Eurovision 2024: The programme of the first day of rehearsals (Saturday 27 April)!

The big moment is now upon millions of Eurofans around the globe, as the 68th Eurovision Song Contest officially begins in a few hours from now, with the Malmö Arena opening its gates to the 37 participating countries.

With no major changes expected this year, the rehearsals for Eurovision 2024 are expected to take place in the upcoming week. Rehearsals are divided into two phases, the first which will run for four days from today until Tuesday 30/04 and will include the initial first rehearsals of all countries taking part in the two semi-finals of the contest and the second which will run from Wednesday 01/05 until Saturday 04/05 and will include the second rehearsals of the countries in the two semi-finals as well as both rehearsals of the countries competing directly in the Final, namely the Big 5 and the host Sweden.

Last year’s changes in the way the rehearsals are covered are maintained this year, as the Press Centre opens on the Monday after the first and second rehearsals.

As a consequence, the information we will have for the first week of the contest will come exclusively from the material provided by the EBU to accredited journalists, as well as through the Live Blogs on Reddit and the short videos on TikTok.

Programme for Saturday 27 April

Seven countries are set to take to the stage at Malmö Arena for their first rehearsal, with Cyprus and Silia Kapsis “kicking off” on Saturday morning. The detailed schedule for the first day of rehearsals of the 68th Eurovision Song Contest is as follows (Mentioned in CET/Swedish Time):

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Stay tuned to Eurovisionfun for all the developments!

Bets: The latest odds before the rehearsals!

We are two days away from the start of the rehearsals in Malmö and that’s why one of Eurovisionfun‘s most loved and talked about columns is back, with the Eurovision 2024 betting analysis back again.

As you prepare for the pivotal days ahead with the climax of the 68th Eurovision Song Contest celebrations, the bookers are already getting down to business, with the Eurovision 2024 winner section already on offer across all bookmakers. So, we’re taking the opportunity to bring you the so far for the next contest.

The five that became four

A battle for four seems to be shaping up in this year’s contest, with Switzerland, Croatia, the Netherlands and Italy having a distinct lead over their pursuers and Ukraine ‘losing ground’ recently after the parties.

More specifically, at the top, now having a clear lead over its competitors, is Switzerland. With two 24 hours to go until the start of rehearsals in the Swedish south, Nemo‘s “The Code” starts from pole-position to win Switzerland‘s coveted third victory in its almost 70-year presence in the Eurovision Song Contest. Switzerland‘s victory is now being bet at odds of between 2.63 and 3.1, becoming the first to break the triple barrier this year.

In second place remains Croatia, who have been firmly established in the top two of the betting tables for the past two months, with their odds remaining largely stable after this year’s pre-parties. Baby Lasagna and “Rim Tim Tagi Dim” will go all the way for a maiden Croatian victory, with bookers offering odds of between 3.25 and 4.6.

The absolute hit on Western and Central European radios, the Netherlands, continues its rally up the betting tables. Joost Klein‘s “Europapa” has made an impression and is sweeping the charts and streams across much of the Old Continent, now bringing the Netherlands into fourth place. We told you long ago through this column about the dynamics of this entry, which was one of the dark horses of this year’s contest. Now in third place and offered at odds of between 4.25 and 5.5, it is anything but a dark horse, with betting companies recognising its potential and moving it up two places.

Fourth, with a slightly downward trend, but within a fairly close distance of the three leading countries, is Italy. Angelina Mango with “La Noia” may have lost one place compared to our last analysis, nevertheless the chances of a second Italian victory in this decade are highly respected. Between 5.75 and 7.5 is offered for Italian victory for those who believe in Angelina Mango‘s potential.

The top five is now completed by Ukraine, who have lost the momentum they had at the beginning of this year’s Eurovision season when they were considered the early favourites to win in Malmö. With the gap between the four leading countries having widened, bookers are offering Alyona Alyona & Jerry Heil’s victory at the highest odds we have seen offered during this year’s Eurovision season. Ukraine‘s fourth win in the Eurovision Song Contest is currently being bet at odds of between 8.5 and 17.

Top 10

With the countries in the Top 5 having stood out in comparison to those below them in the betting tables, let’s take a look at the rest of the top ten. In sixth place, France has quietly risen to sixth, and has consistently remained in or on the fringes of the top ten for most of this Eurovision season. Up to 21 times the stakes are returned by “Mon Amour” and Slimane, with France gaining one place in the last few days.

Among the gainers in recent weeks is Israel, which has moved up to seventh place. Eden Golan and “Hurricane” have gained four places in the last period, steadily gaining momentum as evidenced by the reactions she is garnering on social media on the official Eurovision account. Israel’s victory is offered at odds between 21 and 36.

Greece is still in eighth place. The “tailwind” after the release of Marina Satti‘s “ZARI” brought our country inside the Top 10, with Greece now stabilizing within it and having a safety margin over its pursuers.

Marina Satti‘s win is currently being played at odds between 21 and 41, slightly higher compared to our last analysis, with bookers, however, giving a vote of confidence to the Greek entry.

The big winner in recent weeks has clearly been Ireland, who have now moved up to ninth place, being five places higher compared to our last analysis. Up to 51 times the stake is returned on Ireland’s win with Bambie Thug‘s “Doomsday Blue“.

Rounding out the top ten is Belgium, who have been the disappointment so far this Eurovision season. Mustii‘s pre-party performances with his mildly unacceptable rendition of “Before the Party’s Over” has brought Belgium into tenth place, showing a drop of four places compared to our last analysis. Belgium’s victory is currently being bet on odds between 26 and 67.

Will Switzerland achieve its third victory in the Eurovision Song Contest with Nemo’s “The Code”? Tell us in the comments!

Stay tuned to Eurovisionfun for all the developments!

Croatia: Baby Lasagna with “Rim Tim Tagi Dim” live on the Slovenian TV!

Croatia’s representative in the upcoming Eurovision Song Contest 2024, Baby Lasagna, who is one of the big favourites for the trophy according to bookmakers, appeared live on Slovenian state television channel RTVSLO1 to perform the country’s entry Rim Tim Tagi Dim”!

In the video below you can watch the relevant performance!

Croatia in first place is going to appear in the 7th place of the First Semi-Final which is scheduled to take place on Tuesday 7 May claiming one of the 10 tickets to the grand final on Saturday 11 May.

https://youtu.be/xTBrVNZtnys

You can also watch the reaction video from the team of EurovisionFun on the Croatian entry!

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Iceland: Croatia Wins the First Show of Alla leið 2024!

Alla leið 2024 begun for another year with reviews of all the songs competing in the first Semi-Final of Eurovision Song Contest 2024.

The Icelandic preview show for the Eurovision Song Contest commenced tonight. Eva Ruza hosted the show with a panel of jurors reviewing the songs competing in the 68th Eurovision Song Contest. On the jury were:

  • Eva Ruza – Host
  • Matti Matt – Represented Iceland at Eurovision 2011
  • Regina Osk – Represented Iceland at Eurovision 2008
  • Jógvan Hansen – Singer

On the first episode of the preview show, Croatia with Baby Lasagna won with 42 points.

The results were as follows:

  1. Croatia – Baby Lasagna – “Rim Tim Tagi Dim” – 12+10+10+10 – 42 points
  2. Australia – Electric Fields – “One Milkali (One Blood)” – 10+6+10+12 – 38 points
  3. Poland – Luna – “The Tower” – 10+8+6+12 – 36 points
  4. Iceland – Hera Björk – “Scared of Heights” – 8+10+10+8 – 36 points
  5. Portugal – Iolanda – “Grito” – 10+6+10+6 – 32 points
  6. Sebria – Teya Dora – “Ramonda” – 5+8+10+8 – 31 points
  7. Cyprus – Silia Kapsis – “Liar” – 12+7+8+5 – 29 points
  8. Ukraine – Alyona Alyona & Jerry Heil – “Teresa & Maria” – 8+4+10+2 – 24 points
  9. Finland – Windows95man – “No Rules!” – 10+4+8+2 – 24 points
  10. Ireland – Bambie Thug – “Doomsday Blue” – 2+8+3+10 – 23 points
  11. Luxembourg – Tali – “Fighter” – 7+5+5+5 – 22 points
  12. Lithuania – Silvester Belt – “Luktelk” – 7+6+4+3 – 20 points
  13. Slovenia – Raiven – “Veronika” – 6+4+2+2 – 14 points
  14. Azerbaijan – Fahree feat. Ilkin Dovlatov – “Özünlə apar” – 3+2+1+6 – 12 points
  15. Moldova – Natalia Barbu – “In the Middle” – 3+1+2+1 – 7 points

 

Previous winners of the Alla leið preview shows include:

  • 2023 – Iceland – Diljá – “Power”
  • 2022 – Sweden – Cornelia Jakobs – “Hold Me Closer”
  • 2021 – Iceland – Daði og Gagnamagnið  – “10 Years”

Next week, the Alla leið 2024 continues with the countries of the second semi final Eurovision 2024.

Stay tuned to Eurovisionfun for all the news about Eurovision 2024.

Source: RÚV

Listen to Cyprus and Croatia’s performances, in “A Little Bit More”!

Just like last year, some time before the first rehearsals of the countries, the show called “A Little Bit More” aired on the official Eurovision YouTube channel.

Read more

Eurovision 2024: More “flexibility” for the producers to determine the Grand Final running order!

The 68th Eurovision Song Contest introduces a significant change in how the Grand Final running order is determined. Artists now have more options, with a new category introduced to give producers greater flexibility in shaping the lineup.

In March, it was announced that Malmö would see some major changes to enhance the Eurovision Song Contest‘s excitement. Following the revelation that the “Big 5” would perform their songs in full during the Semi-Finals and that fans could start voting as soon as the first artist hits the stage in the Grand Final, another significant change has emerged!

In recent years, qualifying countries from the Semi-Finals and the Big 5 have randomly selected which half of the Grand Final they will perform in. Subsequently, the show’s producers decided where within the First Half (songs 1 to 13) or Second Half (songs 14 to 26) of the Grand Final those acts would perform.

This year, a new category called “Producer’s Choice” will be introduced.

Host broadcaster SVT revealed that 25 of the 26 artists in the Grand Final (Sweden already has position 1) will have the option to choose First Half, Second Half, or Producer’s Choice through a random draw.

If an artist selects Producer’s Choice, the show producers will have the discretion to place that song anywhere in either the First or Second Half of the running order.

This change means there will be 6 slots available to pick in the First Half of the running order, 6 slots in the Second Half, and 13 Producer’s Choice slots.

The purpose of this change is to provide producers with more opportunities to ensure all songs in the Grand Final stand out and to create the most dynamic running order possible.

Christer Björkman, this year’s Contest Producer, elaborated on the rationale behind the change:

“It’s all about creating the best TV show possible and giving all artists a chance to shine. Adding the flexibility of Producer’s Choice allows me to create an even better flow of different tempos and an even more thrilling Grand Final.”

The Big 5 will select either First Half, Second Half, or Producer’s Choice after their second Rehearsal on Saturday, May 4, live during a Reddit AMA. Then, each of the 10 qualifiers from the First Semi-Final on Tuesday, May 7, will draw one of those three options live on the Official Eurovision Song Contest TikTok channel immediately after the show.

The 10 qualifying artists from the Second Semi-Final will draw from the remaining options live on TikTok after the show ends on Thursday, May 9.

Once all 25 options are chosen, producers will compile the running order for the Grand Final of the 68th Eurovision Song Contest in the early hours of Friday, May 10. It will then be revealed on the Contest’s website and social media channels.

The last time such a change to the running order was made was also in Malmö, in 2013.

Before 2013, the running order of the Grand Final was determined via a random draw. However, in 2013, host broadcaster SVT initiated a change to create a more entertaining evening of television for viewers. This format has remained in place every year since, with the introduction of the Producer’s Choice element in 2024 being the first major change in over a decade.

Stay tuned to Eurovisionfun for all the latest developments!

Source: Eurovision.tv

The Model: Predicted Results for Eurovision 2024!

The Model is a project by Eurovoix aimed at predicting the results of the Eurovision contest, based on betting odds, fan voting online, app usage, song views and streamings on electronic platforms, historical voting patterns, and even the position in the running order. It also takes into account other external factors such as political developments that could influence the outcome, or the nationality of an artist.

As the computational prediction model is constructed based on contemporary data, which dynamically change during the pre-party period, its recently updated version predicts Switzerland as the winner instead of Italy.

Ukraine and The Netherlands continue to be the winners of the two semi-finals, while in this edition, Greece and Cyprus also advance to the final, both with an upward trajectory.

First Semi-Final Scoreboard

Second Semi-Final Scoreboard

The change observed here is the qualification of Georgia for the Grand Final and the displacement of Denmark among the non-qualifiers. Clearly, Nutsa Buzaladze’s outstanding performance at the London Eurovision Party last weekend won over the fans and gave a boost to the Georgian entry.

Final Scoreboard

Perhaps the most challenging in terms of prediction, the voting outcome crowns Switzerland as the big winner of Eurovision 2024. According to this computational model, Greece will finish 13th (10th in both televoting and juries), while Cyprus will place 19th (21st with the juries and 16th in the televote).

What do you think of The Model’s results? Will they be confirmed in May? Stay tuned to EurovisionFun for all the updates!

Source: eurovoix.com

Croatia: Zagreb ready to host Eurovision 2025!

Baby Lasagna has managed to bring Croatia back in the limelight and the Croatian fans’ interest in the Eurovision Song Contest has skyrocketed.

Just yesterday, the mayor of Zagreb, Tomislav Tomasevic, was asked on reddit whether Zagreb can host Eurovision.

(Zagreb) is totally ready! The arena is already booked. Fingers crossed for Baby Lasagna to win in Sweden and Zagreb will help HRT with production and organization in every way.

At the same time people are dancing to the rhythm of Rim Tim Tagi Dim in five Croatian cities,. It is now one of the most popular dances and there is no one who has not danced it. The dances are being filmed in order to create an impressive video. As Maja Tokić and Tomislav Štengl (head of the Croatian delegation to Eurovision) pointed out:

We’ve been in all the cities with cameras, in every location, so we’re going to make a fantastic video out of it. Croatia is united again, this time not because of football, this time because of a wonderful boy from Umag and his whole team. We moved into first place and were first for a long time, and now we are second for a long time,

zagreb

Baby Lasagna also appeared on Dutch TV and specifically on Beau van Erven Dorens’ show performing his song.

Croatia will appear in the First Semi-Final of Eurovision 2024 on May 7 in the seventh place.

 

Stay tuned to Eurovisionfun!

source: HRT

Baby Lasagna: Sharing Insights from Eurovision Preparations

Baby Lasagna made an appearance yesterday night on the HTV show “Kod nas doma,” straight from London where he attended one of the pre-Eurovision parties.

His performance took place on April 7th, alongside 32 other representatives out of 38. Before London, he had already performed in Madrid, and next week, he’s set to perform in Amsterdam.

Awaiting His Performance in Amsterdam

PreParties,” or warm-up events, serve as opportunities for us, the Eurovision representatives, to get to know each other better and connect with fans. It was fantastic, both in Madrid and London. And now, Amsterdam awaits us next week,” he said, adding that he was surprised to be recognized by fans outside the country, in London and Madrid.

Initially, he wasn’t sure about accepting engagements in London, Amsterdam, and Madrid, fearing it would take up too much of his time.

“But in Madrid, I realized that it’s all part of the Eurovision preparation. You perform in front of people, you travel, you get nervous. It’s actually like a few dress rehearsals before the real thing,” said Marko Purišić, better known as Baby Lasagna.

Becoming a Fan of Switzerland

One of the goals of participating in the PreParties was to hear how other representatives sound live.

“It was great, especially Slovenia, Serbia, and Italy caught my eye. They are perhaps my favorites at the moment. Although, Switzerland, ever since it climbed the betting odds, I listened to the song, and the song ‘kills it,'” he said, adding that after listening to the song live and online, he became a fan.

Baby Lasagna spent 32 days at the top of the official Eurovision betting odds, but he was overtaken by the aforementioned Swiss representative, Nemo.

“Now we’re in second place, and it’s a little easier for me. At least no one asks me about it anymore,” he joked.

“I Like Visiting My Parents and Not Talking Too Much About What’s Happening Now”

His family, he says, is his greatest support, and he draws the most energy and help from them.

“I like visiting my parents and not talking too much about what’s happening now. My dad starts talking about taking the car to the mechanic and similar things,” said Baby Lasagna, announcing at the end that he will soon start filming a documentary in collaboration with HRT.

Stay tuned to Eurovisionfun for all the developments regarding Croatia’s participation in Eurovision 2024!

Source: HRT

OGAE Poll 2024: The results from Croatia!

Every year since 2007, OGAE International conducts the OGAE Poll, which includes the votes of its members from 42 different countries. After three countries submitted their votes, it is now Croatia’s turn to cast its votes.

In detail, the 23 members of OGAE Croatia voted as following:

  • 12 points to Switzerland
  • 10 points to Belgium
  • 8 points to Israel
  • 7 points to Austria
  • 6 points to Slovenia
  • 5 points to France
  • 4 points to Cyprus
  • 3 points to Lithuania
  • 2 points to Ukraine
  • 1 point to the Denmark

The results following the votes of five countries are the following:

Belguim is leading the scoreboard with 43 points while Italy and Croatia are three points behind. Switzeland and Austria complete the Top 5 of the scoreboard.

Stay tuned on Eurovisionfun for all the news regarding the Eurovision Song Contest 2024, in Malmö!

Source: OGAE International