Eurovision 2021: 41 countries to participate!!

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A few moments ago, the EBU revealed the list of the participating countries at the upcoming contest of Eurovision 2021, on 18th, 20th and 22nd of May in Rotterdam the Netherlands. Actually they are the same 41 nations that were about to take part in the 2020 contest that was canceled due to the COVID19 pandemic.

EBU and the Dutch host broadcasters NPO, NOS and AVROTROS have already revealed the 4 scenarios which their are focused on, and they abide by the restrictions and the facts of the pandemic and according to which the Eurovision 2021 will take place. The scenario, which will be chosen, will be announced in due time.

Martin Österdahl, Executive Supervisor of the Eurovision Song Contest, said:

“We are grateful for the commitment of the 41 participating broadcasters in helping us bring the Eurovision Song Contest back in 2021.”

“We have the exact same line up of countries that would have competed in 2020 and we are thrilled that they will all return next year. Together with our host broadcasters we are continuing to develop the 4 different scenarios and maintaining a dialogue with all participants. The team from NPO, NOS and AVROTROS are working hard on ensuring the Eurovision Song Contest will provide the excitement and innovation expected by over 180 million viewers, despite the challenging circumstances.”

 

Of the 41 nations taking part, 35 will compete in two Semi-Finals with 10 successful acts from each Semi-Final joining the Big 5 (France, Germany, Italy, Spain, United Kingdom) and hosts the Netherlands in the Grand Final.

Sietse Bakker, Executive Producer of the Eurovision Song Contest 2021, said:

“It is fantastic that the same 41 countries that would have taken part this year still want to come to the Netherlands in May 2021. This demonstrates their confidence in our country still being able to organize a successful Eurovision Song Contest in Rotterdam next year, after the cancellation of the 2020 edition.”

“We have set the bar high to create 3 amazing live shows for an audience of 180 million people, even in these challenging times. To achieve this, we are working on an extensive protocol that guarantees the health of employees, participants, the press and visitors as much as possible.”

 

Participating broadcasters
The following countries (and EBU Member broadcasters) will participate in the Eurovision Song Contest 2021 in Rotterdam:

Albania (RTSH)

Armenia (AMPTV)

Australia (SBS)*

Austria (ORF)

Azerbaijan (Ictimai TV)

Belarus (BTRC)

Belgium (VRT)

Bulgaria (BNT)

Croatia (HRT)

Cyprus (CyBC)

Czech Republic (CT)

Denmark (DR)

Estonia (ERR)

Finland (YLE)

France (FT)

Germany (ARD/NDR)

Georgia (GPB)

Greece (ERT)

Iceland (RUV)

Ireland (RTE)

Israel (KAN)

Italy (RAI)

Latvia (LTV)

Lithuania (LRT)

Malta (PBS)

Moldova (TRM)

The Netherlands (AVROTROS)

North Macedonia (MKRTV)

Norway (NRK)

Poland (TVP)

Portugal (RTP)

Romania (TVR)

Russia (Channel One)

San Marino (RTV)

Serbia (RTS)

Slovenia (RTVSLO)

Spain (TVE)

Sweden (SVT)

Switzerland (SRG SSR)

Ukraine (UA:PBC)

United Kingdom (BBC)

*EBU Associate

 

It is worth to be mentioned this is the first time since 1990 that we have the same amount of participating countries in two consecutive years.

Source: Eurovision.tv

UK: Katrina believes James Newman’s song was one of the strongest, BBC have sent since 1997!

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In an interview with escbubble, the UK’s last winner of the Eurovision Song Contest, Katrina, claims that this year’s entry of the UK with James Newman, was one of the strongest songs BBC have sent since 1997.

Katrina supports James Newman

Katrina recently released her new album, which includes the song she suggested to the BBC for Eurovision 2020. The song is called I Want To Love Again and you can listen to it below:

Of course, in the interview she was also asked about this year’s participation of the United Kingdom and James Newman.

I think it was right on track. It was one of the strongest songs that we’ve entered since 1997… I think he’s a class writer and that’s exactly what we need to be doing and where we should be.

As for the BBC’s strategy in the contest, Katrina believes that the right recipe for 2020 has been followed and they must stick to it.

We’re on track. I think what James did is much better.. there’s no reason not to submit something really strong and really commercial.

With James Newman at Eurovision 2021?

The United Kingdom is one of the countries that has not yet announced its intentions in relation to the Eurovision Song Contest 2021. It is unknown at this time if James Newman will have another chance.

However, he does not seem to give up, after the previous days he revealed through his social networks that he is preparing new songs, together with the creators of One Last Breath, this year’s participation of the United Kingdom in the contest. It is possible that one of these songs will be suggested to the BBC.

James Newman would represent the UK at Eurovision 2020, with the song One Last Breath. You can listen it below:

Would you like to see James Newman representing the UK in Eurovision Song Contest 2021?

UK: Sarah Dawn Finer would love to represent the country at Eurovision 2021!

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Although Sarah Dawn Finer has not been able to represent Sweden, in all the attempts she made at the Melodifestivalen, she has associated herself with the Eurovision Song Contest, as few artists in her country. Now, with a post on Twitter, she publicly expresses her interest in representing her father’s homeland at Eurovision 2021, the United Kingdom!

Sarah Dawn Finner, 39, has participated twice in the Melodifestivalen and has presented it three times. Eurovision fans literally adored her as Lynda Woodruff, at Eurovision 2013 and 2016 held in Sweden, with her humorous videos going viral.

In a Twitter post, Sarah Dawn Finner, who has a British father and an American mother, but was born and raised in Sweden, making a remarkable music and television career there, says she is now ready to represent the United Kingdom at Eurovision 2021.

At the same time, again on Twitter, she rules out participating in Melodifestivalen 2021, while she also denies the posts of the previous days that wanted her to participate, even as a composer.

So far BBC has not clarified how its representative will be selected in the next Eurovision song contest.

Below you can see Sarah Dawn Finner performing with Dotter, Bulletproof, at the night of the presentation of the video clips of this year’s participations, on Swedish public television:

Would you like to see Sarah Dawn Finer, representing the UK at Eurovision 2021?

Eurostars: Maruv: “I received a proposal from BBC to represent the United Kingdom at Eurovision 2020”

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In a recent interview, Maruv, winner of this year’s Ukrainian national final Vidbir, but ultimately did not represent her country at the contest, revealed that she had accepted a BBC proposal to represent the United Kingdom at Eurovision 2020.

The time of withdrawal

Many of you may remember that Maruv with “Siren Song” won the national selection, Vidbir 2019, but did not travel to Tel Aviv as she did not agree to cancel her appearances in Russia, but to accept a number of other conditions set by the public Ukrainian broadcaster. Subsequently, the country’s public television began reaching out to the other Vidbir 2019 candidates in order to find the country’s representative, but without success.

Finally, Ukraine announced its withdrawal from Eurovision 2019 in Tel Aviv. UA CEO: PBC Zurab Alasania officially announced Ukraine’s withdrawal from Eurovision 2019 through its official Facebook account on February 27.

Is the UK calling on Maruv?

For Eurovision 2020, BBC has announced that BMG will select both the artist and the song to represent the UK, hoping to finally get out of the final standings.

According to what Maruv said in an interview on November 22, the United Kingdom has proposed her to represent the country at Eurovision 2020 either by hertself or simply by sending her own song to another performer.

In the following video after 13:20 (in Russian):

She herself, of course, at the MTV Awards, had rejected any possible new entry into the Eurovision competition. As she typically stated, she would only appear again in the competition as a guest!

“I wanted it too, but that is life. Now I have other desires and other dreams, and I wish one day to go to Eurovision, but only as a guest. I would love this. But not of the time”

Ukraine for 2020 has decided to include in its Vidbir regulations that artists who have performed in Russia or Crimea after the dramatic events of 2014 are banned.

Let’s remember Maruv’s performance at Vidbir 2019: