Sweden: SVT announced the venues for all the Melodifestivalen 2022 shows!

The rapidly spreading Omicron COVID19 variant and all the latest measures imposed by governments in most countries around the world could not leave Eurovision related events unaffected. That is why SVT had decided to cancel the Melodifestivalen tour around Sweden for another year and host all the shows in Stockholm!

This year, a lot of ambiguities have covered the entire show, leading to SVT announcing the venue for the first semi-final, almost a week before the first rehearsals. Thus, few days ago, SVT had announced that they have fixed a venue at least for the first semi-final and this one of Stockholm’s most iconic buildings, the largest spherical building in the world, The Avicii Arena.

It wasn’t until a couple of hours earlier, that some reports came up, saying that SVT was looking into hosting the Melodifestivalen 2022 shows of at least the first, second, third and fifth semi-finals, at the Avicii Arena.

Uncertainty about the fourth semi-final

On the 26th of February, the fourth semi-final of Melodifestivalen 2022 will take place. However, The Avicii Arena, which was a potential venue of all the shows, is already booked on the date. Tomas Ledin has booked it for an almost sold-out anniversary concert and earlier this week he issued a statement that he does not intend to move his concert.

The final verdict

A few moments ago SVT officially announced that the shows of Melodifestivalen 2022 will be held partly at Avicii Arena and partly at Friends Arena. Anette Brattström, the project manager of Melodifestivalen comments on the matter:

The combination of Avicii Arena and Friends Arena is a good solution from a TV point of view. We have a great habit of producing the Melodivestivalen shows in both arenas . Now it feels super fun that even a larger audience can experience our show also on site.

The detailed schedule and the venues of  all the Melodifestivalen 2022 shows, can be seen below:

  • First Semi on the 5th of February – Avicii Arena
  • Second Semi on the 12th of February – Avicii Arena
  • Third Semi on the 19th of Februrary – Avicii Arena
  • Fourth Semi on the 26th of February – Friends Arena
  • Fifth Semi on the 5th of March – Friends Arena
  • The Finals on the 12th of March – Friends Arena

Stay tuned at Eurovisionfun, for all the latest developments regarding Sweden’s entry for Eurovision 2022!

Ireland: The Late Late Eurovision Special final tonight!

The country with the most wins, Ireland, want to put an end to their series of negative results in recent years and hope to do so by choosing an entry worthy of their history in the competition. Thus, Ireland choose their representative for Eurovision 2022 tonight, with the grand final of The Late Late Eurovision Special taking place in Dublin.

The presenter of the Irish final will be Ryan Tubridy, while Marty Whelan will be in the green room.

The finalists

320 songs were submitted to RTÉ to claim Ireland’s representation in the 66th Eurovision Song Contest. Out of the 320 entries, the Irish broadcaster has selected the six best who will be competing tonight for the ticket to Turin.

The six artists are the following:

  1. Patrick O’Sullivan – One Night, One Kiss, One Promise
  2. Janet Grogan – Ashes Of Yesterday
  3. Brendan Murray – Real Love
  4. Miles Graham – Yeah, We’re Gonna Get Out Of It
  5. Rachel Goode – I’m Loving Me
  6. Brooke Scullion – That’s Rich

Method of selection

Ireland’s representative at Eurovision 2022 will be equally determined by the public vote, the vote of an international jury and a jury in the studio.

The Late Late Eurovision Special will start at 22:35 CET and will last two hours. You can watch it on the RTÉ One frequency by clicking HERE.

Stay tuned to Eurovisionfun for all news regarding Ireland’s participation in Eurovision 2022!

North Macedonia: Za Evrosong final tonight!

It’s time for North Macedonia to choose their representantive tonight, through the national final Za Evrosong.

Six artists will be claiming the victory, which will give them a ticket to Turin.

The songs

The six artists who will participate in the national final are the following (click on the title of the song to listen to it):

Format

The representative of North Macedonia in the 66th Eurovision Song Contest will be determined 50% by the online voting, which has already been going on for seven days, since last Friday, and 50% by the voting of an international jury.

Both the TV audience and the international jury will base their vote on the participants’ video clips. This is a process very similar to that of the national final of Czech Republic in December.

Za Evrosong will start at 20:15 CET and will last 55 minutes. You can watch it through the MRT frequency by clicking HERE.

Stay tuned to Eurovisionfun for all news regarding the participation of North Macedonia in Eurovision 2022!

Cyprus: Proposal to Ivi Adamou for Eurovision 2022?

Through the noon show of Alpha Cyprus, “With love Christiana”, further revelations were made regarding the participation of the island of Aphrodite in Eurovision 2022.

Specifically, the journalist, Haris Papatheocharous, referred to the rumors but also to what you read first to us, about the involvement in this year’s Cypriot participation of the Greek-born creator and producer based in Sweden, Alex P.

However, what was emphasized is that RIK has not yet reached either the song or the artist who will be in Turin.

Finally, he referred to the scenario of Ivi Adamou, a name that we talk about every year, saying that a proposal has been made to the young singer to represent Cyprus again, after ten years.

See the full report in the video below:

 

Stay tuned to Eurovisionfun for all news regarding Cyprus’s participation in Eurovision.

Finland: Interview with Cyan Kicks | The right time for Eurovision and “Hurricane”! (Video)

Following their selection for this year’s national final in Finland, Uuden Musiikin Kilpailu 2022, Cyan Kicks talk exclusively to EurovisionFun, Apostolos Bogiannos and Apostolis Matamis.

Cyan Kicks are among the seven finalists in Finland‘s national final for Eurovision 2022, and will try to represent their country with the song “Hurricane”.

We had been thinking about participating in UMK for four years but we never felt confident about it. This year we felt stronger since we have already released several songs. We have long wanted to write a song that would push us far as a band and as individuals and that’s how Hurricane came about. It happened completely naturally. We are very proud of it.

Regarding the stage presentation of the song in the national final, they state that:

We can’t say much. All we can say is that something very special and magical is going to happen that you are definitely not expecting. Something you don’t expect to see from a rock band. It will be a surprise!

Even though they like all the songs from UMK 2022, they like more the ones by Bess and Isaac Sene.

Their favourite Finnish entry is that of Lordi (2006), while from the competition in general they single out Loreen (Sweden 2012) and ABBA (Sweden 1974).

Just before the end of the interview, Cyan Kicks shared with us an acapella part of their participation.

Watch the full exclusive interview of Cyan Kicks in the video below:

Listen to “Hurricane”, Cyan Kicks‘ participation in Uuden Musiikin Kilpailu 2022!

Stay tuned to EurovisionFun for all the latest news regarding Finland’s participation in Eurovision 2022!

Italy: The results of the third night of Sanremo 2022!

After two really successful first nights of Sanremo 2022, we saw all the competing songs performed on stage for the second time tonight. At the end of the night we found out the new general ranking. Today the vote was determined by the public, 50% through televoting and 50% through the demoscopic jury of 1000 people selected specifically for this purpose. Of course, tonight’s ranking was combined with the ranking of the previous two nights.

The show

Amadeus was accompanied on stage at Teatro Ariston by the persona Drusilla Foer (alter ego of Gianluca Gori).

Guests of the evening were singer Cesare Cremonini, actress Anna Valle, journalist and writer Roberto Saviano and carabinieri Marina Pigliapoco.

The songs

Tonight we listened to all 25 candidate songs for the second time:

  • Giusy Ferreri – Miele

Known for several hits in Italy and not only. Her fourth participation in the festival.

  • Highsnob & Hu – Abbi cura di te

First participation for the duo with one of the most emotional songs.

  • Fabrizio Moro – Sei tu

Eighth entry for Fabrizio Moro who, in a duet with Ermal Meta, won once in 2018 and represented Italy in Eurovision.

  • Aka 7even – Perfetta così

First entry for the young rapper who became famous from the talent show Amici di Maria De Filippi, finishing fourth. He also won the MTV Europe Award for Best Italian Artist in 2021.

  • Massimo Ranieri – Lettera di là dal mare

Winner of Sanremo 1988 and a two-time representative of Italy in Eurovision (1971 and 1973). This is his seventh participation in the festival.

  • Dargen D’Amico – Dove si balla

Another first-time participant as a performer, although he has already participated in the festival as a composer of the songs “Chiamami per nome” and “Dieci”.

  • Irama – Ovunque sarai

His fourth participation in the Festival. Despite his young age, he has already made a name for himself in Italy.

  • Ditonellapiaga & Rettore – Chimica

Fifth appearance for veteran Donatella Rettore, this time in a duet with indie pop singer Dittonellapiaga, who is making her first appearance.

  • Michele Bravi – Inverno dei fiori

Bravi rose to fame after winning the seventh edition of the italian X Factor. This is his second participation in Sanremo.

  • Rkomi – Insuperabile

First participation for the rapper from Milan too. He already counts three albums that arrived at the top of the Italian charts, especially last year.

  • Mahmood & Blanco – Brividi

One of the favorites for the win. Mahmood does not need introduction to the fans, as he was the winner of Sanremo 2019 and brought Italy near the victory at Eurovision. Blanco is a rather new artist who has already made a name for himself in Italy among the younger generations, especially with his album “Blu Celeste”. This is his first participation in the festival.

  • Gianni Morandi – Apri tutte le porte

A legend of Italian music, with sales exceeding 50 million records. He represented Italy in Eurovision 1970, and was the winner of Sanremo 1987.

  • Tananai – Sesso occassionale

First participation for the young singer, who is one of the three Sanremo Giovani “qualifiers”.

  • Elisa – O forse sei tu

One of the biggest names in the Italian music scene and another favorite for the win. This is her second participation after her victory in 2001!

  • La rappresentante di Lista – Ciao Ciao

One of the favourites for the top 3. The pop band from Palermo, who are constantly changing their appearance, hopes to represent Italy in Eurovision 2022. It is their second participation in the festival.

  • Iva Zanicchi – Voglio amarti

A huge name in Italy who returns to the Festival for the eleventh time! She has already won three times (1967, 1969, 1974) and represented Italy in Eurovision 1969.

  • Achille Lauro feat. Harlem Gospel Choir – Domenica

Achille Lauro has been successful mainly in the field of punk and hip hop music. This is his third participation in the Sanremo Festival.

  • Matteo Romano – Virale

Another Sanremo Giovani “qualifier”. The young singer became very famous through TikTok.

  • Ana Mena – Duecentomila ore

First participation in Sanremo for the Spanish singer and actress.

  • Sangiovanni – Farfalle

First participation in the Festival for the young singer who stood out in the talent show Amici di Maria De Filippi, finishing second.

  • Emma – Ogni volta è così

Another comeback for Emma who is participating for the third time. She won the Festival in 2012 and represented Italy in Eurovision 2014 with the song “La mia città”.

  • Yuman – Ora e qui

Yuman is half Italian and half from Cape Verde. He had a difficult childhood, and music has always been his refuge. This is his first participation in the festival. He was the winner of the latest Sanremo Giovani last December.

  • Le Vibrazioni – Tantissimo

Fourth participation for the rock band from Milan.

  • Giovanni Truppi – Tuo padre, mia madre, Lucia

First participation for the rock singer and composer from Naples.

  • Noemi – Ti amo non lo so dire

Although she failed to win The Voice in 2009, she has been a hugely successful name in the italian music scene ever since. She has participated seven other times in the Sanremo festival.

The voting

Tonight the voting was in the hands of the public, 50% via televote and 50% through the demoscopic jury.

The ranking

The general ranking is now as follows:

  1. Mahmood & Blanco
  2. Elisa
  3. Gianni Morandi
  4. Irama
  5. Sangiovanni
  6. Emma
  7. Massimo Ranieri
  8. Fabrizio Moro
  9. La rappresentante di Lista
  10. Dargen D’Amico
  11. Michele Bravi
  12. Ditonellapiaga & Rettore
  13. Aka 7even
  14. Achille Lauro
  15. Noemi
  16. Rkomi
  17. Matteo Romano
  18. Iva Zanicchi
  19. Giovanni Truppi
  20. Highsnob & Hu
  21. Giusy Ferreri
  22. Le Vibrazioni
  23. Yuman
  24. Ana Mena
  25. Tananai

The ranking takes into account the votes received in the first two nights, as well as tonight’s sole ranking, combined.

Winners tonight were crowned, once again, Mahmood & Blanco with “Brividi”.

What did you think of the third night’s results? What was your favorite performance? Tell us in the comments!

Australia: Australia Decides TikTok wildcard has been revealed!

Back in December, SBS launched a national TikTok contest to find the next Australia Decides artist to join the 2022 line up on the Gold Coast.

Participants were to audition by posting a video on the platform using the #EurovisionAustralia hashtag. The #EurovisionAustralia hashtag had garnered over 33 million views on TikTok with a lot of Aussies submitting their videos online and the winner was unveiled by SBS today! Their name was announced a while ago and it is Erica Padilla.

Known acts competing at Australia Decides 2022

Eleven acts will compete to be the next Australian Eurovision representative.  The participants for the next Australia Decides are:

  1. Isaiah Firebrace, Evie Irie – When I’m With You
  2. Jaguar Jonze – LITTLE FIRES
  3. Paulini – We Are One
  4. Andrew Lambrou – Electrify
  5. Sheldon Riley –  Not the Same
  6. G-Nat!on
  7. Sean Miley Moore – My Body
  8. Voyager Australia – Dreamer
  9. Charley –I Suck At Being Lonely
  10. Jude York – I Won’t Need to Dream
  11. Erica Padilla 

The eleven acts will compete at the Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Center on February 26 to represent Australia at Eurovision 2022. Australian broadcaster SBS decided to use Australia Decides as their national final after the success of  their national final.

Radio producer and presenter Myf Warhurst and comedian Joel Creasey will present the Australian national final.  Moreover, Creasey will be the SBS Eurovision commentator in May 2022.

Montaigne won the most recent edition of Australia Decides with the song “Don’t break me”.  Unfortunately her entry could not participate in Eurovision due to the cancellation of the competition in 2020.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CoUTzNXQud0&feature=emb_title

Stay tuned at Eurovisionfun, for all the latest developments regarding the Australia Decides and the Australian entry for Eurovision 2022!
Source: SBS

Bulgaria: Eurovisionfun will be in Sofia for the first live performance of “Intention”!

We gladly accepted the honorary invitation of the Inteligent Music Project to attend the first live performance of Intention, the Bulgarian entry in Eurovision 2022!

On the evening of Saturday, February 5, at the Sofia Live Club, Inteligent Music Project will give a live concert for their fans in the Bulgarian capital. We will be there to bring you everything that will happen, while of course we will also host an interview of the Bulgarian representatives in the 66th Eurovision Song Contest.

So stay tuned to our website, but also to all our social media, for exclusive videos and photos from the live appearance of the Inteligent Music Project!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HySI2igCcx4

Who are the Inteligent Music Project?

Over the years some of the most popular rock musicians in the world have contributed to the project, including: Simon Phillips (TOTO, Protocol), Bobby Rondinelli (Rainbow, Black Sabbath), Joseph Williams (TOTO), John Payne (ex-Asia), John Lawton (Uriah Heep, Lucifer’s Friend), Carl Sentence (Nazareth), Nathan East (Eric Clapton, Michael Jackson, etc.), Todd Sucherman (Styx), and Time Pierce (Joe Cocker, Michael Jackson).

The Intelligent Music Project have performed in Greece as well, while on March 25 they will appear again in Thessaloniki!

Stay tuned to Eurovisionfun for all the news related to our favorite contest!

Israel: These are the 4 selected songs for the Final!

And now we have the 4 songs that are going to compete in the Final, on Saturday 05/2!

This special show opened with a collaboration of 4 contestants singing together, while at the end of it Eden Alene appeared, singing Set Me Free, together with the contestants.

The songs selected through the public and juries vote are the following:

  • Michael Ben David –I.M
  • Inbal Bibi – Marionette
  • Eli Huli – Blinded Dreamers
  • Sapir Saban – Breaking My Own Walls

Format

130 songs were initially submitted to the committee, now ending up in the above four songs, which will be performed by the final four that will compete for the ticket to Italy.

The song that will be chosen will be the one with which each participant will claim the representation of Israel for Eurovision 2022. Then, the audience and the jury will jointly choose the artist who will represent the country in Turin.

The XFactor Final will take place on February 5.

Israel was represented at Eurovision 2021 by Eden Alene with the song Set Me Free, occupying 17th place.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Y-blG5ptwo&feature=emb_imp_woyt

Stay tuned to EurovisionFun for all the Israeli news on the way to Turin!

Estonia: Results of the Semi-Final 1!

The first semi-final of the Estonian selection Eesti Laul 2022 took place today at 18:30 CET. 20 artists had previously reached the following round and had been drawn into two different semi-finals. Ten artists have performed today and only 5 qualified for the Grand-Final which will take place next Saturday, on February 12, at 18:30 CET as well.

You can watch Eesti Laul here:

  1. Estonian commentary 
  2. Russian commentary

The hosts of the show were Maarja-Liis Ilus and Priit Loog.

The participants:

1. Elysa – “Fire
2. Helen – “Vaata minu poole
3. Andrei Zevakin feat. Grete Paia – “Mis nüüd saab
4. Alabama Watchdog – “Move On
5. Merilin Mälk – “Little Girl
6. Stig Rästa – “Interstellar
7. Triin Niitoja ja Frants Tikerpuu – “Laululind
8. Kaia-Liisa Kesler – “Vaikus
9. Elina Nechayeva – “Remedy
10. Ott Lepland – “Aovalguses

The betting odds of the semi-final before the show looked like this:

Here are the 5 entries that advanced to the finals:

Ott Lepland – “Aovalguses

Andrei Zevakin feat. Grete Paia – “Mis nüüd saab

Elysa – “Fire

Stig Rästa – “Interstellar

Elina Nechayeva – “Remedy

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