Junior Eurovision 2024: Opening Ceremony to be held behind closed doors!

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Spain is preparing to welcome the delegations from the seventeen countries competing in the 22nd Junior Eurovision Song Contest. Although this will be the first time Spain hosts the event, and the first time since 1969 that a Eurovision event is held in the Iberian country, recent developments have forced alterations to the contest’s original planning.

The Opening Ceremony

The Junior Eurovision Song Contest traditionally kicks off with the Opening Ceremony, where all participating artists, national delegations, and accredited press are welcomed. However, due to the recent devastation caused by Storm DANA in Spain, the celebratory atmosphere of the event will be toned down.

According to ESCPlus, instead of the usual grand ceremony, this year’s event will feature a simple reception for the artists, which will not be open to the accredited press or the public. For the first time in recent years, the Opening Ceremony will not be broadcast online via the official Junior Eurovision website, JuniorEurovision.tv.

Nevertheless, the importance of the ceremony itself has been reduced this year, as the running order draw for the contest took place earlier, rather than during the Opening Ceremony.

Despite these changes, Spain remains committed to ensuring the safe and successful execution of the Junior Eurovision Song Contest. While the celebrations may be more subdued, the event will continue as planned, and the country looks forward to hosting this important competition, albeit under altered circumstances.

Junior Eurovision 2024

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

  1. Italy: Simone Grande – “Pigiama Party”
  2. Estonia: Annabelle – “Tänavad”
  3. Albania: Nikol Çabeli – “Vallëzoj”
  4. Armenia: Leo – “Cosmic Friend”
  5. Cyprus: Maria Pissarides – “Crystal Waters”
  6. France: Titouan – “Comme ci, comme ça”
  7. North Macedonia: Ana and Aleksej – “Marathon”
  8. Poland: Dominik Arim – “All Together”
  9. Georgia: Andria Putkaradze – “To My Mom”
  10. Spain: Chloe DelaRosa – “Como la Lola”
  11. Germany: Bjarne – “Save the Best For Us”
  12. Netherlands: Stay Tuned – “Music”
  13. San Marino: Idols SM – “Come noi”
  14. Ukraine: Artem Kotenko – “Hear Me Now”
  15. Portugal: Victoria Nicole – “Esperança”
  16. Ireland – Enya Cox Dempsey – “Le Chéile”
  17. Malta: Ramires Sciberras – “Stilla ċkejkna”

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.

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Source: ESCPlus

Sweden: Keyyo and Edvin Törnblom are the hosts of Melodifestivalen 2025!

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The national broadcaster of Sweden, SVT, announced today the hosts of Melodifestivalen 2025!

Kristina “Keyyo” Petrushin and Edvin Törnblom are going to host Melodifestivalen 2025, the competition that determines Sweden’s participation in the Eurovision Song Contest.

Russian-Swedish comedian Keyyo, or Kristina Petrushina as she is called, made her breakthrough already in her teens with her sketches on Youtube. Since then, she has continued to make humor, podcasts and TV shows. She has previously hosted “Kristallen” and “Talang”, among others. She has also had her own TV series, including the comedy series “Keyyo & Co” on SVT and runs the humor podcast “Frågar åt en kompis”  with Hampus Hedström.

“I am really looking forward to sharing this fantastic journey with Edvin, who, like me, has a deep love for the competition. We will do our utmost to invite everyone to a Mello where everyone feels part of the party.”

Edvin Törnblom started his career as an intern at “Filip och Fredriks Breaking news”, where he worked his way up. Since then, he has worked at SVT, Sveriges Radio and since 2020 runs the humor podcast “Ursäkta” with Johanna Nordström. In 2022, he released his first book “Bögen är lös”, the same year he hosted the QX Gay Gala with Sissela Benn.

“I love this competition almost most of all in the world so I will take good care of it. I am so much looking forward to sharing this crazy journey together with Keyyo, the artists and all Mello lovers”

Melodifestivalen 2025 schedule is as per below:

  • February 1st: Semi-final 1 – Luleå
  • February 8th: Semi-final 2 – Gothenburg
  • February 15th: Semi-final 3 – Västerås
  • February 22nd: Semi-final 4 – Malmö
  • March 1st: Semi-final 5 – Jönköping
  • March 8th: Grand Final – Stockholm

Source: SVT

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Sweden: Surprise new entry added to the line-up of Melodifestival 2025!

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In anticipation of the announcement of the participants for Melodifestivalen 2025, Swedish newspaper Aftonbladet has revealed an entry that seems to shake things up among the contenders for Sweden’s representative at Eurovision 2025.

Maria Persson from Blender, Maria Rolf from Titanix, and Sandra Estberg from Martinez are the three singers from three different dance groups that seems to have been specially selected to form a female supergroup, ready to compete in Melodifestivalen 2025.

The aim of this collaboration, according to the source, is to strengthen the presence of female dance groups, a category that has not been very common in the past, as most of the dance groups like Arvingarna, Lasse Stefanz, and Casanovas that participated in Melodifestivalen had only male members.

According to the soursces backstage, Melodifestivalen’s producer Karin Gunnarsson worked hard to find the right artists and the perfect song in order to carry out this challenging project, as it was important to include a female-led dance group this time.

The song is described as a powerful, pop, dance track, which is said to have been written by Swedish composer and producer Mikael Karlsson, who is credited as a writter in“I Do” by Arvingarna, which competed in Melodifestivalen 2019 and became very popular.

SOURCE: Aftonbladet

What are your thoughts on this new girlgroup? Tell us in the comments!

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Ukraine: Possible date of Vidbir 2025 the 8th of February!

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Vidbir 2025 will possibly take place on Saturday, 8th of February 2025!

According to the announcement by the national broadcaster of Ukraine, Suspilne,Vidbir 2025, the national competion through which the country is going to choose their representative for Eurovision Song Contest 2025 in Basel, will probably take place on 8th February 2025.

The reason why the date is considered probable and not guaranteed is because the holding of Vidbir for 2025 should be held based on a specific creative and technical proposal. This proposal should take into account security issues at a time when martial law is still in effect, the correct setting of the stage, and the director’s vision which includes, among other things, the work involved in producing the performances of the ten artists, conducting of the rehearsals, ensuring the procedure that the jury will follow as well as the correct broadcast of the show.

The winner will emerge through the combined result of the public and jury votes and will have the chance to represent Ukraine in Eurovision 2025 in Basel.

Source: Suspilne

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SuRie would like to return to Eurovision

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UK Eurovision representative SuRie would gladly return to the Eurovision stage should the opportunity arise. However, there are no plans to return to the contest in the near future.

The artist worked twice as a backing vocalist with the Belgium delegation in 2015 and 2017 before she represented the UK in Lisbon.  In 2015 she was on a Eurovision stage for the first time as one of the backing vocalists of Loïc Nottet.  Two years later, she supported Blanche but on this occasion, she had a more direct role, working backstage with Blanche:

“I had more of a role backstage working one-on-one with Blanche. And I don’t know what job title we want to give that; psychoanalyst, guru, mentor, friend, supporter, I don’t know. But it was more responsibility than I had with Loïc.”

In an interview for The Euro Trip, SuRie did not hesitate that she would return to Eurovision if she had the chance to do it.  Moreover, she shared that her Eurovision passion goes beyond these three participations.  More than a decade before, SuRie recorded the song One Day Love Will Find A Way with the hope of participating in the Junior Eurovision.  She submitted her entry but unfortunately, she did not get selected.

“It’s the most beautiful, brilliant show, produced and run by the most amazingly talented people. Why would you not want to work with those people in any capacity?”

SuRie represented the United Kingdom in 2018 with her song Storms.  Her performance is also remembered for an incident with a spectator who invaded the stage and took SuRie’s microphone.  Despite this disruption of her performance, SuRie carried on with her interpretation.  She finished in 24th place in the Final.

Source: The Eurotrip Podcast

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No EBU member has expressed official resentment οver Israel’s participation in Eurovision 2024!

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In a quiet but significant revelation, it is confirmed that there have been no official complaints from any member-broadcaster regarding Israel’s participation in the Eurovision Song Contest 2024. The statement was made by Bakel Walden, the current chair of the Eurovision Song Contest Reference Group, during an interview on the ESC Insight podcast.

Walden explained that the decision regarding Israel’s inclusion in Eurovision 2024 was straightforward, emphasizing that as long as a broadcaster follows the rules, they are eligible to participate. He clarified that despite some differing opinions on social media and from certain delegations, there was no formal objection from any EBU member:

It was very simple. They [KAN] are a member of EBU, and it has been expressed many times by the EBU that as long as you play by the rules, you are eligible to participate. That was the case for KAN, and they are eligible. There were obviously different opinions in social media, we’ve heard from delegations, etc., but at the end of the day, there was not one single member of the EBU who expressed any official resentment.

Russia vs. Israel: A Different Scenario

The comparison between Russia’s disqualification from the 2022 Eurovision Song Contest due to the invasion of Ukraine and Israel’s ongoing participation was inevitable. However, Walden stressed that the circumstances surrounding the two countries are fundamentally different. He pointed out that Russia’s exclusion was related to its state broadcaster engaging in propaganda that violated the values of the EBU, whereas Israel’s situation is distinct.

There’s a clear difference between a state broadcaster that is just following propaganda, which is not actually playing by the rules and values of the EBU.

KAN itself has been in a difficult situation, also with the Israeli government. There is a different situation in how they position themselves, but I absolutely acknowledge that me and the Reference Group have been very much aware that the difference hasn’t been clear and hasn’t been accepted by a lot of people.

Walden further acknowledged that the EBU had not communicated this distinction clearly or transparently in the past, and that this lack of clarity has contributed to confusion and controversy. He called this a “learning experience for the EBU and the Reference Group“.

Walden’s comments effectively put to rest rumors that certain broadcasters had expressed a desire to withdraw from Eurovision 2024 due to Israel’s participation before or during the contest. The decision reaffirms that as long as a broadcaster is a member of the EBU and adheres to the rules, they are welcome to take part in the competition.

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Source: ESC Insight

Estonia: These are the artists participating in Eesti Laul 2025!

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Earlier today, the names and song titles of the remaining seven participants of Eesti Laul 2025, the national final of Estonia, for the Eurovision Song Contest 2025 were announced, during ERR’s “Ringvaade” program!

ERR, Estonia’s public broadcaster, has selected the 16 best out of 175 songs submitted, that will compete in the national final, to claim the country’s representation in the upcoming Contest in Basel, Switzerland. The public broadcaster, revealed the first eight artists yesterday, through the same TV show.

The participants of Eesti Laul 2025:

Today, once again through the TV show “Ringvaade”, the names of the seven remaining artists were revealed, alongside their songs titles and the composers of each song:

  • Andrei Zevakin feat. Karita – “Ma ei tea sind”
  • Frants Tikerpuu  – “Trouble”
  • Gem98 – “Psycho”
  • Janek – “Frozen”
  • Joelle – “Eyes Don’t Lie”
  • Minimal Wind – “Armageddon”
  • Tommy Cash – “Espresso Macchiato”

Hence, adding the participants announced yesterday, this is the final line-up of the 2025 edition of Eesti Laul:

  1. An-Marlen – “Külm”
  2. Anna Sahlene – “Love Me Low”
  3. ANT – “Tomorrow Never Comes”
  4. ELYSA – “The Last to Know”
  5. FELIN – “Solo Anthem”
  6. Räpina Jack feat. Kaisa Ling – “Tule”
  7. Stereo Terror – “Prty Till the End of the World”
  8. Tuuli Rand – “Rem”
  9. Andrei Zevakin feat. Karita – “Ma ei tea sind”
  10. Frants Tikerpuu  – “Trouble”
  11. Gem98 – “Psycho”
  12. Janek – “Frozen”
  13. Joelle – “Eyes Don’t Lie”
  14. Minimal Wind – “Armageddon”
  15. Tommy Cash – “Espresso Macchiato”

One more contestant will be announced in January, while more details regarding their selection will be revealed soon. Τhe public will have a say in the selection of the sixteenth and last Eesti Laul 2025 participant.

Eesti Laul 2025

The songs will be publicly available for the first time via the program “Start” on December 6. Tomorrow, on November 5, the remaining artists will be announced, while at the beginning of January, a sixteenth competitor will be revealed.

The Estonian selection will only consist of one night-show, in which sixteen songs are going to compete and will take place February 15, 2025, while the voting will take place in two stages.

  • During the first stage, all sixteen participants will perform their entries. Following the voting of the jury panel and the public’s vote in equal shares, a number of them will advance to the Superfinal.
  • During the Superfinal, the winner of Eesti Laul 2025 and therefore the Estonian representative in Eurovision 2025 will be decided exclusively by the public.

The previous winners of Eesti Laul and Estonia’s representatives at Eurovision 2024 were 5MIINUST x Puuluup with their song “(nendest) narkootikumidest ei tea me (küll) midagi”, who finished in 20th place in the grand final.

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

Source: ERR

Portugal: Dates and composers competing in Festival da Canção 2025 revealed!

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The excitement for the 69th Eurovision Song Contest continues to grow, and with Festival da Canção 2025 approaching, the twenty composers whose songs will vie for the honor of representing Portugal have been revealed.

The Selection Process

Festival da Canção 2025 will feature a total of twenty entries, chosen through a two-stage process. Fourteen composers were directly invited by RTP to submit their songs for the contest, while six others were selected from an open submission process. A total of 633 songs were submitted by composers eager to make their mark on the Festival.

The Invited Composers

The following fourteen composers were invited by RTP to participate in Festival da Canção 2025:

  1. A Cantadeira
  2. Beato
  3. Bluay
  4. Bombazine
  5. Emmy Curl
  6. EU.CLIDES
  7. Fernando Daniel
  8. Jéssica Pina
  9. Luca Argel
  10. Marco Rodrigues
  11. Margarida Campelo
  12. Os Napa
  13. Peculiar
  14. Tiago Sampaio
The Open Submission’s Winners

The six composers who emerged from the open submission process and secured their place in the competition are:

  1. Capital of Bulgaria
  2. Diana Vilarinho
  3. HENKA
  4. Inês Marques Lucas
  5. JOSH
  6. Xico Gaiato

Festival da Canção 2025 Dates

Festival da Canção 2025 will follow a familiar format, with two semi-finals leading to the Grand Final. The dates are as follows:

  • First Semi-Final: February 22, 2025
  • Second Semi-Final: March 1, 2025
  • Grand Final: March 8, 2025

Iolanda was last year’s Festival da Canção winner and therefore represented Portugal in Malmö. With her song “Grito“, Iolanda finished tenth overall.

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Source: antena1.rtp 

France: Official Eurovision 2025 announcements in late December / early January!

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The first official announcements from France regarding the 2025 Eurovision Song Contest will probably me made by the end of the current year.

The Head of French Delegation in the Eurovision Song Contest, Alexandra Redde-Amiel, talked for the first time about the official plans of France in the upcoming contest in Basel, Switzerland. In her interview, Alexandra Redde-Amiel said:

“Several questions arise for Eurovision 2025. Expectations are high and the stakes are high. If we want to win, France must be extremely mobilized and our teams focused on the objective. What I can say is that there will not be an announcement as early as last year .”

According to the website, L’Eurovision Au Quotidien, the official announcements are expected either in the end of December or in the beginning of January.

Source: L’Eurovision Au Quotidien

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Spain: Benidorm Fest 2025 contestants to be revealed on 12th of November!

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The announcement regarding the artists who will take part in Benidorm Fest 2025 is expected to take place on November 12.

Following yesterday’s news of the cancellation of the original date (November 7th) of revealing the names that will compete to represent Spain at the Eurovision Song Contest 2025 in Basel, through the Benidorm Fest 2025 competition, the new date is November 12th, according to the Spanish website ESCplus España.

The revealing of the names is going to take place on Tuesday, November 12 at a press conference at RTVE’s Prado del Rey studios in Madrid, at 11:00 CET. The choice of this date is not accidental as a few days later on Saturday 16th the Junior Eurovision Song Contest is going to take place in Madrid, and the city will arelady be in a festive mood.

What we know about Benidorm Fest 2025 so far

During the 143-day application period for Benidorm Fest, from May 20 to October 10, approximately 1,000 songs were submitted. RTVE has already begun the listening process to select the 16 best entries that will compete at the festival from January 28 to February 1.

Interest in Benidorm Fest appears to be very high, as this year saw the highest number of applications received over the festival’s four-year history, Last year, there were only 825 submissions.

María Eizaguirre, RTVE’s Director of Corporate Affairs and Participation, also provided some insights regarding the genres and artists. Most submissions were folk and urban songs, along with some rap entries, while pop remains the dominant genre once again. As for the artists, some of them are not Spanish, but reside permanently in Spain, showcasing the interest of international artists in the event. Additionally, female artists outnumbered male artists. Notably, for the first time, RTVE received a song created by artificial intelligence.

Source: ESCplus España

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