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Eurovision 2023: Russia will not be able to vote in the “Rest of the World” category!

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An interesting change coming to Eurovision 2023 is the introduction of the “Rest of the World” category, which means that people from non-participating countries will be able to vote for their favorites in this year’s contest. The votes received from all around the globe will be counted as the votes from a single country, which translates to a total of 58 points. There is slight advantage to the audience votes this year, because there will not be a “Rest of the World” category in Jury votes.

Eurovision 2023: Voting changes announced for the upcoming contest!

In today’s press conference, the executive supervisor of Eurovision, Martin Österdahl, mentioned that the “Rest of the World” category was inspired by Junior Eurovision that uses an Online vote since 2017.

I was taken aback that 182 countries voted in Junior Eurovision 2020 in Warsaw, and says something about Eurovision becoming a global phenomenon.

It was also confirmed that EBU will not publish the list of countries that will be eligible to vote using the “Rest of The World” platform. On the other hand, it was known that some countries will not be eligible to vote. One of these is Russia, because payment providers have suspended operations in the country.

Russia, as a result of the ongoing Russian-Ukrainian war since February 2022, is expelled from the European Broadcasting Union(EBU), losing its rights to participate and broadcast the EBU programs, including Eurovision. The same might apply also to Belarus, that had its broadcaster expelled from the EBU in 2021 and can reapply for membership in 2024.

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Stay tuned at Eurovisionfun for all the latest developments regarding the the 67th Eurovision Song Contest, that is held in Liverpool!

EBU: the qualifiers announcement will remain the same!

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The EBU together with BBC have made an important announcement regarding the proposed new system to announce the semifinal qualifiers:

“After trying a new system of presenting the qualifying countries in Dress Rehearsal 1 of the First Semi-Final of the Eurovision Song Contest 2023 it was decided by the production team to revert back to the previous reveal sequence used in recent years with artists learning whether they will progress to the Grand Final together with their delegations in the Green Room. Whilst this change will not now be implemented this year there are other innovations in the show for viewers to look forward to.”

During the First Dress Rehearsal the EBU and the broadcaster tried to introduce a new system to present the qualifiers.  However, the system was not positively received.

Stay tuned to Eurovisionfun for more news about Eurovision 2023

Eurovision 2023: All the footage we will see through Eurovision.tv!

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The EBU has officially published via eurovision.tv blog a “guide” to all the exclusive coverage fans will have for the contest.

For the next two weeks, everyone who’s interested in the Eurovision Song Contest will be able to see some of the behind-the-scenes, getting to know a little more about the participants on the association’s official channels.

“Be My Guest” with Clara Amfo and Rylan

A brand new series is being launched in Liverpool by the organizers, with two iconic presenters, a Clara Amfo and Rylan. The series will air on YouTube, where the duo will meet all the contestants and ask them submitted questions from social media. The series will start airing from May 4th on the official Eurovision YouTube Channel.

The first rehearsals on TikTok

TikTok has announced that it will be the official entertainment partner for this year’s Eurovision for the second consecutive year. As last year, this year the organizers and the EBU have decided that the first rehearsals will not be available to accredited journalists. Instead and exclusively, we will get the first taste of these rehearsals from the related videos that will be available on TikTok. In addition to their performances, we will also have a small look backstage before they take the stage for the first time. The first rehearsals start this Sunday, April 30th.

The second rehearsals on YouTube

As we know every year, after the second rehearsals, we watch a thirty-second preview where we see each country’s stage presence, just as we would see it on TV on the nights of semi-final and grand final. The second rehearsals start on Wednesday May 3rd and the videos will be posted every evening after each rehearsal.

“Tea” with Timur

Apart, from the first rehearsals, on TikTok, we will watch some “tea” with the Ukrainian presenter Timur Miroshnychenko. Timur will meet each artist individually right after their second rehearsals. The presenter will challenge the contestants to spill some of their gossip from their experience in Liverpool. In addition, the members of the Big Five who have not been drawn – more specifically France, Germany, Italy and Spain – will have the opportunity to day which half of the Running Order they will appear in the Grand Final on 13th of May. This series will be released on the official Eurovision TikTok profile from Wednesday May 3rd to Saturday May 6th.

The official Podcast of the Contest

For a more behind-the-scenes look at what goes on inside the M&S Liverpool Arena will be given by the Podcast host Steve Holden. Steve will be giving us access to all the venues, talking to contestants, capturing exclusive behind-the-scenes footage as well as the contestants reaction to the upcoming results.

The Live Blog of Eurovision.tv

From the first day of the rehearsals until the moment of the big winner of this year’s contest, the Live Blog will be active covering everything that happens in the stadium area as well as the first assessments of the rehearsals.

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Eurovision 2023: Ten countries oppose the EBU’s decision for a closed press centre!

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Several broadcasters protested against the EBU‘s decision to hold the first and second rehearsals and press conferences of the first week of the competition behind closed doors. It is to be noted that last year, for the first time, the EBU decided to close the media centre for the first technical rehearsals. However, this year in a statement informed journalists that the second rehearsals will also be held without the presence of accredited journalists, with the press centre of the competition opening one day before the first semi-final for the dress rehearsals.

This provoked a strong reaction from both fans of the contest and some of the national delegations of this year’s Eurovision.

According to exclusive information reported by Aftonbladet, a heated debate had been preceded by 30 delegations which resulted in eight competing countries sending a letter of protest to the EBU asking for this decision to be changed.

More specifically, in discussions that had taken place in mid-March between the chiefs of the 37 competing countries, but also the press officers, the problem of non-journalistic coverage of the first and second rehearsals of the entries arose. For this reason, countries such as Portugal, Malta, the Czech Republic, Switzerland, San Marino, Azerbaijan, Latvia, and Poland signed a letter of protest to the EBU’s Eurovision press officer, Dave Goodman. Belgium, and Estonia were also due to sign the letter, but when they announced their support, the letter had already been sent.

Unfair to those competing in the A’ semi-final.

The letter highlights the unfairness for those competing in the first semi-final, as the press centre does not open until the day before the semi-final. For this reason, concerns are expressed as without the press centre being open and without interviews with journalists in attendance, it would lead to most accredited journalists not being there until the opening ceremony on Sunday 7 May. Thus, the countries competing in the first semi-final have very limited time for interviews and meetings with journalists compared to those competing in the second semi-final.

Specifically, the letter states:

“We believe that this decision is not fair to the countries involved in the first semi-final.”
In previous years, we have all experienced that the vast majority of interviews have taken place in the first week, when there is more free time between rehearsals.
On 8 May, as you can imagine, the artists competing in the first semi-final will have no time to spend with the media. The schedule is very tight and they have to concentrate on their performances.”

The response from the EBU was not long in coming:

“The cost is excessive. The cost of maintaining a press centre is high and the vast majority of traditional media outlets do not
tend to reach Eurovision city only during the week of the broadcast.
The EBU took the decision to close all rehearsals to the media to protect the artists from negative comments online and allow them to complete their performances in privacy.”

In his response Dave Goodman , also highlighted the fact that the EBU allowed voluntary “meet & greet” events at off-site venues where fans and journalists could meet the artists who chose to participate in the press centre

Source: Aftonbladet

Stay tuned to EurovisionFun for more news about Eurovision 2023!

Junior Eurovision 2023: The contest will be held on November 26 in Nice!

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The EBU (European Broadcasting Union) and France Télévisions are excited to announce that Nice will be the official Host City for this year’s Junior Eurovision Song Contest on Sunday 26 November.

Following Lissandro’s victory at Junior Eurovision in Yerevan with the song Oh Maman! – France’s second win in three years – France Télévisions will organize the Contest at the Palais Nikaïa in Nice.

The slogan and branding for the event will be revealed later this year.

Martin Österdahl, Executive Supervisor, for JESC, said:

‘We are delighted to return to France for the 21st Junior Eurovision Song Contest just 2 years after a spectacular hosting in Paris. The team at France Télévisions have the experience, vision, and passion to create something truly magical in Nice this November and we look forward to working with them in the coming months on another exciting show.’

Delphine Ernotte-Cunci, President of France Télévisions and President of the EBU added:

‘France Télévisions is proud to welcome young artists from all over Europe and beyond to celebrate the unifying power of music. I am very happy that this second edition of Junior Eurovision organized by France will be held in Nice, a city of history and culture emblematic of our country. Once again, this year, the Junior Eurovision Song Contest will delight young and old alike, who will follow this festive and popular event at the Palais Nikaïa and on the EBU’s public media channels.’

Alexandra Redde-Amiel, Head of Variety and Entertainment at France Télévisions, said:

‘In 2023, the adventure starts again. What an honour to have the chance to organize and produce the one of the greatest European musical shows once again in France alongside the EBU, all the delegations and all the young artists! The Junior Eurovision Song Contest shows how much cultural and musical power our new generations have in the world.

Finally, we are extremely lucky to be welcomed by the City of Nice, the famous and iconic “French Riviera”, with its international aura. We’re incredibly grateful to Mayor Christian Estrosi and his team.’

Christian Estrosi, Mayor of Nice, President of the Nice Côte d’Azur Metropolis, President of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur Region added:

‘It is an honour for the City of Nice to host a renowned European competition such as Junior Eurovision, which brings together some 20 participating countries and more than 33 million television viewers. Nice is a unique landscape, listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, which will be an exceptional setting to showcase the Junior Eurovision candidates. But it’s much more than that.

Trusting the City of Nice to host and organize this unique evening in our Palais Nikaïa is proof that we are a European city that organizes world events, especially cultural ones.’

Stay tuned at Eurovisionfun for all the updates regarding Junior Eurovision 2023!

Source: eurovisiontv

Eurovision 2023: TikTok to partner with the Eurovision Song Contest in Liverpool!

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TikTok has been selected as the Official Entertainment Partner for the Eurovision Song Contest for the second year running, joining the Contest in Liverpool to give fans a front-row seat.

Following on from TikTok’s immensely popular coverage of the 2022 Eurovision Song Contest in Turin, the social media platform will once again be offering unique insight into the 67th Contest in Liverpool.

As the Official Entertainment Partner, TikTok will become a go-to destination for all things Eurovision. From specially created livestreams and exclusive performances in the app, to music playlists and behind-the-scenes content, TikTok will bring its community of users into the heart of the Eurovision Song Contest.

Liverpool One, LiverpoolBBC / James Stack

As well as discovering unique content from Liverpool, the TikTok community will also be able to watch livestreams of both Semi-Finals on Tuesday 9 May and Thursday 13 May, as well as the Grand Final on Saturday 13 May, via the @Eurovision channel.

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

“Millions of new Eurovision Song Contest fans discovered the event through TikTok last year and we know millions more will be excited by this year’s extra special event in Liverpool. Both the Eurovision Song Contest and TikTok provide an international platform for discovering fresh new music and artists and we look forward to working together in creating more huge hits in 2023.”

TikTok comes to Liverpool

TikTok is partnering with Visit Liverpool so that fans can use TikTok as their official guide to the city. Creators can use ‘TikTok places’ in-app to discover some of the best local spots recommended by the TikTok community – from the iconic Cavern Club, to the must-visit vintage shops and the ultimate foodie destinations.

Liverpool is home to one of the most thriving busking communities in the UK, who have turned to TikTok as their global stage. In the weeks the contest takes over the city, TikTok will be supporting busking sites around Liverpool showing where stars get started – with local artists performing together for fans visiting from all over the world.

St George’s Hall, LiverpoolBBC / James Stark

For those visiting Liverpool during the contest, TikTok will be hosting an exclusive legends performance in the Eurovision Village – the official fanzone, on Friday 12 May at 19:30 CET. The Eurovision Legends will be revealed in the coming weeks.

Susan Finnegan, Destination Liverpool Commercial Director, says:

“We’re delighted to be partnering with TikTok, showcasing our iconic city on a global stage and telling the authentic story of Liverpool through the eyes of visitors – the content creators. Partnering with such an influential brand has the power to make Liverpool once again stand out from the crowd nationally and internationally.”

Watch this Space, Man

The Eurovision Song Contest had a great impact on TikTok throughout 2022. As well as the Contest’s own content, the participating artists thrived on the platform, like TikTok superstar Sam Ryder who represented the United Kingdom and came second to Ukraine with SPACE MAN. In 2023, Sam Ryder will be TikTok’s official Eurovision ambassador throughout the Eurovision Song Contest.

https://youtu.be/RZ0hqX_92zI

Last year’s Contest resulted in three billion views for the official hashtag #Eurovision2022 and over 5.8 million viewers tuned in across the three livestreams, broadcast from the official Eurovision Song Contest TikTok account.

Rich Waterworth, General Manager Operations Europe, TikTok, says: 

“Entertainment is at the heart of TikTok, and we’re excited to partner with the Eurovision Song Contest once again to bring the magic of the world’s largest live music event to our community. We’ve seen Eurovision legends start their journeys on TikTok and Eurovision songs thrive on the platform well beyond the contest itself. We can’t wait to see what Eurovision 2023 has in store.”

Stay tuned on Eurovisionfun for all the news regarding the Eurovision Song Contest 2023, in Liverpool!

Source: eurovision.tv

Eurovision 2023: Semi-Final running orders will be revealed tomorrow!

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Τhrough the official Eurovision account on Twitter, it became known that tomorrow the running order of the countries in the two semi-finals of May 9 and 11 will be announced.

The draw for the semi-finals took place on 31 January at St George’s Hall in Liverpool, where the official handover of the tournament emblem from Turin to Liverpool took place. After a draw, the distribution of the 31 countries competing this year in two semi-finals as well as in which half of the show each country will appear. 15 countries compete in the first semi-final, while 16 countries compete in the second.

The results obtained were the following:

First Semi-Final

semi 1

Second Semi-Final

semi 2

The exact running order  will not be random but will be determined in a way that serves the flow of the show and keeps the viewer interested!

The running order will be announced with the first broadcast on the Eurovision channel on YouTube, tomorrow at 19:00 CET  in the form of a recap of the two semi-finals that will also include the exact running order.

What are your prediction about the running order of the two Semi-Finals?

Stay tuned to Eurovisionfun for all the news about Eurovision 2023!

 

Kosovo: RTK is starting their selection process for Eurovision with “Festivalit të Këngës”!

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The management of the Kosovar Public Broadcaster RTK, signed today to the creation of a new project called “Festivalit të Këngës”. This project is intended to be used in the future as the country’s selection method for the Eurovision Song Contest.

The Festivalit të Këngës will be held in Kosovo and the purpose of the broadcaster is to offer to the TV audience a cultural and artistic event. The previous years, the citizens of Kosovo could watch in TV the Albanian selection for Eurovision Song Contest, Festivali i Këngës. Therefore, the tender process of the selection was widely known. 

RTK specifically stated in the press confrence that they aim for Festivalit të Këngës to be used as the selection method for Kosovo’s participaion in Eurovision, whenever the country makes its debut.

In 2022, RTK’s Director-General Ahmet Xhekaj stated that he aimed to apply for an EBU membership by the end of the year. However, this has not happened so far. Mr. Xhekaj believes that Kosovo may now have a greater chance of joining in EBU following the removal and suspension of Russia and Belarus by the organization.

Do you think that Kosovo will be able to make their debut in the Song Contest in the near future? Let us know in the comments down bellow!

Stay tuned on Eurovision Fun for all the news regarding Kosovo’s participation in Eurovision!

Source: RTK

Eurovision 2023: Hosts revealed for Liverpool!

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Graham Norton, Julia Sanina, Hannah Waddingham and Alesha Dixon will host the Eurovision Song Contest 2023.

Presenting the Grand Final will be Eurovision legend Graham Norton, award-winning Ukrainian singer, Julia Sanina (of The HARDKISS), internationally acclaimed musical theatre performer, three-time Olivier Award nominee and Emmy Award-winning actress, Hannah Waddingham, and singer-songwriter, pop star and TV presenter, Alesha Dixon.

Presenting the two live Semi-Finals from Liverpool will be the trio of musical superstars Julia, Hannah, and Alesha.

The Ηosts

  • Julia Sanina

Julia Sanina is the lead singer of The Hardkiss. In 2016, The Hardkiss finished second in the first edition of Vidbir, the Ukrainian national selection for Eurovision. Julia also appeared as a judge on Vidbir 2023.

 

Δείτε αυτή τη δημοσίευση στο Instagram.

 

Η δημοσίευση κοινοποιήθηκε από το χρήστη Julia Sanina (@the_hardkiss)

  • Hannah Waddingham

Hannah Waddingham is a stage and screen actress. She is best known for playing Rebecca Welton in the comedy series Ted Lasso, for which she won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series in 2021 and the Critics’ Choice Television Award for Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series in 2021 and 2022. She has also starred in several West End shows such as Spamalot, Into the Woods and The Wizard of Oz.

  • Alesha Dixon

 

Δείτε αυτή τη δημοσίευση στο Instagram.

 

Η δημοσίευση κοινοποιήθηκε από το χρήστη ALESHA DIXON (@aleshaofficial)

Alesha Dixon first found fame as a member of the girl group Mis-Teeq. After the group split up, Alesha began a successful solo career. She has also appeared as a judge on Strictly Come Dancing, which she previously won, and Britain’s Got Talent.

  • Graham Norton

 

Δείτε αυτή τη δημοσίευση στο Instagram.

 

Η δημοσίευση κοινοποιήθηκε από το χρήστη graham norton (@grahnort)

Graham Norton is best known for his chat show The Graham Norton Show, which has won five BAFTA TV Awards since first airing in 2007. Since 2009, he has been the main commentator for the BBC coverage of the Eurovision Song Contest. He also hosted both editions of the Eurovision Dance Contest in 2007 and 2008.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ijk0m0QZcWE&embeds_euri=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.iframe.ly%2F&source_ve_path=MjM4NTE&feature=emb_title

Stay tuned to Eurovisionfun for all the news about Eurovision 2023 in Liverpool!

Israel: Is Noa Kirel’s participation in Eurovision 2023 in danger? | The message of EBU’s General Director to the country’s prim minister!

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In a previous article we informed you about Israel’s possible abscence in Eurovision 2023, as the country’s government thinks about shutting down the public broadcaster and specifically its news department.

If this ends up happening, then the channel will not no longer meet its commitment to a full range of programming as public service media, putting in doubt its eligibility for EBU membership and ability to take part in major events such as the Eurovision Song Contest.

The EBU’s Director General, Noel Curran, has expressed his concern about threats to the integrity and independence of Israeli national public broadcaster, KAN, in a letter to the country’s Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu:

“Independent news and information form an integral component of public service media organizations and make a key contribution to media pluralism in well-functioning democracies…. With the primary interest of the public in mind, that directly funds KAN, we trust the new government will also safeguard the independence of KAN and enable it to continue to fulfil its mission in democratic society.”

General Director Curran, finished his letter by saying:

“The EBU’s responsibility is to ensure that it supports all our Members in their mission to serve the interests of the general public in the best possible manner. These developments risk undermining KAN’s capability to meet its commitments as a member of our international alliance of public service media organizations.”

Causing particular concern were recent remarks by the country’s Communications Minister, Shlomo Karhi, that challenged the freedom of the press and threatened to shut down KAN’s news operation. In a radio interview, he stated that:

“The public shouldn’t fund one particular channel, there should not be public broadcasting.”

Since its creation in 2017, KAN’s television, radio and online offer has included a diverse range of news and information, entertainment, cultural and educational content. Its membership of the EBU also enables the broadcaster to benefit from world-class sports rights, including the 2022 World Cup, and live entertainment, notably the Eurovision Song Contest that was organized by KAN in 2019, following Israel’s win the previous year.

Back in 2017, the then Israeli government had issued statements showing intent to dismantle KAN’s news operation. These were finally abandoned when the EBU insisted on this being a condition of the Israeli broadcaster’s hosting of the 2019 Song Contest.

In the end, we would like to remind you that Israel had already confirmed its taking part in Eurovision 2023 back in March 2022 and has selcted Noa Kirel internally as their representative. Will the young singer be able to perform on Liverpool’s stage?

Stay tuned on Eurovisionfun for all the news regarding the Israeli participation at the Eurovision Song Contest 2023, in Liverpool!

Source: ebu.ch