together, in order to reach the result they wanted.

They wrote a total of three songs, as we informed you in our previous article, but one of them qualified out of all four, as the most suitable for the upcoming song contest in Switzerland. In the next period, more details will be revealed, both about the song and about the artist who will be invited to perform it.

It is worth noting that the four composers were very pleased with their collaboration and renewed their appointment for further musical projects.

Stay tuned to Eurovisionfun for all the updates!

Switzerland: An internal selection for Eurovision 2025 | Song submission will commence soon!

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Switzerland, the winning country of Eurovision 2024, officially starts its Eurovision 2025 journey.

Switzerland will use an internal selection process again in order to select its next Eurovision act. The submission window will open on the 8th of August and is expected to be closed two weeks later, on the 22nd of August.

The selection process

The Swiss entry will be selected by a Swiss audience jury along with a 25-member international Eurovision-expert jury. Along with a Swiss audience jury, an international audience will also have its say on the next Swiss act.

The final decision will be known to public in early 2025.

Nemo won last year’s Swiss internal selection and with their entry “The Code“, subsequently won the 68th Eurovision Song Contest and will now bring the contest back to its birthplace, Switzerland.

Stay tuned to EurovisionFun for all the news!

Source: srf.ch

The core production team for Eurovision 2025 has been announced

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The core production team for the 69th Eurovision Song Contest in Switzerland in 2025 was announced a little earlier.

Swiss public broadcaster SSG SSR has announced several key players who will serve as the main production team behind next year’s competition. These include the positions of Head of Show, Head of Contest, Head of Production etc.

First, Reto Peritz and Moritz Stadler will be the Executive Producers for Eurovision 2025. Together, they will take overall responsibility for the production of the contest.

Under them, the head of show for Eurovision 2025 will be Yves Schifferle, who was the head of the delegation for Switzerland. His role will be to produce the result for the three telecasts – two semi-finals and the final – and functions such as the parade of flags, postcards and the voting series.

Schifferle’s new role means he will not be head of the Swiss delegation this year, with Daniel Meister taking over for 2025.

The usual suspect Christer Björkman, who has headed the contest six times in the past, will be doing his seventh Eurovision as Head of Contest in 2025. He will be in charge of both the performance line-up and the acts on the stage.

He will be joined by Tobias Åberg, who will be the Head of Production responsible for technical production, stage construction and IT infrastructure.

Bernhard Spahni joins the team as project manager. Nadja Burkhardt-Tracol will be the head of the event, making her the main contact with the city chosen to host the competition.

Manfred Winz (Head of Finance), Aurore Chatard (Head of Security), Kevin Stuber (Head of Legal), Thomas Pittino (Head of Marketing & Funding), Vassilis Donikian (Head of HR), Nicole Beutler (Head of Public Affairs), Henriette Engbersen (in her capacity as Head of the Public Value team at SRG) and Till Jendly (Assistant) round out the rest of the team.

The core team will now start working to make next May Eurovision 2025. Of course, it still remains unknown which of the four cities, Geneva, Zurich, Basel or Bern will host the contest. The decision will be announced in August.

Source: Eurovision.tv