Eurovision is coming to Latin America!

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The news that Eurovision is coming to Latin America has made the rounds of the Chilean media. More details have been revealed about the Eurovision Song Contest Latin America, including possible dates and venues.

According to reports in La Tercera newspaper, meetings have been held between the production company, Voxovation, and the Chilean government, where the country’s Minister of Culture, Arts and Heritage was present. In particular, details such as the venue and the date seem to have been discussed. The production company is looking for a covered venue with a capacity of 5,000 people and a possible month for the competition is October 2025.

Eurovision is expanding to Latin America.

Eurovision Latin America was first announced in July 2022. Production is being handled by well-known Voxovation names such as Christer Björkman, Anders Lenhoff, Ola Melzig, Peter Settman and Greg Lipstone, the same producers of the American Song Contest and Eurovision Song Contest Canada. At this point, it is worth noting that this is the third new edition of the Eurovision contest announced since 2019, and the first to include multiple countries. The other versions currently in progress are the American Song Contest, Eurovision Asia, Eurovision Canada & Eurovision India.

 

Chile in the spotlight.

The country is not famous for its music industry. It hosts the Viña del Mar International Song Festival, the oldest song contest in the Americas, which began in 1960 and is held every February in the city of Viña del Mar. But the Eurovision Latin America contest will renew the region as far as music is concerned and will give a special touch to the local music industry, managing to unite nations through music. This is, after all, the whole message of the Eurovision contest.

Source: latercera & chilevision

 

Tell us in the comments, what do you think about the idea of expanding the competition to other countries outside Europe?

 

For anything related to the contest, stay tuned to Eurovision Fun!

Montenegro: Detailed results of Montesong 2024

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The Montenegrin national selection for Eurovision 2024, Montesong 2024, concluded with 16 competing artists. The final result was determined by the combined votes of the professional jury and televoting, each accounting for 50% of the total score. The winner of the evening was Neonoen with the song “Clickbait,” who will represent Montenegro in Basel at Eurovision 2024.

Results Table

Position Artist Song Jury Votes Jury Points Televote Votes Televote Points Total Points
1 Neonoen “Clickbait” 54 10 443 10 20
2 Nina Žižić “Dobrodošli” 59 12 316 7 19
3 Baryak “Dva srca” 25 3 476 12 15
4 Đurđa “To ljubav je” 26 4 328 8 12
5 Kejt “Obala raja” 45 7 152 2 9
6 Tina Džankić “Nova” 34 5 154 3 8
7 Isak Šabanović “Ljeto, ljeto, ljeto” 24 2 241 5 7
8 Milena Vučić “Škorpija” 48 6 49 0 6
9 Tamara Živković “Poguban let” 39 6 107 0 6
10 Glumci Bend “San” 4 0 288 6 6
11 Verica Čuljković “Čuješ li” 6 0 168 4 4
12 Nemanja Petrović “Među zvijezdama” 18 1 109 1 2
13 Luka Radović “Kada dođe maj” 5 0 147 1 1
14 Anastasija Koprolčec “Kraj” 9 0 57 0 0
15 Dolce Hera “Repeat” 8 0 84 0 0
16 Bend 9 “Stop War” 2 0 143 0 0

Televoting Results

The televote rankings, based on the number of audience votes, were as follows:

  • 1st place: Baryak with 476 votes.
  • 2nd place: Neonoen with 443 votes.
  • 3rd place: Đurđa with 328 votes.
  • 4th place: Nina Žižić with 316 votes.
  • 5th place: Glumci Bend with 288 votes.
  • 6th place: Isak Šabanović with 241 votes.
  • 7th place: Verica Čuljković with 168 votes.
  • 8th place: Tina Džankić with 154 votes.
  • 9th place: Kejt with 152 votes.
  • 10th place: Luka Radović with 147 votes.
  • 11th place: Bend 9 with 143 votes.
  • 12th place: Tamara Živković with 107 votes.
  • 13th place: Nemanja Petrović with 109 votes.
  • 14th place: Milena Vučić with 49 votes.
  • 15th place: Dolce Hera with 84 votes.
  • 16th place: Anastasija Koprolčec with 57 votes.

Montenegro: With Neonoen and “Clickbait” in Basel!

The winner, Neonoen with the song “Clickbait,” received strong support from both the jury (2nd place) and the public (2nd place), securing the top spot overall. The song stood out with its modern aesthetic and captivating performance, earning the opportunity to represent Montenegro at Eurovision 2024.

The public favorite was Baryak with “Dva srca,” receiving the highest number of televotes but finishing 3rd overall due to a lower jury score.

Nina Žižić with “Dobrodošli” narrowly missed victory, as a higher televote score (an additional 8 points) could have resulted in a tie with Neonoen. In such a case, the jury’s preference, per Montesong rules, would have awarded her the win.

Stay tuned for all updates related to Eurovision 2024!

Montenegro: With Neonoen and “Clickbait” in Basel!

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Tonight the national final of Montenegro took place for the selection of the country’s participant for the Eurovision Song Contest 2025. Montesong 2024 was held in Podgorica, at the Voco Sports Hall with a total of sixteen competing artists.

Montenegro will return to the contest after two years break. The last time they participated was with Vladana who finished 17th in the semi-final and did not qualify to the grand final.

The presenters of the national final were Marko Todorović and Vladana Vučinić.

The Show

The show started with Danijel Popovic, a well-known Montenegrin artist who went to Eurovision for Yugoslavia back in 1983, performing the beloved Yugoslav song “Džuli” (Julie), that got the fourth place. Vladana Vučinić also performed her song “Breathe” , but the Italian version. Afterwards, the hosts took us through a deep-dive of Montenegrin Eurovision history, showcasing all the iconic moments. After even more history, and a special shout-out to Basel, the show began.

Before the voting started, the hosts joked about Montenegro not having a place where Eurovision could be hosted. Because of that, they jokingly hoped for the second place. While people were voting, Sergej Ćetković performed “Moj Svijet”.

After the the voting closed Emmelie de Forest performed her winning song “Only Teardrops”.

The order of performances was as follows:

  1. Anastasija Koprolčec – “Kraj” (The end)
  2. Tina Džankić – “Nova” (New)
  3. Nemanja Petrović – “Među zvijezdama” (Among the stars)
  4. Bend 9 – “Stop war”
  5. Tamara Živković – “Poguban let” (Fatal flight)
  6. Luka Radović – “Kada dođe maj” (When May comes)
  7. Đurđa – “To ljubav je” (That’s love)
  8. Kejt – “Obala raja” (Coast of paradise)
  9. Nina Žižić – “Dobro došli” (Welcome)
  10. Neonoen – “Clickbait”
  11. Isak Šabanović- “Ljeto, ljeto, ljeto” (Summer, summer, summer)
  12. Glumci Bend – “San” (Dream)
  13. Dolce Hera – “Repeat”
  14. Baryak – “Dva srca” (Two hearts)
  15. Verica Čuljković – “Čuješ li” (Do you hear?)
  16. Milena Vučić – “Škorpija” (Scorpio)

Voting

The winner of Montesong 2024 was determined by a 50% jury vote and a 50% public televote. The jury consisted of seven members, who awarded points (1 to 7, 8, 10, and 12) to their ten favorite songs. These points were then combined to give an overall jury result, which were converted into points from 1 to 7, 8, 10, and 12.

For the public vote, voters were able to submit only one vote per phone number. Voting was done via SMS and the cost was 1 Euro. Voting opened for 20 minutes, and the total votes were then converted into points from 1 to 7, 8, 10, and 12

Results

The voting was formed by 50% jury vote and a 50% public televote. The jury results were:

The jury awarded with 12 points Nemanja Petrović, Baryak, Nina Žižić, Neonoen and Milena. The winner of the jury vote was Nina Žižić.

The public gave the 12 points to Baryak. The number of televotes was announced by the televote supervisor and was in total 2233 votes.

The winner was Neonoen with “Clickbait”. They got 10 points from both the televote and the jury.

Stay tuned to Eurovisionfun for all the news about Montenegro’s participation in Eurovision 2025, in Basel!

Slovenia: 114 songs submitted for EMA 2025!

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The total number of the entries submitted for EMA 2025, the national song contest through which Slovenia is going to pick their entry for the 69th Eurovision Song Contest in Basel, was revealed tonight.

In the official account of EMA on Instagram it was announced that 114 songs were submitted in order to claim the representation of Slovenia in the upcoming Eurovision 2025.

Upon completion of the submission process, a three-member panel will evaluate the submissions and select the 12 EMA 2025 entries. The list of participants is expected no later than December 20.

EMA 2025 will be held on February 1. The result will be determined through two rounds of voting. In the first round, five committees will vote using the same method used in Eurovision (1-8, 10 and 12). Each committee will consist of five members who will belong to specific groups of people. The five committees will be:

  • Music jury (singers, musicians, producers, songwriters creators etc.)
  • Television jury (editors, presenters, directors, choreographers etc.)
  • Radio jury (radio editors, journalists, presenters, etc.)
  • OGAE Slovenia jury
  • International Eurovision influencer jury (bloggers, vloggers, online journalists etc.)

After the above juries have cast their votes, the top two songs will continue to the EMA superfinal round. In this round, the winner will be determined by the public vote.

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

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Montenegro: How the betting odds are shaping up just hours before Montesong 2024

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After a two-year absence, Montenegro returns to the Eurovision Song Contest, selecting this year’s entry through Montesong 2024. Tonight, the first song of the season will be revealed, marking the official start of the Eurovision 2025 season. Which artist, according to betting odds, has the greatest chance of representing the country?

According to Eurovision World, the favorite to win is Nina Žižić, who previously represented Montenegro at Eurovision 2013. This year, she participates in the national final with the song “Dobrodošli”. The odds give her a 41% chance of winning, creating a significant lead over the second favorite, who stands at 11%.

In second place, there is a tie between Anastasija Koprolčec with the song “Kraj” and the group Baryak with “Dva srca”, with both having 11% chances of winning.

 

At the same time, there is a tie in third place, with Tamara Živković and Đurđa each having an 8% chance of victory.

 

More specifically, the betting odds are as follows:

Of course, these odds only reflect a general trend and may be overturned tonight, as has happened several times in the past. Who should represent Montenegro at Eurovision 2025?

Stay tuned on Eurovisionfun for all the Eurovision 2025 developments!

Πηγή: Eurovision World 

Montenegro: Montesong Final to take place tonight!

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The national final season officially begins today! Tonight, Montenegro is set to select the artist who will represent the country in its return to Eurovision 2025 in Basel, Switzerland!

RTCG, Montenegro’s public broadcaster, has decided to hold a national final to celebrate its return to Eurovision after a two-year absence. Sixteen artists have been selected to compete in tonight’s Grand Final of Montesong 2024!

The final of Montesong 2024 will take place tonight at 20:00 CET. The national final will be broadcast on RTCG’s channel and the official Montesong YouTube channel. You can watch it by clicking HERE.

The participants of Montesong 2024:

Here is the list of the 16 artists, in the running order in which they will compete in Montesong 2024:

    1. Anastasija Koprolčec – “Kraj”
    2. Tina Džankić – “Nova”
    3. Nemanja Petrović – “Među Zvijezdama”
    4. Bend “9” – “Stop War”
    5. Tamara Živković – “Poguban let”
    6. Luka Radović – “Kada Dođe Maj”
    7. Đurđa – “To Ljubav Je”
    8. Kejt – “Obala Raja”
    9. Nina Žižić – “Dobro Došli”
    10. Neonoen – “Clickbait”
    11. Isak Šabanović – “Ljeto, Ljeto, Ljeto”
    12. GlumciBend – “San”
    13. Dolce Hera – “Repeat”
    14. Baryak – “Dva Srca”
    15. Verica Čuljković – “Čuješ li”
    16. Milena Vučić – “Škorpija”

How will Montesong 2024 be conducted:

Montesong 2024 will be held live from Podgorica and will mark the first national selection of the season, selecting the first song for Eurovision 2025. Sixteen songs will compete, with the winner being chosen through public and jury vote, at a ratio of 50% each.

Until we discover who will represent Montenegro at Eurovision 2025, let’s take a moment to recall the country’s last entry. Montenegro last participated in Eurovision 2022, with Vladana performing the song “Breathe”

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

Israel: All the highlights from the seventh episode of HaKokhav Haba!

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The seventh episode of the highly anticipated Israeli selection process for Eurovision 2025, HaKokhav Haba, aired tonight. This competition, known in English as “The Next Star”, is the format used by Israel to choose its representative for the Eurovision Song Contest.

Since its debut in 2015, HaKokhav Haba has been the main selection method for Israel, excluding the years 2022 and 2023. The show has achieved significant success, notably securing Israel’s Eurovision victory with Netta in 2018.

Though filming for this season began on October 10 at Neve Ilan Studios, on November 10 the official broadcast commenced on Israeli television.

Hosts and Judging Panel

Returning to host the show are Rotem Sela and Assi Azar. Azar has been involved with HaKokhav Haba since its inaugural edition in 2013 and previously hosted the 2019 Eurovision Song Contest. Sela joined as a host in the second season and has been a presenter ever since.

The judging panel for this season includes a diverse group of music industry veterans:

    • Assaf Amdursky
    • Keren Peles
    • Shiri Maimon
    • Eden Hason
    • Ran Danker
    • Itay Levi

With their combined experience, the panel ensures a high level of competition, which promises to be even more intense than last season’s edition.

Contestants and Their Performances

In tonight’s episode, five contestants took the stage, and four of them advanced to the next stage of the competition. Here’s a look at some of the standout performances:

  • Debbie James (36): Debbie, the daughter of a famous 80’s movie actor, brings experience to the stage, having previously provided backing vocals for Enrique Iglesias. For her audition, Debbie performed “Ain’t Nobody” by Chaka Khan, showcasing her charisma. Despite her strong performance, Assaf Amdursky and Itay Levi did not vote for her, leaving Debbie with a score of 70%.
  • Udi Schneider (21): Udi made a bold impression with his performance of “Bad Romance” by Lady Gaga, capturing the attention of the judges with his energy. His performance was so powerful that all the judges voted for him, resulting in a score of 88%.
  • Roy Elbaz (20): A detective with the Israeli police, Roy Elbaz has a strong passion for music. For his audition, he performed a song by Bar Tzabary, delivering a confident and original interpretation. His performance impressed the judges, who praised his uniqueness. However, Assaf Amdursky did not vote for him and Roy received a score of 76%.
  • Natali Zafar (19): At just 19 years old, Natali Zafar is already a songwriter and composer. For her audition, she performed her original song “Hayti Lech,” which speaks about overcoming anxiety. Her heartfelt performance captivated all the judges, who voted in her favor. With an impressive score of 94%, Natali has proven herself to be one of the standout contestants of the season.

The next episode of HaKokhav Haba will be broadcast on Saturday evening.

The winner of HaKokhav Haba and therefore Israel’s representative in Eurovision 2024 was Eden Golan. Eden Golan performed her song “Hurricane“, finishing fifth overall.

Stay tuned to EurovisionFun for all the latest updates on the Israeli selection process!

Source: euromix

The truth about the Greek Orthodox Rum Valerie Hamaty’s heritage, who aims to represent Israel at Eurovision 2025

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In our previous article, we introduced Valerie Hamaty, the Arabic-speaking Christian Orthodox singer who made a strong impression on the latest episode of HaKokhav Haba. As one of the frontrunners, she’s vying to represent Israel at Eurovision 2025. In this article, we delve deeper into her heritage and explore what it means to be an Arabic-speaking Greek Orthodox in the Middle East.

The Inspiration Behind This Article

This article was inspired by a recent feature on the same topic by Tribune.gr. In our earlier coverage, we hesitated to delve into this aspect of the story (perhaps wrongly), as the topic of Israel remains a sensitive issue. Many react negatively to anything related to Israel without taking the time to read and understand the context.

The History of Arabic-Speaking Romioi

To understand what it means to be an Arabic-speaking Greek Orthodox in the Middle East and why they self-identify as “Rum” (Romioi), we must take a journey back through history.

After the 6th century A.D., when the region of today’s Middle East fell under Arab rule, the Greek language gradually disappeared. However, many inhabitants retained their Orthodox Christian faith and continued to identify as “Romans,” acknowledging the Eastern Roman Empire (today called the Byzantine Empire) as their homeland.

Ecclesiastically, these populations belong to the Patriarchate of Antioch, which was originally based in Antioch but is now headquartered in Damascus. Until the late 19th century, the Patriarchate of Antioch, like the Patriarchate of Jerusalem, was led by Greek Patriarchs. However, Russian intervention aimed at diminishing Greek influence led to the election of Arabic-speaking Patriarchs starting in 1899. Despite this shift, the Patriarchate retains its title as the “Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Antioch,” and the Greek flag still flies at its headquarters in Damascus.

The Romioi of the Middle East

The spotlight on the Romioi community reignited after a recent devastating earthquake in Antioch, Turkey, which brought attention to their centuries-old presence in the region. Although they speak Arabic, they identify as Romioi, and many have migrated to Istanbul in recent decades. Their children attend Greek schools in the city, helping to sustain the minority tradition. Today, the number of Arabic-speaking students in these schools is nearly equal to that of Greek-speaking students.

Arabic-speaking Orthodox Christians primarily live in Lebanon, Syria, Israel, and Antioch, with smaller populations in the Palestinian Territories and Jordan. However, wars and emigration have significantly reduced their numbers.

Valerie Hamaty: A Romia for Eurovision 2025?

Valerie Hamaty, 25, an Arabic-speaking Christian Orthodox artist, recently captivated audiences on HaKokhav Haba, the talent show that determines Israel’s Eurovision representative. This is her second attempt at the show; in 2022, she finished as the runner-up. Besides her singing talent, she has also made a name for herself as an actress.

The possibility of Valerie representing Israel at Eurovision 2025 is highly symbolic. It highlights the multicultural fabric of Israeli society and serves as a powerful message of unity in a region fraught with political and religious divisions.

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

Her Main Rival

Yuval Raphael, a survivor of the October 7 Hamas attack, is seen as Valerie’s main competitor. Yuval survived the massacre at the Nova Festival by pretending to be dead for hours.

Local media and Eurovision fans in Israel suggest that these two talented artists will likely compete head-to-head for the ticket to Basel. Both carry significant symbolic weight, making the final decision highly anticipated.

A Competition Beyond Music

The developments in HaKokhav Haba promise to be exciting, as this selection process once again proves that Eurovision is more than just a music contest.

Stay tuned to Eurovisionfun for all the latest updates!

Sweden: The First Bets for Melodifestivalen 2025 | Måns Zelmerlöw Leads the Odds!

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Just a few hours after the announcement of the contestants for Melodifestivalen 2025, the first bets on the winner have already started to emerge, even though we are still two months away from hearing the songs of the first semi-final!

The favorite to win is Måns Zelmerlöw, who is aiming for his second victory at Melodifestivalen. This will be his fourth participation in the festival.

His entry, “Revolution”, is co-written by David Lindgren Zacharias, Måns Zelmerlöw, Ola Svensson, and Sebastian Atas.

In second place is John Lundvik, who previously won Melodifestivalen in 2019.

Third place is currently held by SCARLET, with fan-favorite Klara Hammarström in fourth. The top five is rounded out by Malou Prytz and Saga Ludvigsson.

It’s worth noting that the current betting odds are based solely on the names of the artists. Looking at previous years, the odds have only been accurate at this stage in 2014, 2015, 2023, and 2024.

Melodifestivalen 2025 Schedule:

  • First Semi-Final: Saturday, February 1, 2025, Coop Norrbotten Arena, Luleå
  • Second Semi-Final: Saturday, February 8, 2025, Scandinavium, Gothenburg
  • Third Semi-Final: Saturday, February 15, 2025, ABB Arena Syd, Västerås
  • Fourth Semi-Final: Saturday, February 22, 2025, Malmö Arena, Malmö
  • Fifth Semi-Final: Saturday, March 1, 2025, Husqvarna Garden, Jönköping
  • Grand Final: Saturday, March 8, 2025, Strawberry Arena, Stockholm

The winners of Melodifestivalen 2024, who represented Sweden in Eurovision, were Marcus & Martinus with their song “Unforgettable”, achieving ninth place in the Eurovision Grand Final.

Stay tuned to Eurovision Fun for all updates on Sweden’s journey to Eurovision 2025!

Source: eurovisionworld

Sweden: These are the contestants of Melodifestivalen 2025!

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The names of the artists selected to compete in Melodifestivalen 2025, the national final through which Sweden’s entry for the 69th Eurovision Song Contest in Basel, Switzerland, will be selected, have just been announced. Read more