This was Russia’s second choice for the Eurovision!

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As you already know, Sergey Lazarev brought his motherland back to Eurovision’s top 3 by performing his epic ballad “Scream”. The song is composed by Dimitris Kontopoulos and the lyrics were Sharon Vaughn’s work.

Before the announcement of “Scream”, Sergey admitted that the song was chosen among 2 other recorded songs. Later this day it was released the first part of his EP “Ya ne boyus” (I’m not afraid), in which is included a bonus track in English. The song is called “Goddess” and it’s believed that this was one of the 2 other songs-choices for the contest, as it’s written by Dimitris Kontopoulos and it lasts less than 3 minutes.

The second part of his EP is expected to be released later in November. Probably the third song will be included there.

Could “Goddess” bring the trophy to Russia?

Eurovision 2020: Netflix to broadcast Eurovision 2020 in the USA

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A problem that afflicts fans on the other side of the Atlantic seems to have come to an end after EBU announced a while ago that Netflix will have the Eurovision shows available on its platform right after the end of its live broadcasting.

On Monday, July 22, all Netflix subscribers in the US will have  both the semifinals and the final of Eurovision 2019 available.

Jon Ola Sand, executive supervisor of all the EBU’s live events, stated:

« The EBU is thrilled that the world’s biggest television entertainment program will now be available to viewers in the US, one of the largest television markets. The US viewers will now enjoy all three fantastic evenings this year for the first time and the entire contest in 2020. This is a perfect timetable with plans to launch an American version of the Contest in 2021 ». 

Until recently, it was impossible to watch the contest, as well as all the videos, later on YouTube, as they were blocked, on the other side of the Atlantic.

A very important development that will bring the US closer to the Eurovision Contest, always backing plans to convey the concept in 2021 there!

This news comes as a follow-up to Netflix’s announcement that it is preparing a film about the Eurovision contest, starring Will Ferell.

Source: EBU

Eurovision 2020: Rotterdam – Maastricht: the battle of the venues

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The battle of Rotterdam and Maastricht to claim Eurovision 2020 hosting has been culminated, with the visit of the Dutch public broadcaster , the so-called ”Eurovision 2020 Committee”, in the two cities, to look closely at everything they propose for the next contest , in case ,of course, this takes place in their city.
The focus of interest for the the Eurovision 2020 Executive Producer, Sietse Bakker, was of course the venues  visit proposed to host the next event.
The questions that concern the people involved are of course the size, the location in the city center, its accessibility, the lights that can be supported by the roof, the existence of space for journalists, delegations, dressing rooms, press room etc .

MECC – Maastricht:
What do we know about the MECC in Maastricht?
* Capacity: about 11,000 – 12,000 people
* Floor area: 10.225 m2
* Ceiling height: about 16 meters

As the Maastricht’s  municipality has revealed, the city has been preparing its candidacy for hosting the contest for five years since the Netherlands came to a breath near to victory in 2014 with Common Linnets and ”Calm After The Storm”.

During the Committee’s visit to MECC, the officials had the opportunity to see in virtual reality how the venue will be set up to for the needs of the Event.

Ahoy – Rotterdam:
What do we know about Ahoy in Rotterdam?
* Capacity: about 11,000 – 12,000 people
* Floor area: 3.300 m2
* Ceiling height: about 23 meters

Ahoy of Rotterdam looks more ready for such a big event, since it hosts many important concerts each year.

The final decision on the city that will host the 65th Eurovision Song Contest will be announced in August.

Source: NOS

Eurovision 2020: The Eurovision 2020 Committee also inspected Rotterdam

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Following the visit to Maastricht, yesterday it was Rotterdam’s turn to welcome the Eurovision 2020 Committee, consisting of the three responsible broadcasters for the organization of Eurovision 2020 (NPO / NOS / AVROTROS), to examine the city’s potential  to host the event, according to what it has submitted  in its candidacy bid.

The committee was welcomed by Mr. Said Kasmi (Rotterdam City Council) and Ms. Jolanda Jansen (Rotterdam Ahoy Director). And of course, their first and foremost station was Rotterdam Ahoy, the proposed venue for the event, where the members of the committee observed the excellent work done by the staff  while they are already in contact with the relevant venues of other cities which had hosted Eurovision events  in order to be prepared better.

The officials, of course, Committee do not forget that Rotterdam and Rotterdam Ahoy specifically have hosted the 2007 Junior Eurovision , which will be taken into serious  account for the final decision  in mid-August.

Ms. Jolanda Jansen (Rotterdam Ahoy Director) said:
“The meeting was incredibly substantive. First we went through the bidbook in great detail, we presented ourselves as a city and toured the premises. We spent a few hours discussing various ideas about the different spaces and halls.We have been doing a lot of homework lately, for example we have been in touch with some of the former Eurovision venues and host cities that have organized the contest in recent years, such as Stockholm, Vienna and Lisbon.
It was very good to discuss all these things with each other. A very important lesson is that all of this is greater than anything I’ve ever experienced. ”

Mr. Said Kasmi (Rotterdam Councilor for Culture) stated:
“We could soon host the biggest music competition, I suppose there will be 246 million viewers worldwide watching the show. All eyes will be focused on Rotterdam and we will have lots of visitors landing in the city. We are working hard so that everything falls into place ».
Finally, Mr. Sietse Bakker (Eurovision 2020 Executive Producer) concluded:
“The EBU has had a very good experience with the 2007 Junior Song Contest here. I think that certainly counts. Ahoy is a very nice location for three very spectacular TV shows. There are many spaces and halls in close proximity to the main hall that can house the press, delegations, production and technical teams etc ».

Georgia: the known format of « Georgia’s Star » to be used again

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Georgia has made its debut in the Eurovision Song Contest in 2007, and since then, with only one absence (2009), has been a non-stop member of the institution with its better position to be the ninth (2010 and 2011).

The procedure followed since then for the representative selection has been shifted from a direct assignment to a national final without having resulted in a permanent procedure.  Last year, after years of national finals, GPB,the national broadcaster decided to send Iriao by selecting them internally, and this year, in Israel, they chose the Pop Idol method for choosing its representative, with Oto Nemsadze finally signing “Keep on going”.

About two months after the end of the 64th Eurovision, GPB announced that Georgia’s star, the Georgian version of the Pop Idol, will be again used for representative ‘ selection in the Netherlands, as it did last year.

Applications have already begun and whoever interested can submit applications here.

Eurovision 2020: “Come closer” the Maastricht slogan for the event. Watch the promo trailer

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After the Dutch publication, which wants Maastricht to be the city that the EBU prefers to host Eurovision 2020, the European Union’s city -symbol now shows that it has the most dynamic and full-fledged candidacy than the remaining ones.The city presented,in social networks,the slogan, as well as the promotional video of its candidacy.

“Come closer” the proposed slogan of Maastricht
With a barrage of post on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube, Maastricht is the first city to unveil part of the dossier, which will be deposited by Wednesday, July 10, on the country’s public television.

In the pictures and videos released by the Municipality of Maastricht, it is clear, of course, not only the city’s attractions, but also teenagers  wearing t-shirts with the distinctive “Come closer” slogan.

The Mayor of Maastricht, Annemarie Penn-te Strake, who has already come out strongly in favor of her city’s candidacy, in her statements characterizes the city as the ideal venue for the next Eurovision Song Contest.

“An internationally recognized city at the crossroads of Europe. A city that has everything and is still forgotten, full of character and atmosphere. The capital of an area that embraces all its visitors, where you can go as you are!”

Watch the promo video of Maastricht’s candidacy below:

Maastricht proposes MECC Maastricht to host the Eurovision 2020 with a capacity of 20,000 spectators. The  Maastricht’s candidacy is also supported by the region of Limburg.

Why is Maastricht the symbol of Europe?
Maastricht is a municipality and capital of the province of Limburg. The city is located on both sides of the river Meuse in the southeastern part of the Netherlands between Belgium and Germany.

In the Middle Ages, the city was the pinnacle of the dispute between the Netherlands and France, which, because of its highly strategic position, had been coveted by both. SO, it was changing possession throughout the 15th, 16th, 17th and 18th centuries.

After the Napoleonic era, Maastricht became part of the United Kingdom of the Netherlands in 1815. When the southern provinces claimed independence from the north to form Belgium in 1830, the Maastricht guard remained loyal to the Dutch king, and in 1839 the city and eastern part of Limburg, although geographically closer to Belgium, were permanently added to the Netherlands.

Because of its subsequent eccentric position, Maastricht often focused more on Belgium and Germany than on the rest of the Netherlands, which contributed to the distinct non-Dutch character of the city.

On September 14, 1944, Maastricht was the first Dutch city to be liberated by Allied forces during the Second World War where the 9th US Army Headquarters was stationed for some time.

On 7 February 1992, the Treaty of Maastricht, which led to the creation of the European Union,was signed here, and which Toto Cutugno sang for in 1990 at Eurovision,winning first place for Italy with “Insieme”.

Rotterdam is fighting back
Rotterdam, considered by many to be the favorite of Eurovision 2020, is worried about Maastricht’s increasingly dynamic bid, and has made its counterattack. As it is written today in the domestic media, the event, if will be held in Rotterdam, will be boosted by 15 million Euros more from the municipality’s funds.

In addition, according to what is reffered in the Rotterdam candidacy bid, 3,000 rooms in hotels in the city have already been reserved so that they can be assigned to the delegations and accredited journalists who will come to Rotterdam for the contest.

The venue proposed by Rotterdam for Eurovision 2020 is Rotterdam Ahoy, with a capacity of 16,500 seats.

The five remaining cities claiming Eurovision 2020 are:

1.Arnhem
2.Maastricht-Limburg
3.Den Bos
4.Utrecht
5.Rotterdam

Dutch public broadcaster and EBU will announce the city that will host Eurovision 2020 in August.

source: BD.nl

News from Russia: 4 new hits!

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Summer is already here and 4 of the most known and beloved Russian stars have already released their new songs! We are talking about Sergey Lazarev, Dima Bilan, Elena Temnikova and Philipp Kirkorov.

Sergey Lazarev – “Lovi” (Catch)  

After his 3rd place at Eurovision, Sergey’s back in Russian charts with a song that is completely different from his previous ones! Giving us some 90s romantic summer vibes, Sergey tell us about a passionate, unconditional love. It’s about a slow tempo song which brings to mind a sense of a “light night breeze”, as song says.

 

Dima Bilan – “Belye Rozi” (White Roses)

This time Dima decided to share his nostalgia with his fans by releasing a new song which is actually a collection of some old songs taken from 80s and 90s. This song really reminds of old soviet romantic movies and the artist himself motivates his fans to go back to old classic songs of this era. Plus, a new music video for “Belye Rozi” is coming soon.

 

Elena Temnikova – “Zhara” (Heat)

Right after Lazarev’s Lovi, Elena Temnikova released her new summer hit “Zhara”. This song follows a slow rhythm, speaks about a crazy love and shows Elena’s unique voice. Let’s see how high in charts it can go!

 

Philipp Kirkorov – “Stesnienie propalo” (Restraint is gone)

This year Kirkorov reminded everyone why he holds the title of the king of Russian pop music as he released 3 top hits, helped Sergey Lazarev in his Eurovision journey and toured all over Russia with his “Ya” show at the same time! This month he released one more hit “Stesnienie propalo”, which questions the meaning of morality nowadays. No matter how interesting this description may seem, the music video is once again the most interesting of all. The views speak themselves!

 

And what do you think? Which one of these songs do you like the most?

Russia: Dima Bilan believes in Sergey Lazarev

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The one and only so far Russia’s winner, Dima Bilan, breaks his silence and speaks openly against those who compare him to Sergey Lazarev and perpetuate an enmity between the two super stars. Read more

Eurovision 2019: Tender for the postcards has opened

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In a recent post of Israel Hayom, it is said that tender process for the postcards of Eurovision 2019 in Tel Aviv has opened, while the deadline is on October 28th.

The winner, according to the newspaper, will have to research for each performing artist, select the appropriate locations and will be responsible about the makeup, outfits and hair.

In addition, the tender requires that senior staff, such as the director, the creative manager and the photographer will have experience with at least ten similar productions, and the producer must have produced at least 3 productions in the last three years, all with a minimum budget of about €1,200,000 (5,000,000 ILS).

If the pilots send to KAN and EBU get approved, shootings will take place between January and March, with the overall budget reaching up to €750,000 (3,000,000 ILS). The newspaper also states that KAN, besides the usual postcards, plans to create a 5-minute clip with all the artists.

What are the postcards?

Postcards are the short-length videos shown before each performance, which give the opportunity for technicians to prepare the stage, plus, to the commentators to provide information about the act that follows.

They usually show landmarks of the hosting countries or/and the representatives themselves visiting these landmarks. The increased interest shown by the fans for the postcards, has led the hosts to try, in any imaginative way, present them.

Also, the official account of the contest on Youtube publish each postcard for those who want to re-watch them, while many fans are ranking them from their least to most favourite postcards.

Source: Israel Hayom, eurovision.tv