Netherlands: No decision regarding Eurovision participation taken yet!

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Despite the hopeful news that were published yesterday in many different media, the Dutch public broadcaster, stated through the channel’s Director, that they have yet to make a decision regarding their participation in Eurovision 2025.

Taco Zimmerman, chairman of AVROTROS, gave an interview to “Spreek Buis”, and he said that there is no decision regarding the Dutch participation in Eurovision 2025.

“You will hear about that soon, but we would not have asked for a postponement if it was not a serious consideration.”

There are many rumours in recent days in Dutch press, saying that AVROTROS intends to take part in the Contest in Basel, and that they have already selected Joost Klein as their representative.

Going on with his interview, the chairman was asked why isn’t the Dutch broadcaster more open, regarding they way they will make this decision:

“It is a delicate matter. We are in talks with the EBU about the fact that things have to change there. We want guarantees first, before we decide to participate again. Leaving the contest was the feeling present within the company at one point. It applied to the upcoming edition, but we never considered quitting for good.”

The EBU has given AVROTROS a further deadline to confirm their entry in the Eurovision Song Contest 2025, until November 1.

The deadline of the Netherlands is in a few days, and that means that we will soon have news regarding the country’s participation!

https://youtu.be/IiHFnmI8pxg

Stay tuned on Eurovisionfun for all the news regarding the Dutch participation at the Eurovision Song Contest 2025, in Basel!

Source: spreekbuis.nl

The Netherlands returns to Eurovision 2025: Joost Klein as a potential candidate

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Following successful negotiations between AVROTROS, NPO, and the EBU, the Netherlands is set to participate in Eurovision 2025. Despite lingering disagreements over last year’s disqualification, the EBU maintains that the decision was justified based on internal regulations. Nevertheless, AVROTROS is satisfied with the commitments made concerning the safety of participants and the appointment of Martin Green.

Due to time constraints, there won’t be an open selection process like last year. Instead, the broadcaster is in direct talks with potential artists. One of the names being considered is Joost Klein, who had previously been mentioned by RTL Boulevard. Joost’s chances are significant for two reasons: first, the AVROTROS team believes he should be given the chance to complete his project; second, other artists, such as Davina Michelle, are reluctant to participate in the upcoming competition.

Additionally, AVROTROS wants to send a message that last year’s disqualification was unjust. While the EBU cannot block Joost’s participation, there are concerns about his unpredictable behavior. If he does represent the Netherlands, he must adhere to strict guidelines on how he conducts himself during the event.

Stay tuned to Eurovisionfun for all the updates!

Source: parool

Intense criticism of Joost Klein and his behavior in the Netherlands: “It’s not good for Eurovision”

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René van der Gijp and Johan Derksen did not have many kind words for Joost Klein, an artist who gained fame due to his eccentric behavior, especially in relation to the Eurovision Song Contest. During the Vandaag Inside show, the two hosts openly expressed their frustration. Van der Gijp commented, “He should be put in an institution. You shouldn’t send him to Eurovision anymore.”

Eccentric performance or annoying behavior?

Joost Klein is known for his striking and often provocative performances. What may seem funny to some fans has started to irritate many others. Johan Derksen, a regular panelist on the show, bluntly called Joost a “nobody”: “What a little idiot that guy is. He thinks he’s funny and interesting, but he’s really a nobody,” said Derksen. Guest Aran Bade agreed, adding, “It started as a joke, but now it’s just annoying. He shows no respect for his audience or the people around him.”

Impossible to have a normal conversation

Aran also described how difficult it is to have a normal conversation with Joost. “When you ask him something serious, you get weird answers. For example, he once said to me: ‘My car is broken, call the roadside assistance (ANWB)’,” Aran joked. He pointed out how Joost’s comments are becoming increasingly nonsensical. Derksen added that he doesn’t understand how people are seriously considering sending Joost back to Eurovision: “It’s just ridiculous.”

Criticism after gala

According to the show’s guests, Joost’s strange behavior is not limited to his statements but extends to his public appearances as well. A recent example was his disrespectful behavior at a gala in honor of André van Duin. Joost reportedly left the room before Van Duin had even finished his speech, something Aran described as “shameful.” The panelists were baffled that AvroTros is considering sending Joost to Eurovision again.

Personal security

René van der Gijp emphasized that Joost’s “act,” his indifferent attitude and behavior, has become really tiresome. He compared it to another artist, Stefano Keizers, who follows a similar approach: “It might be fun the first time, but when someone keeps doing it, it gets old.” Another notable aspect is Joost’s constant personal security detail. During the aforementioned gala, he once again had a bodyguard by his side, something the show’s hosts found puzzling. “Who’s paying for that? He always has someone next to him,” they wondered. Van der Gijp then made a sharp joke: “Is the bodyguard worried something might happen, or that Joost might jump off a balcony?”

Joost Klein close to representing the Netherlands at Eurovision 2025!

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RTL Boulevard reported on Saturday evening that Joost Klein is in talks with AVROTROS about his potential participation in the Eurovision Song Contest, set to take place in Basel. The broadcaster AVROTROS informed Boulevard that there is no news to share at this time.

RTL Boulevard reporter Aran Bade estimates that around November 1st, not only will the Netherlands’ participation in the Eurovision Song Contest be confirmed, but also the artist who will represent the country in Switzerland. According to sources close to RTL Boulevard, there is a strong chance that Joost Klein will once again represent the Netherlands at the music festival. On Friday evening, Joost Klein posted a screenshot on his Instagram stories showing the phrase “joost klein 2025” on his laptop screen. It remains unclear whether this post followed possible talks with AVROTROS.

It will likely take a few more weeks for an official response from AVROTROS on whether the Netherlands will participate and, if so, which artist they will send to Basel.

Stay tuned to Eurovisionfun for all the updates!

Source: RTL Boulevard

Cornald Maas and Stefania will host Eurovision in Concert 2025!

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Despite the current uncertainty regarding the Dutch participation in the contest, Eurovision in Concert will return in 2025 for its 15th edition. This event, which consistently hosts the vast majority of the participants each year, as well as numerous past Eurovision representatives, has become a staple and is rightfully considered the biggest pre-party event. Read more

Netherlands: These are the Eurostars that will perform at Het Grote Songfestivalfeest 2024!

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Het Grote Songfestivalfeest concert took place for the first time in late 2019 to promote the Eurovision 2020, which was scheduled to be held in the Netherlands. After three years of great success, the great Concert returns once again this December, live from the capital of the Netherlands!

Participants in the concert will include former winners and contestants of Eurovision, throughout its history!

The official account of the concert on Instagram announced new participants regularly, and this process was completed just a few hours ago. Here are the artists who will participate in the concert in alphabetical order and the songs they will perform:

  • alyona alyona & Jerry Heil – “Teresa & Maria” (Ukraine 2024, 3rd Place)
  • Anne-Marie David – “Tu te reconnaîtras” (Luxembourg 1973, 1st Place)
  • Baby Lasagna – “Rim Tim Tagi Dim” (Croatia 2024, 2nd Place)
  • Bambie Thug – “Doomsday Blue” (Ireland 2024, 6th Place)
  • Elena Tsagrinou – “El Diablo” (Cyprus 2021, 16th Place)
  • Gjon’s Tears – “Tout l’Univers” (Switzerland 2021, 3rd Place)
  • Go_A – “Shum” (Ukraine 2021, 5th Place)
  • Guy Sebastian – “Tonight Again” (Australia 2015, 5th Place)
  • Johnny Logan – “What’s Another Year” & “Hold Me Now” (Ireland 1980 & 1987, 1st Place)
  • Käärijä – “Cha Cha Cha” (Finland 2023, 2nd Place)
  • Katrina – “Love Shine a Light” (United Kingdom 1997, 1st Place)
  • Kristian Kostov – “Beautiful Mess” (Bulgaria 2017, 2nd Place)
  • Loreen – “Euphoria” & “Tattoo” (Sweden 2012 & 2023, 1st Place)
  • Maggie McNeal – “I See a Star” & “Amsterdam” (Netherlands 1974 & 1980, 3rd and 5th Place)
  • Marcus & Martinus – “Unforgettable” (Sweden 2024, 9th Place)
  • Marlayne – “Alles Heefy Een Ritme” (Netherlands 1986, 13th Place)
  • Marija Šerifović – “Molitva” (Serbia 2007, 1st Place)
  • Nemo – “The Code” (Switzerland 2024, 1st Place)
  • Nicole – “Ein bißchen Frieden” (Germany 1982, 1st Place)
  • Poli Genova – “If Love Was A Crime” (Bulgaria 2016, 4th Place)
  • S10 – “De Diepte” (Netherlands 2022, 11th Place)
  • Sakis Rouvas – “Shake It” & “This Is Our Night” (Greece 2004 & 2009, 3rd and 7th Place)
  • Verka Serduchka – “Dancing Lasha Tumbai” (Ukraine 2007, 2nd Place)

The great Concert is a co-production of the Dutch public broadcaster, AVROTROS with PILOTSTUDIO and will take place on December 12 at the Ziggo Dome in Amsterdam, and it will also be broadcasted on television, recorded by the Dutch national broadcaster.

The host for the evening will once again be Edsilia Rombley (Netherlands 1998 and 2007, host of Eurovision 2021), who is expected to perform her own entries as well.

Stay tuned, as the Dutch producers may announce some moresurprise participants in the future!

Junior Eurovision 2024: Stay Tuned will represent The Netherlands in Madrid!

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Today it was The Netherlands’ turn to select their entry for Junior Eurovision 2024. Just a while ago, Junior Songfestival 2024, the Dutch national selection for Junior Eurovision 2024, was concluded. Junior Songfestival served for another year as the country’s selection method for the children’s contest and was broadcasted live from Rotterdam, Netherlands.

Hosted by Stefania (JESC: Netherlands 2016 as a part of “Kisses”, ESC: Greece 2020-2021) and Matheu Hinzen (JESC: Netherlands 2019) and following the combination of votes from a kids jury, a professional jury and public voting, Stay Tuned were crowned as the winners with the song “Music“.

The following four acts competed for the Dutch representation in Madrid:

  • Veronika – “Dreams Are Built to Last“
  • Ruben – “Colors of My Heart“
  • Dunyah, Hidde, Saïda – “In M’n Prime“
  • Stay Tuned (Inkar, Miucha, Niek and Chiara) – “Music“

The voting process

A professional jury along with a kids jury and a public vote decided in equal shares who would fly the Dutch flag in Madrid.

Professional Jury

The professional jury consisted of Roxeanne Hazes, Jim Bakkum and Anne Appelo:

12 points – Veronika

10 points – Stay Tuned

9 points – Ruben

8 points – Dunyah, Hidde, Saïda

Kids Jury

The kids jury consisted of Sep and Jasmijn, last year’s winners, along with the girl group Joy!:

12 points – Stay Tuned

10 points – Veronika

9 points – Dunyah, Hidde, Saïda

8 points – Ruben

Audience’s Votes

12 points – Stay Tuned

10 points – Veronika

9 points – Dunyah, Hidde, Saïda

8 points – Ruben

The winner

Following the combination of the above and with a total of 34 points, Stay Tuned were crowned as the winners of Junior Songfestival 2024 and will therefore serve as the country’s representatives in the 22nd Junior Eurovision Song Contest that will take place in Madrid in November.

Junior Eurovision 2024

Seventeen countries will take part in the 22nd edition of the Junior Eurovision Song Contest:

  • Albania – RTSH
  • Armenia – AMPTV
  • Cyprus – RIK
  • Estonia – ERR
  • France – FT
  • Georgia – GPB
  • Germany – ARD/NDR
  • Ireland – RTÉ
  • Italy – RAI
  • Malta – PBS
  • North Macedonia – MRT
  • Poland – TVP
  • Portugal – RTP
  • San Marino – RTV San Marino
  • Spain – TVE
  • The Netherlands – AVROTROS
  • Ukraine – UA:PBC

The 22nd edition of the Junior Eurovision Song Contest will be held on November 16 in Madrid, Spain, following the country’s second-place finish last year and the refusal of the winning country, France, to host for the second year in a row. The slogan for this year’s contest is “Let’s Bloom!”, while Ruth Lorenzo, Marc Clotet and Melani Garcia will serve as this year’s hosts.

Stay tuned to EurovisionFun for all the news!

The First Deadline for Eurovision 2025 Participation Approaches: Which Countries are Still Undecided?

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The first deadline set by the EBU for its member broadcasters to submit their preliminary participation in Eurovision 2025 expires on September 15. Following this, and for the next month until October 11, those who have declared participation can withdraw without a penalty. After this date, any withdrawal will incur a penalty. So far, 28 countries have confirmed their participation in one way or another, while some others have not yet clarified their intentions. Let’s take a detailed look at the countries that participated in Eurovision 2024 and have not yet announced whether they will attend Basel or not.

Ireland, Poland, Estonia, Armenia, Croatia: Likely to Participate

Ireland, Poland, Estonia, Armenia, and Croatia are expected to participate in Eurovision 2025, barring any unexpected events. Although the national broadcasters of these countries have remained silent, the presence of their Heads of Delegation a few days ago in Dubrovnik, Croatia, where the Eurovision Workshop took place under the auspices of the EBU, suggests that they will all compete in Basel next May.

Croatia, which achieved its best-ever result in the contest this year, hosted the Eurovision Workshop, making it highly unlikely for the country to withdraw from the next contest. The same is true, more or less, for Ireland, which achieved its best result in 20 years. Despite the issues caused by Bambie Thug in this year’s competition, the Irish delegation did not publicly express any objections.

Armenia usually announces its plans for Eurovision after the Junior Eurovision ends, so their current stance is not surprising.

The public broadcasters of Poland and Estonia are currently undergoing budget cuts, which is why they have not yet announced anything regarding their participation. However, a withdrawal seems unlikely, especially after the participation of their Heads of Delegation in the Eurovision Workshop in Dubrovnik.

What About the Remaining Countries?

Five other countries that participated in Eurovision 2024 have not revealed their intentions for the next contest. Here are the countries:

  • Netherlands
  • Slovenia
  • Iceland
  • Moldova
  • Australia

The Netherlands announced that, following the dramatic events this year with Joost Klein’s elimination from the final, it would wait to discuss matters with the EBU regarding backstage issues. This discussion has begun, and the Dutch broadcaster has received an extension until November 1 to confirm or decline their participation. The atmosphere seems positive between the two parties, and we hope that these discussions will have a happy ending, with the Netherlands participating in Basel.

Slovenia has announced that its public broadcaster will decide in October whether to participate in Eurovision 2025. This aligns with the EBU’s deadline for public broadcasters to withdraw from the contest without penalty, which is October 11. Slovenia’s broadcaster sent several queries to the EBU immediately after the end of this year’s contest, which included questions about the televote.

Iceland was expected to announce its decision regarding Eurovision 2025 in the past few days but postponed it until next week, after the preliminary participation deadline of September 15 has passed.

Moldova is another country that typically delays announcing its plans. However, barring any surprises, Moldova is expected to be present in Basel.

Australia, as always, is a special case. Its contract with the EBU has expired, and each year it requires a special invitation to SBS for the “land of kangaroos” to participate.

Is There a Chance for Another Return?

Luxembourg’s return this year and Montenegro’s announcement of their return for Eurovision 2025 have brought joy and hope to fans for the return of other countries that mainly abstain for economic reasons.

The only countries in this category that have not ruled out a potential return are Romania, Bulgaria, and North Macedonia. All three have participated in the contest until recently but withdrew due to financial constraints. None of these countries have publicly ruled out returning for Eurovision 2025, leaving room to hope for at least one more return in the next contest, apart from Montenegro.

How many countries do you think will participate in Eurovision 2025? Let us know in the comments below!

Stay tuned to Eurovisionfun for all the latest updates!

Dutch public broadcaster granted extension by EBU to decide on Eurovision 2025 Participation

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The Dutch public broadcaster, AVROTROS, has been granted an extension by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) to decide whether it will participate in the 69th Eurovision Song Contest, which will take place next May in Basel, Switzerland.

This announcement followed the first meeting between the EBU and AVROTROS, which was requested by the Dutch side to discuss what happened behind the scenes at the contest in Malmö. Among other issues, these events led to the exclusion of the Dutch representative from the final for non-competition-related reasons.

As a result, the Netherlands will not have until September 15th, like other countries, to confirm its participation in the EBU, but will have until November 1st. This timeframe is considered reasonable to allow the dialogue between the EBU and AVROTROS to be completed and any misunderstandings to be resolved.

Cornald Maas, the commentator for AVROTROS at the contest, expressed his support for Dutch participation, stating that he believes the most appropriate response to this year’s events would be a strong entry in Switzerland rather than an absence.

“I believe the best response is to participate and have a good entry. It’s a better answer than staying home, complaining, preaching, and amplifying your own annoyance for another year,” Maas said.

Meanwhile, 29 countries have already confirmed their participation in Eurovision 2025 in one way or another, and the remaining question marks can now be counted on the fingers of two hands.

How many countries will ultimately participate in Eurovision 2025?

Stay tuned to Eurovisionfun for all the updates!

Netherlands: AVROTROS’ commentator believes that the country should compete in Eurovision 2025

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The Dutch entry’s disqualification from the Eurovision final in May of last year, along with the events that unfolded around it, cast doubt on the country’s participation in the upcoming competition. Specifically, the Netherlands‘ public broadcaster officials have stated unequivocally that the country’s participation in Basel requires the adoption of a number of modifications that will deal with the “dysfunctions” of the competition. However in contrast to those remarks, Dutch commentator Cornald Maas declared that he wants the Netherlands to take part in the 2025 competition.

In particular, Cornald Mass, who criticised the European Broadcasting Union and its decisions following Joost Klein’s disqualification and made statements such as “F*ck the EBU”, argued that the Netherlands ought to compete in Eurovision 2025.

“I think the best answer is to participate and to cater for a good entry. That’s a better answer than staying at home, sulking, preaching to the choir, adding to your own annoyance for another year while the caravan moves on.

“I think that you should always take part, because Eurovision isn’t the European Broadcasting Union. That’s what I’m critical about, not about Eurovision itself.”

Should Netherlands participate in Eurovision 2025? Let us know your opinion in the comment section below.

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

Source: Gids.tv