The reunion of t.A.T.u is here!

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Lena Katina and Yulia Volkova, best known as the duo t.A.T.u, seem to be making a dynamic comeback and it is said that their reunion is closer than ever! The duo had represented Russia at the 2003 Eurovision contest in Riga, Latvia with the song Ne Ver’, Ne Boisia which means “Don’t believe, don’t be afraid” and managed to take 3rd place! The duet was loved by the audience and continues to have fans to this day!

After their great success around the world, the two singers decided to split up and pursue solo careers in 2011. However, this venture of theirs doesn’t seem to have been a great success. So, the two will become a duo again, performing at various events singing many of his hits, making their fans very happy. It should be noted that as far as their earnings are concerned, it seems that as a duo they have more financial power!

For Yulia, things have not been so simple in recent years. The singer was diagnosed with thyroid cancer after a simple routine check-up and after a mistake during the surgery she almost lost her voice. Specifically, the artist said of her experience:

“After the operation I didn’t speak for a year: whispering, whistling, whistling, going to doctors until the first operation in Germany. Then surgeries in Japan, Korea. After Korea, I was able to start speaking normally, making sounds.”

We are looking forward to the band’s comeback! What do you think? Tell us in the comments!

Source: vokrug

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Switzerland: The pro-Eurovision referendum campaign commences!

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The Basel-Stadt canton is up for an unprecedented referendum. A little less than four thousand people have signed a petition opposing the canton’s decision to finance Eurovision 2025 on behalf of an ultra-conservative Swiss party that is not represented in the national parliament.

The pro-Eurovision campaign began after the request to include a question on the ballot was approved and the referendum will be held on November 24.

Basel’s trade association supports the hosting

Reto Baumgartner, the director of the Basel Trade Association, has been tasked with making sure that the canton’s Eurovision fund contribution is approved by the majority of Basel voters. In addition, he is the current president of FC Basel and a former professional football player.

The trade association was asked to take the initiative, according to Baumgartner. It is expected that owners and staff of restaurants and hotels will support Eurovision 2025 because they anticipate an increase in business and profit. Their primary argument is that the 38.5 million CHF fund will result in 60 million CHF in direct added value.

Theoretically, it will be an easy choice among the members of Basel’s Trade Association.

The campaign

It is unclear what the anti-Eurovision supporters have planned and whether anti-ESC coalitions will emerge in the upcoming weeks.

Both sides will have a shorter referendum campaign than in the past. No specific plans for a paid advertising campaign have been made. At the moment, the pro-ESC side is only seeking people to join a social media campaign.

Three slogans are available to participants:

  • “Basel in the spotlight – Europe is watching”
  • “Occupied beds, strengthened economy – Basel wins”
  • “Celebrate together – diversity connects”

The referendum

With 87 votes in favor, 4 against, and 4 abstentions, Basel’s cantonal parliament approved the funding for Eurovision 2025 on September 11. The only political party opposed to this funding, though, is the EDU. It needed outside support to collect enough signatures because of its limited presence in Basel City.

The tiny Christian party had earlier declared that it would launch a referendum to stop public support for what it called a “propaganda event.”

Ultimately, the aforementioned political party gathered the signatures needed and on November 24, voters are going to vote on this and two other cantonal and four federal proposals. The question on the ballot regarding Eurovision 2025 will be the following:

Do you want to accept the decision of the great council, taken on the 11th of September 2024, in regards to the allocated funds for the ESC 2025 in Basel?

However, there is no need to worry about a potential cancelation of the upcoming contest. In the worst case scenario that the voters go with EDU’s proposal, the only implication will be a smaller contest with less funding than originally planned.

Stay tuned to EurovisionFun for all the news!

Source: BZBasel

Junior Eurovision 2024: The stage construction started!

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Spain is in the midst of intense preparations for the 22nd Junior Eurovision Song Contest. On the twentieth anniversary of their first and only victory in 2004, the Iberian nation is prepared to host Junior Eurovision for the first time. This will be the first Eurovision event in the country since 1969. Given the significance of the event for the nation, there is a lot of interest, and the Spanish are excited to have us in Madrid in two weeks.

In the meantime, stage construction has already begun, and Casa Mágica is ready to welcome all seventeen delegations competing in the children’s competition.

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.

Stay tuned to EurovisionFun for all the news!

Source:ESCPlus

Norway: Tarjei Strøm to be the new music director of MGP

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An era ends for Stig Karlsen at MGP as he resigns from his position. His successor is Tarjei Strøm, known in the Norwegian music industry and a former contestant of MGP.

The NRK announces the new appointment in a press release.

“I am humble and grateful for this incredibly exciting opportunity. This is truly the job of my dreams, and I cannot wait to get started,” said Strøm.

He previously participated in Melodi Grand Prix (MGP) with his band Datarock in 2013.

“I know the world of MGP very well, both from the inside and the outside. Now, I look forward to combining my love for MGP, my network in the Norwegian music scene, and my passion for Norwegian music with the country’s largest music competition,” Strøm stated.

Strøm will take on the task of selecting and developing the music for the country’s biggest music show, in close collaboration with the editorial team and the music community at NRK.

Much of his work will involve outreach in the music industry, evaluating submissions for the competition, and assembling new musical constellations that will shine on Norway’s largest music stage, according to the state broadcaster.

Strøm is known for his own bands, such as Datarock and Ralph Myerz & The Jack Herren Band, and he has performed and played with some of Norway’s biggest artists.

NRK also informs that, given that the process of selecting songs for Melodi Grand Prix is long-term and occurs throughout the year, Stig Karlsen will select the songs that will participate in the 2025 competition.

Mads Tørklep has also taken on a new role and will be the head of the Norwegian delegation for the Eurovision Song Contest. This means he will be responsible for the MGP winner and the team participating in the international competition to be held in Basel in May.

Tørklep already has the role of project manager for Melodi Grand Prix and is also a producer.

“I love this ‘circus.’ Eurovision is the largest music competition in the world, and Melodi Grand Prix is Norway’s most talked-about and endlessly debated TV broadcast. This work is demanding but incredibly rewarding,” Tørklep stated.

This year’s Eurovision was marked by several scandals. It was after these events that Stig Karlsen stepped down from his position. However, he emphasized that this was not the reason for his departure.

“The reason is this new opportunity that was offered to me. I believe that music and culture are bridges, and I am optimistic that the EBU will get the organization back on track.”

Karlsen will now work in communication and media alongside Jannicke Mikkelsen, Norway’s first female astronaut.

Stay tuned to Eurovisionfun for all the latest updates!

Source: VG

North Macedonia: Hopes for the country’s return to Eurovision

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North Macedonia’s national broadcaster, MRT, is considering the possibility of returning to the Eurovision Song Contest in 2025, despite the fact that Eurovision funding is not included in its recently published annual budget. This leaves a window of opportunity for the country’s participation.

The Program Council of MRT, consisting of eleven members who oversee all programming decisions, has agreed to discuss North Macedonia’s potential return to Eurovision in a meeting held on October 22. This decision followed a request from Macedonian Eurovision fans, urging MRT to reconsider their participation.

The Council’s President, Mrs. Smiljka Janeska Sarkanjac, stated that a special meeting would be needed to thoroughly discuss the matter and expressed her support for the country’s return to the contest. Mrs. Sarkanjac highlighted the importance of participating in international events such as Eurovision, even if the country does not achieve top rankings every year:

“The Program Council of MRT has agreed for three consecutive years that Eurovision participation should not be canceled, even if we are unable to secure high placements. Every opportunity for North Macedonia to be represented on an international platform must not be missed. MRT exists to create and promote local music and culture, and we cannot easily dismiss such an opportunity for exposure.”

It is worth noting that North Macedonia withdrew from the 2023 Eurovision Song Contest, citing financial difficulties. Prior to that, the country had participated in every Eurovision contest since 2004.

Stay tuned to Eurovisionfun for all the latest updates!

Australia: The country will compete in Eurovision 2025!

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It is now officially confirmed that Australia will compete in the 69th Eurovision Song Contest. The Eurovision Song Contest is one of the shows that SBS has announced it is going to broadcast in 2025. Therefore, SBS received the special invitation and will be returning to the Eurovision stage for its tenth participation, as Australia’s contract with the EBU has expired and its participation has to be annually renewed.

Specifically, SBS’s press release mentions:

Eurovision Song Contest 2025
TX: May 2025 on SBS and SBS On Demand
The Eurovision Song Contest returns to SBS in 2025! The world’s largest live music event is a serious cultural force and a whole lot of fun, celebrating music and artistry from across the globe. This year’s event reached over 163 million viewers across the globe live from Malmö, Sweden, after Loreen’s historic 2023 win in Liverpool, UK. In 2024, Switzerland’s Nemo took out the title with their song The Code. Australia has participated in the contest since 2015, creating a legacy of sending truly unique artists to share their talents on the biggest platform in the world. Who will represent Australia in Basel, Switzerland 2025?

Regarding the country’s Eurovision 2025 selection procedure, no information is provided. The return of the Australia Decides format, however, appears unlikely given the confirmation date, and the nation is likely to opt for an internal selection instead.

Electric Fields were SBS’s pick for Eurovision 2024 with their song “One Milkali (One Blood)“. Unfortunately, Australia did not make it to the Grand Final for the second time in its history in the contest and missed the spot for seven points.

Stay tuned to EurovisionFun for all the news!

Source: tvtonight

Switzerland: The referendum against Eurovision 2025 on 24th of November!

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The referendum against the Council’s decision to approve the expenditure for the organization of the Eurovision Song Contest 2025 in Basel is about to take place. Voters are going to vote on this and two other cantonal and four federal proposals on November 24, 2024. At the same time, the second round of general renewal elections for the Governing Council is going to take place.

The request for a referendum was submitted today with the gathering of the required 2,000 signatures. A total of 3,912 valid signatures were counted. At the same time this weekend a vote is going be held, under the popular initiative of the canton “for more musical diversity” (“für mehr Musikvielfalt”), on the partial revision of the cantonal constitution regarding the right to vote and be elected to foreign residents as well as on four federal bills.

Election papers will be packed and sent next Monday. By the end of the week, the voters will have received the documents.

Source: Kanton Basel-Stadt 

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

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Serbia: Deadline for Pesma za Evroviziju 2025 extended!

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RTS has extended the deadline for submitting projects for Pesma za Evroviziju 2025. Nine additional days from the original deadline (1 November) will be available to interested artists. Although the reason for this decision was not specified by Serbian National Television, the deadline for submitting works will expire on November 10.

After the deadline, RTS, will have the possibility to select the contestants in the process based on artistic criteria. However, if none of the entries meet the artistic requirements, RTS will have the possibility to make an internal selection and award the participation of the Serbian representative in the Eurovision Song Contest.

The final selection will be made by the decision of the artistic committee and the public vote. The first semi-final will take place on 25 February and the second on 27 February. The grand final will take place on 1 March 2025!

In 2024, the country participated in the competition with Teya Dora’s track Ramonda and received 17th place.

For everything about the contest stay tuned to Eurovision Fun!

Source: Eurovoix

Kosovar government hopes for a Eurovision 2025 debut

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Kosovo has celebrated the second edition of Festivali i Këngës në RTK and the nation does not give their hope to debut in the Eurovision Song Contest.

The second edition of the festival took place in Pristina last weekend.  The winner of Festivali i Këngës në RTK 2024 was Endrit Krasniqi Flasë me tetanen.  

According to public broadcaster RTK, the Kosovo government foresees their festival as a platform to show Europe their interest in participating in the Eurovision Song Contest.

Regarding the chances of future participation RTK’s Minister of Culture, Hajrulla Çeku said:

Technically, and organizationally, we meet all the conditions. There remain only procedural aspects towards the issue of membership and representation in ‘Eurovision’. Politically, we have to do a lot but remember that last year we were monitored by the EBU because they evaluate organizational issues. We have passed this exam, now we continue towards Eurovision with our heads held high

Kosovo’s broadcaster RTK sent an application to participate in Eurovision this year to the EBU. However, the EBU rejected their application on the basis that they needed to become a full EBU member first.

Source: RTK

Would you like to see a debut of Kosovo in Eurovision in the near future?

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Germany: ARD, RTL, and Stefan Raab Collaborate for Eurovision 2025 Representative Selection

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Germany will select its representative for the Eurovision Song Contest 2025 through a national final, in collaboration with ARD, RTL, and entertainer Stefan Raab. Further details will be revealed on October 31.

The Eurovision Song Contest in Basel is approaching, and many countries have already started their selection processes. In Germany, preparations are ramping up with the announcement that ARD, RTL, and Stefan Raab will host a joint press conference on October 31, at 11:00 a.m., at the Swiss Embassy in Berlin.

During the conference, the process for selecting Germany’s representative for the 2025 contest will be outlined. Following the press conference, all related information will be available on eurovision.de and in a special edition of the podcast ESC Update in the ARD Audiothek. In addition to Stefan Raab, ARD Program Director Christine Strobl, RTL Program Director Inga Leschek, and NDR Program Director Frank Beckmann will provide further insights.

Collaboration with a Private Broadcaster for Eurovision

NDR, responsible for Eurovision within ARD, will once again work with RTL for the upcoming contest. The last collaboration with a private broadcaster was in 2012, also with the involvement of Stefan Raab. That year, Roman Lob won the national competition Unser Star für Baku, which was broadcast on ARD and ProSieben, ultimately securing eighth place in the Eurovision final.

Two years earlier, Lena won the selection Unser Star für Oslo, also held in collaboration, and subsequently won the Eurovision Song Contest in 2010. This year, Isaak achieved 12th place for Germany at the contest in Malmö with his song “Always On The Run.”

Stay tuned to Eurovisionfun for all the updates!

Source: eurovision.de