A “Popular” eurostar take on Israel: “Israel is the most dangerous and disgusting nation in the world.”

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Over the last couple of months, many Eurostars have expressed their views publicly in their social media, about the ongoing Middle-Eastern conflict between Israel and Palestine.

The Swedish–Lebanese superstar Eric Saade has been expressing his opposition to Israel on a daily basis, after Israel started their operations in Gaza. On one of his Instagram stories one day before Christmas, he described Israel as “the most dangerous and disgusting nation in the world“, on a story that can be seen below:

Saade was also one of the many Swedish stars that on the 20th of October signed a petition addressing the Swedish government, to condemn all violence against civilians and every violation of the international law.

 

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A post shared by Eric Saade (@ericsaadeofficial)

Eurovision 2024

At the moment, Eric‘s role in next year’s Eurovision Song Contest is unclear. There have been rumours of Gina Dirawi leading the contest to be held in Malmö, Sweden, but it will be no surprise if the Swedish–Lebanese superstar is involved in the show in any way. It remains to be seen in the following weeks or months.

Who is Eric Saade?

Eric Saade is a Swedish–Lebanese singer and songwriter, born on October 29, 1990, in Kattarp, Sweden from a Swedish mum and a Lebanese of Palestinian origin father. With a career that spans pop, R&B, and dance music, Saade has been a notable presence in the Melodifestivalen, Sweden‘s annual music competition to select their Eurovision entry. His first foray was in 2010 with the song “Manboy” securing a respectable third place. The following year, in 2011, Saade not only competed but triumphed with the electro-pop hit “Popular” earning him the Melodifestivalen title and subsequently giving him the chance to represent Sweden at the Eurovision Song Contest in Düsseldorf, Germany.

His Mello-presence continued in 2015 when he returned with the song “Sting” finishing in fifth place. His final and fourth participation at the Swedish national selection process was in 2021, when he almost represented Sweden with the song “Every Minute” after placing second at the grand final.

In 2019 he was one of the presenters of Melodifestivalen and along with Sarah Dawn Finer, Marika Carlsson and Kodjo Akolor he performed an Israel mashup, following the Eurovision victory of Israel and Netta with the song “Toy“, which is something that, due to the latest circumstances, we will probably not see him do in the foreseeable future.

Eric Saade‘s Melodifestivalen journey showcases his versatility and enduring popularity in the Swedish music scene. His contributions to the music industry extend beyond Eurovision, as he has released several successful albums and singles, establishing himself as a prominent figure in the Swedish music scene.

Stay tuned at EurovisionFun for all the latest news regarding the Eurovision Song Contest!

Photo: Stina Stjernkvist, SVT

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Eurovision 2024: Pernilla Månsson Colt and Farah Abadi to lead the semi allocation draw!

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The Eurovision year in SVT already starts in January with the “Eurovision Song Contest 2024 – the draw” directly from Malmö on January 30 as you read in one of our past articles. The broadcast, officially called the Semi-Final Draw, will decide which of the two semi-finals the participating countries will compete in in May.

SVT profiles Pernilla Månsson Colt and Farah Abadi host the lottery and the duo is charged for the assignment. Pernilla Månsson Colt, who had the same assignment in connection with Eurovision 2013, says:

“It will be great fun to kick off Sweden’s Eurovision year from Malmö. The draw is a more important thing than you think for the competition later. We hope that it will be both exciting and fun to watch the program.”

Farah Abadi adds:

“This is the kick-off for Eurovision and it is extra fun to be able to do the program together with Pernilla, but also that it is in our hometown Malmö that everything will happen.”

France, Italy, Spain, Great Britain, Germany and Sweden, as last year’s winners, are directly qualified for the final. But in the Semi-Final Draw it is also decided in which semi-final the viewers in these “the Big Five” countries and Sweden will be able to participate and vote. In the same semi-final, clips from the countries’ rehearsals on the Eurovision stage will also be shown.

The draw will be broadcast live on Tuesday 30 January 2024 at 19.00 CET on SVT Play and in SVT2.

The world’s largest live music competition will be broadcast from Malmö Arena in May. The semi-finals will be broadcast on the 7th and 9th and the grand final on the 11th of May after Loreen won for a second time in Liverpool with the song “Tattoo“.

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Source: SVT Pressrummet

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Eurovision 2024: First look at next year’s stage!

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SVT, host broadcaster for the 68th Eurovision Song Contest, has unveiled the impressive stage our 37 artists will be performing on in Malmö next May.

https://twitter.com/Eurovision/status/1737103178682761461?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Etweet

Movable LED cubes, LED floors, light, video and stage technology will combine to create some spectacular variations in the arena, while the stage is placed right in the middle of the audience, shaped like a cross, creating a unique 360-degree experience that the audience and viewers will get to experience in May.

The names behind the concept are Florian Wieder, Production Designer, and Fredrik Stormby, Light and Screen Content Designer.

According to the Executive Producer, Ebba Adielsson:

It is with great pride that we present our vision of the stage and lighting design for the Eurovision Song Contest 2024. We have not seen anything like this before at Eurovision and the concept gives us endless opportunities to create unique spaces and expressions for both the competing artists and the opening and interval acts. Florian and Fredrik’s creation is simply fantastic and it will be so much fun to see the end result!

One of the stage creators, Fredrik Stormby adds:

We believe that together we have created what is an unexpected and updated concept for the Eurovision Song Contest 2024 and are looking forward to showing it off for real! I am honoured to have been commissioned to design the light and video in collaboration with the team from our studio, and the production team that SVT has put into place for the project. 

We’ve developed a strong concept together, and I’m really looking forward to the continued collaboration in production, the creative process with the delegations, and eventually getting my teeth into the show and doing the broadcasts!

The Eurovision 2024 stage is unique. It is the first time that the stage is placed centrally, while the audience surrounds it. Moreover, there will be an installation of video and light, centered above the stage, where the lighting design has been crafted to truly embrace the artists and their performances, hence there will be led screens everywhere.

The Eurovision Song Contest 2024 is organized in collaboration with the city of Malmö and will be broadcast from Malmö Arena on Tuesday 7 May (semi-final 1), Thursday 9 May (semi-final 2) and Saturday 11 May (final) after Loreen won for a second time in Liverpool with the song “Tattoo“.

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Source: eurovision.tv

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Sweden: A collaboration Smash Into Pieces made might be in breach of SVT rules?

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“Smash Into Pieces initiates a collaboration with Keep Sweden Tidy“. That was a press release that the sanitation organization sent out recently. The press release also mentioned that the band has participated in this year’s Melodifestivalen and “finished in an impressive third place” and since then “continued to make an impression”.

This may be in conflict with SVT‘s rules for how artists may use the Melodifestivalen brand in other contexts. Earlier this year, the project manager for Melodifestivalen, Anders Wistbacka, says to Resumé after they asked questions about Smash Into Pieces‘ collaboration with Keep Sweden Tidy:

“The participants have the right to do whatever they want, as long as there is no connection to Melodifestivalen. Any violations must be examined on a case-by-case basis and we will now contact the parties concerned to investigate this case”

What is a connection to Melodifestivalen? Is a mention in a press release enough? It has become increasingly difficult for SVT to stick to its original rule that artists in Melodifestivalen are not allowed to engage commercially in connection with the festival. Prior to this year’s Melodifestivalen, SVT itself wrote that: “SVT seems to have become more generous in its interpretation of the regulations for Melodifestivalen artists’ advertising assignments.” Then Aftonbladet‘s reporter Tobbe Ek explained the change as follows:

“20 years ago, artists’ advertising collaborations were a controversial topic. SVT was careful not to mix with companies with Melodifestvialen’s participating artists. Nowadays, there are many artists who get their main income through commercial collaborations and since Melodifestivalen wants to have the hottest artists, the regulations have had to be interpreted more openly.”

For Resumé, Anders Wistbacka clarifies the relaxed rules:

“Participating artists are not under a waiting period for their participation in Melodifestivalen. This means that it’s okay to do advertising collaborations. However, the artists are not allowed to link their participation in Melodifestivalen to commercial contexts. The song itself is under a 30-day waiting period after the last participation in Melodifestivalen. It is impossible for us to continuously control all artists’ activities outside Melodifestivalen, but we always act when situations come to our attention.”

Lisa Possne Frisell, Head of Communications at Keep Sweden Tidy, writes in an email to Resumé:

“We have been in dialogue with SVT and understood our miswording in the message as the partnership is not dependent or should be reflected in their participation in Melodifestivalen. So we would like to correct the design.”

Smash Into Pieces will take part in Heat 1, Saturday 3 February 2024, in Malmö Arena, with the song“Heroes Are Calling”. In 2023, they participated with the song “Six Feet Under” and placed third.

Source: Resumé

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Eurovision 2024: The theme art of the 68th Eurovision Song Contest!

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The theme art of the 68th Eurovision Song Contest has just been revealed. Following EBU’s announcement it is now revealed that “The Eurovision Lights” will serve as the theme art for the contest held in Malmö.

https://youtu.be/tBzQQHJpLS8

This visual identity for Eurovision 2024 was created by combining the northern lights and the harmonic rhythm of sound equalizers. ‘The Eurovision Lights’ is a concept based on simple linear gradients, inspired by the vertical lines that pervade both the northern lights and sound equalizers, and was designed to be a versatile identity that can be adapted based on need and device.

The Deputy Executive Producer of the Eurovision Song Contest 2024, namely Christel Tholse Willers, mentions that:

We are so proud to present an identity that is designed to be flexible and useful both on and off screen. It is inspired by the magnificent ‘northern lights’, the beauty and mystery of which has been transformed into ‘The Eurovision Lights’. It is a captivating and beautiful mix of the Eurovision Song Contest’s sparkling brand colours that will not only be seen across the three live shows but also in exciting variations in different contexts across the event’s digital platforms and gives a Eurovision feel in Malmö’s urban spaces.

Johan Bello from design agency Uncut, the creator of the artwork mentions:

The identity is not just a logo but a story in itself, with the northern lights as the basis and the Eurovision Song Contest’s [brand] colour palette as the driving force. This union of elements creates a dynamic and versatile palette that will open up for creative use in different ways.

Sidney Lim, who was also involved in the design, added:

Our goal is to use clean, simple gradients as basic building blocks to create a Eurovision identity that is bright, modern and forward-looking.

The 68th Eurovision Song Contest will take place in Malmö, Sweden during 7-11 of May 2024, following Loreen’s second win in Liverpool.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BE2Fj0W4jP4

What do you think of this year’s theme art? Stay tuned to EurovisionFun for all news!

Source: eurovision.tv

Eurovision 2024: Semi-final allocation draw will be held on January 30!

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31 countries will compete in the Semi-Finals. The Semi-Final in which they compete will be decided by a draw to be held on Tuesday 30 January 2024, as published by eurovision.tv a while ago on their FAQ. 10 countries from each Semi-Final will qualify for the Grand Final.

The Eurovision Song Contest 2024 is organized in collaboration with the city of Malmö and will be broadcast from Malmö Arena on Tuesday 7 May (semi-final 1), Thursday 9 May (semi-final 2) and Saturday 11 May (final) after Loreen won for a second time in Liverpool with the song “Tattoo“.

Stay tuned at EurovisionFun for all the latest news regarding the Eurovision Song Contest!

Source: eurovision.tv

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Eurovision 2024: Ensuring thousands of fans and 600 volunteers are safe is a top priority!

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The organisers behind Eurovision Song Contest are currently looking for around 600 volunteers to welcome artists and Eurovision fans to Malmö next year, while applications for the various roles open on Friday. Johan Rönning, who is the event’s volunteer coordinator, was interviewed by Sara Assarsson and Sveriges Radio on the volume of people visiting Malmö, the volunteers as well as the security in place:

“It’s been a big interest from volunteers, from 2013 and from other events that have been in between, not only from Eurovision, And also a lot of Eurovision fans that want to be part of it, but the application is open this Friday. So it will be interesting to see how many application we get the first few days.”

As well as welcoming delegations from all the participating countries volunteers are needed for the Eurovision Village and to work as ambassadors for the city of Malmö. Others are needed backstage or to help with accreditations and other types of admin. Malmö hosted Eurovision back in 2013 and has also hosted, several international sports events such as the World Handball Championships, and the World Junior Ice Hockey Championships. Johan Rönning says the experience from running these events will come in handy when the city welcomes more than a hundred thousand Eurovision fans in May. Having been asked if Johan is worried that Malmö won’t find enough people he responds:

“Not at this moment. We know there is big interest and we have we have a good volunteer experience in Malmö as well and know that we have a lot of people that’s used to work in these kinds of events.”

Volunteer Requirements

All volunteers must be at least 19 years old, or turning 19 next year. They also need a good grasp of Swedish and English, as well as having access to Swedish digital ID, such as Bank ID or Freya eID, speaking an additional language is favourable, says Johan Rönning:

“We will welcome 37 delegations from the whole Europe and Australia but also fans from the whole world. So if you know an additional language, it will be a big plus.”

Fan and Volunteer Safety

Ensuring the fans and volunteers are safe at all times, is a top priority, he says. All applicants must register by using digital ID and will also be subject to digital security check:

“With many people getting in one place during Eurovision, security measures are important for us to ensure the safety for the visitors and volunteers.”

On December 15 at 10 a.m., the opportunity to apply will open at malmo.se, and recruitment will continue until January 7.

The Eurovision Song Contest 2024 is organized in collaboration with the city of Malmö and will be broadcast from Malmö Arena on Tuesday 7 May (semi-final 1), Thursday 9 May (semi-final 2) and Saturday 11 May (final) after Loreen won for a second time in Liverpool with the song “Tattoo“.

Stay tuned at EurovisionFun for all the latest news regarding the Eurovision Song Contest!

Source: Sara Assarsson/Sveriges Radio

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Sweden: Malmö city hall reveals Eurovision Village location!

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A few hours ago, the city hall of Malmö published a public call for volunteers who would be absorbed in several Eurovision activities, when the city gets to host the Eurovision Song Contest next May.

The Eurovision Song Contest 2024 will be a festival where music, creativity and care for everyone will be celebrated. On Friday, December 15, the recruitment of 600 volunteers who want to contribute will begin.

The tasks for the volunteers during the Eurovision Song Contest in Malmö will vary – everything from guiding invited guests around the city and hosting the Eurovision Village in Folkets Park to building décor, helping the different countries’ delegations and contributing time and commitment to be Malmö‘s face to the outside world.

On December 15 at 10 a.m., the opportunity to apply will open at malmo.se, and recruitment will continue until January 7.

The Eurovision Song Contest 2024 is organized in collaboration with the city of Malmö and will be broadcast from Malmö Arena on Tuesday 7 May (semi-final 1), Thursday 9 May (semi-final 2) and Saturday 11 May (final) after Loreen won for a second time in Liverpool with the song “Tattoo“.

Stay tuned at EurovisionFun for all the latest news regarding the Eurovision Song Contest!

Source: malmo.se

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Kim Cesarion: “We’ve been having talks the years before, but it felt right this time.” | Exclusive Interview

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As you had read in one of our past articles, the final list of Melodifestivalen participants was published on the 1st of December, at a press conference hosted by SVT at their headquarters in Stockholm.

Andreas Papayiannakis and EurovisionFun was at SVT/TV-huset, in Oxenstiernsgatan 34, Stockholm, accredited to cover the artist reveal event that the Swedish national broadcaster had been preparing for media over the last few months.

There we had the chance to meet several of the participants, among which was Kim Cesarion, who will participate on the 3rd Heat, on Saturday 17 February 2024, at Vida Arena, in Växjö, Sweden.

Kim has already done his international breakthrough with the song “Undressed“, but why did he decide to participate at Melodifestivalen and why now? He responded:

“I would say why not? It is something that is very huge in Sweden and obviously all over Europe. We’ve been having talks the years before but it didn’t feel right for me at the time. But I follow my guts with a lot of things in my life and it felt right this time. So that is why now!”

Cesarion was one of the writers of his song titled “Take my breath away“. But what was the thinkling behind the song?

“Will you be back here? Then we will talk about it more *laughs*! I’m keeping the song and the performance a little bit closed so we will have more to talk about. It’s a song that I hope will connect with the fans of Eurovision and also with my supporters that I had since before. It’s kind of a blend of Melodifestivalen but also something that is Kim Cesarion, like the music I’ve been putting out over the last 10 years.”

We asked him what are his aspirations for his participation in 2024 and Kim admitted:

“Hopefully to be able to represent Sweden at Eurovision, that would be very amazing of course.”

An unexpected moment came, when Danny Saucedo suddenly crashed our interview, said he is his favourite and then they gave each other a heartwarming hug. Kim thinks that there isn’t any of his fellow contestants that he should keep an eye on and adds:

“Melodifestivalen is more about love, like a family, it is about having a good time, enjoying ourselves and make sure whoever is watching is enjoying too. I wouldn’t say I have someone particularly that I think I should keep an eye on but I will enjoy watching other performances and see what other songs I would have to compete against of course.”

Kim Cesarion is also Greek from his mum’s side. He explains then what his connection to Greece is, besides his love for Greek lamb, Greek and Cretan food:

“I’m Greek from my mother’s side, my mum is half Swedish half Greek and my father is from Guadeloupe. But on the Greek side we are from Creta and then a lot of people moved to Athens now. I was actually there last year I celebrated Christmas there. I was also the summer of the very same year. So I haven’t been there for a year now, but I am looking forward to the next time I am going back. Cause I need my Greek lamb. I need my Greek food. I need my Cretan food. So yeah I need to be back!”

Does Kim travel to Crete only or he has been to more places in Greece?

“I travel to both Crete and Athens, so hopefully my cousin will take me to more islands when I am there. He is in music too, in Athens, Greek artist, rap music, he has friends who have studios in the islands, so I hope I can make music in Greece too! I genuinely hope to meet the fans that I have in Greece already and hopefully I will be able to make many more new fans from Greece. And they will teach me some Greek too, because I don’t speak the language. So hopefully we will have that connection!”

Who is Kim Cesarion?

Kim Hugo Leonel Niko Cesarion is a 33-year-old Swedish singer-songwriter of Guadeloupean and Greek origin. Cesarion was born in Stockholm to a Guadeloupean father and a GreekCretan/Swedish mother. Cesarion is a classically trained musician. He studied at Lilla Akademien, a highly acclaimed music school in Stockholm, and plays several instruments including the violin, piano, double bass, and viola, as well as drums. He is signed with RCA, Sony Music and Columbia. It’s been a while since he last made music and he plans on coming back to the Swedish music industry by taking part in the contest. He made his big breakthrough in 2013 with the song “Undressed” which became a worldwide hit, with over 88 million streams on Spotify and success in the Nordic countries as well as Australia, New Zealand and the United States and we remember him with his duet with Molly Hammar “Show Me“.

You can watch our exclusive interview with Kim Cesarion in the video below:

Melodifestivalen 2024 is scheduled to take place between February 3rd to March 9th, and next year’s 30 competing songs were selected by SVT among 2624 songs.

The schedule for the six shows of the Melodifestivalen 2024 tour

  • Heat 1: Saturday 3 February 2024, Malmö Arena, Malmö
  • Heat 2: Saturday 10 February 2024, Scandinavium, Göteborg
  • Heat 3: Saturday 17 February 2024, Vida Arena, Växjö
  • Heat 4: Saturday 24 February 2024, Stiga Sports Arena, Eskiltuna
  • Heat 5: Saturday 2 March 2024, Löfbergs Arena, Karlstad
  • Final: Saturday 9 March 2024, Friends Arena, Stockholm – Solna

The winner of Melodifestivalen 2023 and hence the Swedish representative at Eurovision 2023 was Loreen with her song “Tattoo“. Loreen went on to become the first female artist in history to win the Eurovision Song Contest twice.

Photo: Daniel Stridh

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Eurovision 2024: Edward af Sillén is back in Eurovision for the third time!

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After the success of Eurovision in 2013 and 2016, David Rehn and Edward af Sillén are preparing to once again hold the helm of the contest – as scriptwriters and af Sillén also as director. Now they’re looking for the right tone and theme. Edward comments:

“It’s a programme that is seen and loved by so many people, so it’s important to do it right and with passion.”

Af Sillén feels some performance anxiety, but he’s used to it:

“That’s my starting position. The low self-esteem is a kind of fuel and it makes me work extra hard. It works even if it’s costly mentally.”

Above all, however, it is with pleasure that Edward af Sillén takes on the assignment – which he calls “a boyhood dream, once again”. In 2023, he commentated on the final for the twelfth time and it has become the script for three Eurovision contests in Norway and Sweden. But after 2016, he thought it wouldn’t happen again. Edward comments:

“Then Loreen went and won again, which is an almost unimaginable feat.”

He and Rehn wondered if they could make a follow-up as popular as the 2016 broadcast – which even the BBC praised.

“It’s an incredible compliment, this assignment was too much fun to refuse.”

says Edward af Sillén.

He now hopes to be able to give the audience more of what characterized the show in 2016 – humor. Admittedly, he thinks it is a delicate task to get so many different countries to laugh at the same things. But if you love something, it’s worth joking around, he believes and adds:

“There’s so much love in that humour. We will certainly want to continue along this track.”

The Eurovision Song Contest 2024 is organized in collaboration with the city of Malmö and will be broadcast from Malmö Arena on Tuesday 7 May (semi-final 1), Thursday 9 May (semi-final 2) and Saturday 11 May (final) after Loreen won for a second time in Liverpool with the song “Tattoo“.

Stay tuned at EurovisionFun for all the latest news regarding the Eurovision Song Contest!

Source: Aftonbladet

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