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Eurovision 2024: Six countries wanted to withdraw 25 minutes before the Grand Final!

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Two weeks after the Grand Final of Eurovision 2024, it became known from the Norwegian newspaper VG that six countries participating in the Saturday’s show wanted to withdraw up to twenty-five minutes before the start of the final.

The 11th of May was crucial for the contest, as reported by the newspaper, the EBU and SVT found themselves in a major critical meeting as six countries wanted to withdraw until they decided to participate.

The six countries that wanted to withdraw were the winning Switzerland, Ireland, Portugal, Norway, Greece and the United Kingdom.

Specifically, Magnus Børmark, a member of the Norwegian band Gåte, stated that:

We were considering withdrawing until the last moment. Many of us reacted to the fact that Israel had the opportunity to use Eurovision as its own political tool.

The reason the six countries wanted to withdraw was the participation of Israel and the exclusion of Joost Klein. VG writes that Israel’s participation, the extensive security measures, and the behavior of the Israeli delegation during the week were reasons for the protests,” adds Børmark:

Our common point was that we did not want to participate in Eurovision to be used and stigmatized in a war propaganda machine in Israel. We participated to create a space where we can unite in music – in a political situation where everyone chooses sides and hates each other.

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

Source: VG

Marina Satti for Israel: “I did not intend to offend anyone”!

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Just a few hours before the Grand Final of Eurovision 2024, Marina Satti made a statement on the video that has stormed up the Internet, displaying her yawning during Eden Golan’s press conference.

Via an Instagram story she uploaded on her personal account, Marina Satti emphasized that she did not intend to insult anyone, considering the fact the Greek delegation as a whole has been spreading only positivity in any event it attends.

Hello. Regarding this whole issue that has arisen today, at first I didn’t know that it has gotten that big, because we were in the arena all day and I had my cell phone turned off. What I want to make clear is that I did not intend to offend anyone. I think that all these days that we have been here, and I, but also the entire Greek delegation, has only brought positive energy to the community and joy, wherever we went. 

Then she added:

We are here for the music and we have reached our ultimate goal. Tomorrow we are in the final. We will do our best, we will do our best. Thank you very much for all the journey, support and love until today.

Assume that Marina Satti’s statement is completely consistent with everything you read first on Eurovisionfun, including the response from ERT and the Greek Delegation.

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Eurovision 2024: Which rehearsal has the most views on TikTok?

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Two days ago, the first rehearsals for all 37 entries officially concluded, and today the second rehearsals are expected to be completed, with the Big 5 and the host country Sweden taking the stage at the Malmö Arena for the second time! This means that we are getting closer to the Eurovision week, with the Dress and Jury Rehearsals for the first semi-final starting on Monday.

However, as we know on TikTok, all the first rehearsals are uploaded. Apart from their performances, we’ll also get a sneak peek backstage before they take the stage for the first time in a video of about one minute.

One of the many features of TikTok is the ability to add songs to each user’s video creation. However, the TikTok algorithm is usually able to detect the song used in the video, assign it to the correct track, and then include it in the total number of videos where that sound has been used. Based on this capability, the most popular songs before rehearsals were from the Netherlands and Italy. Will they receive the same promotion as before?

The ranking with all the entries (in brackets will be the day of the rehearsal) based on the increasing number of views after one week from the start of the first rehearsals on TikTok is as follows:

  1. Netherlands: Joost (fourth day) – Europapa – 3.2 milion views
  2. Greece: Marina Satti (third day) – ZARI – 2.7 million views
  3. Poland: LUNA (first day)– The Tower –1.5 million views
  4. Switzerland: Nemo (third day) – The Code – 1.2 million views
  5. Serbia: Teya Dora (first day) – Ramonda – 980.1 thousand views
  6. Ukraine: alyona alyona & Jerry Heil (first day) – Teressa & Maria – 971.2 thousand views
  7. Croatia: Baby Lasagna (first day) – Rim Tim Tagi Dim – 812.3 thousand views
  8. Georgia: Nutsa (fourth day) – FireFighter – 637.4 thousand views
  9. Israel: Eden Golan (fourth day) – Hurricane – 607.1 thousand views
  10. Belgium: Mustii (fourth day) – Before The Party Is Over – 585.7 thousand views
  11. United Kingdom: Olly Alexander (sixth day) – Dizzy – 567.4 thousand views
  12. Armenia: LADANIVA (third day)  – Jako – 528.6 thousand views
  13. Sweden: Marcus & Martinus (sixth day) – Unforgettable – 515.6 thousand views
  14. Spain: Nebulossa (sixth day)– Zorra – 448.5 thousand views
  15. Albania: Besa (third day) – TiTan – 413.5 thousand views
  16. France: Slimane (sixth day) – Mon Amour – 412.5 thousand views
  17. Ireland: Bambie Thug (first day) – Doomsday Blue – 388.2 thousand views
  18. Latvia: Dons (fourth day) – Hollow – 383.2 thousand viewsc
  19. Austria: Kaleen (third day)  – We Will Rave – 366.2 thousand views
  20. Azerbaijan: FAHREE feat. Ilkin Dovlatov (second day) – Özünlə Apar – 363.5 thousand views
  21. Cyrpus: Silia Kapsis (first day) – Liar – 324.8 thousand views
  22. Lithuania: Silvester Belt (first day) – Luktelk – 306.2 thousand views
  23. Luxembourg: TALI (second day) – Fighter – 304.3 thousand views
  24. Estonia: 5MIINUST x Puuluup (fourth day) – (Nendest) narkootikumidest ei tea me (küll) midagi – 292.0 thousand views
  25. Malta: Sarah Bonnici (third day) – Loop –  291.7 thousand views
  26. Czechia: Aiko (third day) – Pedestal – 284.9 thousand views
  27. Denmark: SABA (third day) – SAND – 262.0 thousand views
  28. Norway: Gåte (fourth day) – Ulveham – 255.4 thousand views
  29. San Marino: Megara (fourth day) – 11:11 – 238.2 thousand views
  30. Australia: Electric Fields (sexond day) – One Milkali (One Blood) – 229.9 thousand views
  31. Moldova: Natalia Barbu (second day) – In The Middle – 211.0 thousand views
  32. Germany: Isaak (sixth day) – Always On The Run – 210.2 thousand views
  33. Portugal: iolanda (second day) – Grito – 192.3 thousand views
  34. Italy: Angelina Mango (sixth day)– La Noia – 186.0 thousand views
  35. Iceland: Hera Bjork (second day) – Scared of Heights –  180.3 thousand views
  36. Finland: Windows95man (second day) – No Rules – 172.2 thousand views
  37. Slovenia: Raiven (second day) – Veronika – 162.4 thousand views

The views were counted at 17:45 CET.

Based on the views from the first semi-final, the following countries will qualify (in ascending order): Poland, Serbia, Ukraine, Croatia, Ireland, Azerbaijan, Cyprus (seventh), Lithuania, Luxembourg, and Australia.

Similarly, from the second semi-final, the following countries will qualify: Netherlands, Greece, Switzerland, Georgia, Israel, Belgium, Armenia, Albania, Latvia, and Austria.

TikTok has played a significant role in the success of Eurovision songs in recent years. For example, Duncan Laurence’s winning entry “Arcade” became a global hit a year after winning the competition when it was used in over a million videos on TikTok. One of the earliest TikTok successes from Eurovision was Getter Jaani’s “Rockefeller Street”, which went viral on the platform in 2018 and has since been used in over two million videos. Let’s not forget that Armenia’s entry in 2022 by Rosa Linn with “Snap” gained over a billion views on the platform. Finally, Norway’s entry last year gained significant worldwide publicity months before the competition week, where it secured fifth place.

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Greece: Watch footage from Marina Satti’s Second Rehearsal!

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Today, Marina Satti, the Greek representative in Eurovision 2024, stepped on the stage of Malmö Arena for her second technical rehearsal.

Eurovision 2024: Greece’s Second Rehearsal!

Following the conclusion of Marina Satti’s rehearsal, ERT, the Greek participating broadcaster, shared a video on its social media, displaying Luna’s rehearsal as it will be seen on TV.

 

Δείτε αυτή τη δημοσίευση στο Instagram.

 

Η δημοσίευση κοινοποιήθηκε από το χρήστη Eurovision ERT (@eurovisionert)

As the technical rehearsals are over for the Greek delegation, Marina Satti will take the Malmö Arena stage again on Wednesday for her dress rehearsals upon the Second Semi-Final on May 9.

Source: ERT

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Eurovision 2024: Which rehearsal had the most views on the third day?

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Yesterday, rehearsals continued energetically, with the Malmö Arena hosting the first eight countries of the second semifinal! Be sure to also read our article from yesterday regarding the views of the eight countries that completed their rehearsals on Sunday.

However, as we know on TikTok, all the first rehearsals are uploaded. Apart from their performances, we’ll also get a sneak peek backstage before they take the stage for the first time in a video of about one minute.

One of the many features of TikTok is the ability to add songs to each user’s video creation. However, the TikTok algorithm is usually able to detect the song used in the video, assign it to the correct track, and then include it in the total number of videos where that sound has been used. Based on this capability, the most popular songs before rehearsals were from the Netherlands and Italy. Will they receive the same promotion as before?

In less than 24 hours (April 30, 2024, time  CET), since the first clip from the rehearsals was uploaded, we have a indicative sample of which rehearsal was favored by the audience (here it should be noted that the videos were uploaded one after the other with a one and a half hour interval and there was a significant delay in their publication).

The rehearsals that had the most views are:

  1. Greece: Marina Satti – ZARI – 1.6 million views
  2. Switzerland: Nemo – The Code – 391 thousand views
  3. Albania: Besa – TiTan – 221.7 thousand views
  4. Austria: Kaleen – We Will Rave – 199.4 thousand views
  5. Armenia: LADANIVA – Jako – 183 thousand views
  6. Malta: Sarah Bonnici – Loop –  175.3 thousand views
  7. Czechia: Aiko – Pedestal – 165.2 thousand views
  8. Denmark: SABA – SAND – 156.7 thousand views

With this small sample, we can infer that:

  • It’s worth noting that with the first rehearsal of the Greek entry has been published 18 hours prior, within this timeframe, ZARI achieved a record number of views compared to any other entry in previous years – where TikTok is used as a platform for posting snapshots of the first rehearsals. The Greek entry seems to have resonance across Europe as it has gathered 170 thousand likes.
  • Second in the ranking is the favorite for victory, Switzerland, which trails the Greek entry by 4 times in views.
  • Many rearrangements can occur between the fourth and eighth positions since there are countries whose rehearsals were published at the end of the day, resulting in them not receiving enough publicity.

The top six countries with the most views from the two days are as follows:

  1. Greece: Marina Satti – ZARI – 1.6 million views
  2. Poland: LUNA – The Tower – 1.2 milion views
  3. Serbia: Teya Dora – Ramonda – 842.2 thousand views
  4. Ukraine: alyona alyona & Jerry Heil – Teressa & Maria – 817.7 thousand views
  5. Croatia: Baby Lasagna – Rim Tim Tagi Dim – 682.7 thousand views

TikTok has played a significant role in the success of Eurovision songs in recent years. For example, Duncan Laurence’s winning entry “Arcade” became a global hit a year after winning the competition when it was used in over a million videos on TikTok. One of the earliest TikTok successes from Eurovision was Getter Jaani’s “Rockefeller Street”, which went viral on the platform in 2018 and has since been used in over two million videos. Let’s not forget that Armenia’s entry in 2022 by Rosa Linn with “Snap” gained over a billion views on the platform. Finally, Norway’s entry last year gained significant worldwide publicity months before the competition week, where it secured fifth place.

For detailed information about the rehearsals, you can check out our related articles:

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Stay tuned at EurovisionFun for all the latest developments regarding Eurovision 2024!

Cyprus Broadcasting Corporation (RIK): “It is a violation of the regulations what the media reports” | “It is known to the EBU!”

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In a recent segment on RIK1, the Cyprus Broadcasting Corporation (RIK) addressed the allegations raised by the media and clarified its stance on the matter. Andreas Anastasiou, the head of press for the Cypriot delegation, asserted that the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) is now aware of the situation and emphasized that any such claims constitute a violation of the competition’s regulations.

Anastasiou elaborated on the voting process of the jury committee and addressed concerns regarding statements attributed to the President of the Hellenic Broadcasting Corporation (ERT). He stressed that if the reports are accurate, they represent a breach of the rules governing the Eurovision Song Contest.

Highlighting the longstanding relationship between ERT and CyBC, Anastasiou underscored that these allegations may necessitate changes in their dynamic. He reiterated that the EBU has been informed of the situation.

The relations between ERT and CyBC are long-standing and not personalised. If the reports are true, you can understand that some things will change. They are known to the EBU.

Concluding his remarks, Anastasiou extended well wishes to Marina Satti and Greece, making it clear that he was speaking on behalf of CyBC (RIK).

With the matter now brought to the attention of the EBU and considering Anastasiou’s statements, it appears that RIK awaits further developments from the organizing authority. This incident underscores the need for resolution between ERT and RIK, a matter that the EBU will likely need to address once again.

Stay tuned to Eurovisionfun for all the latest updates on this developing situation!

Cyprus: Official Response from RIK Regarding Nea’s Article Tomorrow Monday!

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Tomorrow, Monday, through the morning show of RIK1, the head of the Cypriot delegation to the contest, Ms. Evi Papamichael, is expected to give official answers to everything mentioned in the article of Nea, which has monopolized Eurovision interest for the past 24 hours.

The official position of RIK through the delegation leader of the country in the competition will be known tomorrow, Monday. Ms. Evi Papamichael is expected to provide answers regarding the stance that RIK will take on all the allegations made through the article of the newspaper “Ta Nea Savvatokyriako“, which has already been transmitted both through television broadcasts and online.

According to what was said on the show “I Love Soukou”, we will learn tomorrow the reaction of RIK, as well as the actions it will take or may have already taken and have not been disclosed. On the other hand, ERT continues not to respond to yesterday’s allegations, despite the continuous pressures from all media outlets.

We remind you that, based on what the newspaper reports, on February 21, the Ambassador of Cyprus to Athens, Mr. Augustides, and the President of ERT, Mr. Zoulas, met at the Radio House of Agia Paraskevi. Among the things discussed, the Ambassador informs the Cypriot government through an official document that the President of ERT notified him that Greece will not give a high score to Cyprus in the upcoming Eurovision Song Contest. Nea reports:

It clearly predicted the result of the Greek jury, which had not even been formed in February, for a vote that would take place three months later.

The issue is not exactly insignificant. This is because, according to the regulations of the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) governing the regulations, ERT does not vote, as Zoulas informed the Ambassador of Cyprus, but is required to establish an independent jury, which is explicitly prohibited from consisting of employees of state television, in order to evaluate the entries on artistic and only criteria, without being influenced by external factors.

With great interest, before we take a position on the issue, we will await the official explanations from ERT, as well as the stance that RIK and EBU will take in the face of this apparent violation of the regulations.

Eurovisionfun will monitor the issue and keep you informed, as always, of any developments, in this very serious issue that has arisen and will obviously monopolize interest in Greece and Cyprus in the coming days.

Stay tuned to Eurovisionfun for all the updates!

Greece: ERT’s shock confession for predetermined jury vote

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A bombshell news that will disturb the already disturbed relations between RIK and ERT, was published a short while ago by the newspaper Ta Nea.

The Ambassador of Cyprus lights fires

The news, which is also on the cover of the newspaper, concerns an official document – an information letter from Stavros Avgoustidis, Ambassador of the Republic of Cyprus in Athens, to official bodies of Cyprus, in which he informs the authorities in Nicosia, about what was communicated to him in a recent working meeting at the ERT’s Headquarters, by the President of the Hellenic Broadcasting Corporation (ERT), Konstantinos Zoulas, concerning the upcoming Eurovision Song Contest and the jury votes that the Greek jury committee will give to Cyprus.

According to what is revealed in the newspaper, the President of ERT announced on February 22nd to the Cypriot Ambassador in Athens that Greece will give a low score to the Cypriot participation in Eurovision 2024. In more detail, the article states the following:

Official confession for… Eurovision!

Just when you think you have seen it all, the official document signed by the Ambassador of the Republic of Cyprus in Greece, Stavros Avgoustidis, for his meeting with the President of ERT, Konstantinos Zoulas, comes to leave you… in shock.

This is, in particular, the ambassador’s official briefing to the Presidential Palace of Cyprus, the Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Interior, the government spokesman and other official bodies, for his visit on February 21 to ERT’s premises. During their meeting, according to the ambassador, Zoulas referred to the burning issue of… Eurovision, stressing that “as far as Cyprus’ participation in this year’s Eurovision contest is concerned, ERT will not give high marks to the Cypriot entry”.

In other words, he clearly announced the result of the Greek jury, which in February had not even been set up, for a vote that would take place three months later.

The issue is not exactly trivial. This is because, according to the regulations of the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) governing the regulation, ERT does not vote, as Zoulas told the Cypriot ambassador, but must set up an independent jury, which is expressly forbidden to be composed of employees of state television, in order to evaluate the entries on artistic criteria alone, without being influenced by external factors.

So one wonders how exactly Zoulas knew the result of such an evaluation by then. Unless he has a talent for futurology, say, or a magic crystal ball…

Awaiting developments in Athens, Nicosia and EBU

Obviously, what the Cypriot ambassador in Athens reports to the government services in Nicosia is very serious and raises relentless questions regarding the credibility of the Greek jury, whose members have already been notified to the EBU, since the deadline was Friday 12 April.

Of course all of the above comes a few months after the uproar and reactions caused by the 4 points given by last year’s Greek jury that deprived Andrew Lambrou and Cyprus of the top 10.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8q5QozrtEPA

Eurovisionfun will be following the issue and will keep you informed as always for any news on this very serious issue that has arisen and which will obviously monopolize the interest in Greece and Cyprus in the coming days.

Stay tuned to Eurovisionfun for all developments!

Greece: Rehearsals cut short for Marina Satti!

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According to latest news and information confirmed by Eurovisionfun, Marina Satti and her team decided to stop the rehearsals for Eurovision for a little while, as her father passed away. Marina is going through a lot, trying to recover from her loss.

Both ERT, the national broadcaster of Greece, and people from her team and label stand by her side in this difficult hour and understand the emotional situation that she is into.

Marina’s attendance at some tv shows and events is postponed for a few days.

Greece remains 8th at the betting tables and one of the favourite songs among fans. The “tailwind” after the release of Marina Satti ‘s “ZARI” brought the country within the Top 10, with Greece now stabilizing within it and not threatened to be lower in the near future. Marina will not attend any of the Eurovision pre-parties as was announced before the loss of her father.

The whole Eurovisionfun team sends Marina our heartfelt condolences. May she be resilient and healthy to remember him for many years!

Greece: Marina Satti’s “ZARI” Goes Gold!

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Marina Satti’s “ZARI” has gone gold! The Greek entry for Eurovision 2024, which has gone viral both domestically and internationally, continues its impressive journey on digital platforms.

Very soon, most likely next week, “ZARI” will become platinum. It has already surpassed 3 million streams on Spotify and 4 million views overall on YouTube.

Marina Satti continues her preparation for Eurovision 2024, with betting odds and predictions placing the Greek entry very high.

The music of the song is signed by Marina Satti, OGE, Kay Be, Nick Kodonas, Jay Stolar, Gino The Ghost, and Jordan Palmer, while the lyrics are penned by VLOSPA, OGE, Marina Satti, and Solmeister. The song is released by Golden Records and Minos EMI, a Universal Music Company.

Stay tuned to Eurovisionfun for all the updates!