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Germany: Changes underway for Eurovision 2025?

According to the German website DWDL the production company that was involved for three years in the preparation of the selection process for Germany’s participation in the Eurovision Song Contest has withdrawn.

The DWDL website reports that Bildergarten is no longer the responsible production company behind Germany’s Eurovision entry selection process. Bildergarten had collaborated with the NDR channel in the production of the last three domestic televised contests for the selection of the German representative.

NDR commented that:

“We will announce shortly how the German act for the ESC 2025 will be selected.”

There has been speculation since last year that German broadcaster ARD is considering changes to the national approach to Eurovision. Another speculation was that the NDR channel would lose the rights to the competition which would be transfered to the MDR channel, however NDR retained them.

Additionally, last April, Stefan Raab proposed a new selection method that would revive Germany’s Eurovision hopes. Raab had proposed the contribution of all four major German broadcasters (ARD, ZDF, RTL Deutschland, ProSiebenSat.1) in organizing the national selection.

Source: DWDL

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Malta: The submissions process for the Malta Eurovision Song Contest 2025 begins!

Malta is officially the 33rd State to confirm its participation in the 69th Eurovision Song Contest of May 2025 in Basel, Switzerland!

PBS, the national broadcaster of Malta, confirmed their participation in Eurovision 2025 by publishing the rules of the Malta Eurovision Song Contest (MESC) for 2025, the television show through which the nation selects its representative in the Eurovision Song Contest.

The songs submission process begins on 18th of November and is concluded on 29th of the same month. 24 entries will compete to fly the flag of Malta, through two semifinals that are scheduled to take place on 4th and 6th of February 2025, while the grand final is about to take place on 8th of February with 16 finalists.

The schedule of MESC 2025 is as per below:

  • 18 November 2024, Open Submissions time-window of MESC 2025
  • 29 November 2024, Submissions Deadline of MESC 2025
  • 12 December 2024, Announcement of Semifinalists
  • 23 December 2024, Deadline for remastering
  • January 2025, Draw of Semifinals & Production Meetings
  • 4 February 2025, Semifinal 1 of MESC 2025
  • 6 February 2025, Semifinal 2 of MESC 2025
  • 8 February 2025, Grand Final of MESC 2025

In this year’s contest Malta was represented in Malmö by Sarah Bonnici and the song “Loop” without success as the country finished for the second consecutive year in the last place of its semifinal (Semifinal 2) missing out the grand final of Eurovision for a third consecutive year.

https://youtu.be/uG-JHeia13c

Source: PBS

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Sweden: Tickets for Melodifestivalen 2025 go on sale on November 6!

Good news from Sweden and the fans of Melodifestivalen! Tickets for the six nights of Melodifestivalen 2025 will be on sale from 6 November 2024. Specifically, the tickets are for eighteen shows in total. The six televised live shows, six evening rehearsals and six evening shows.

Tickets will be available on the TicketMaster platform. The platform in a press release announced among other things that:

“The 2025 edition of the Melodifestival tour features an exciting mix of new and old host cities from north to south. The festivities kick off on 31 January in Luleå and then continue in Gothenburg, Västerås, Malmö and Jönköping and end, in keeping with tradition, with the grand finale in Stockholm on 8 March.

From the glittering live performances to the excitement when the winners are announced, Melodifestivalen is an event that brings generations together and offers unforgettable moments.”

 

 Tickets will be available for the following 18 performances:

Semi-Final #1: Luleå (January 31 & February 1) Coop Norrbotten Arena
Semi-final #2: Gothenburg (7-8 February) Scandinavium
Semifinal #3: Västerås (February 14-15) ABB Arena Syd
Semifinal #4: Malmö (21-22 February) Malmö Arena
Semi-Final #5: Jonkoping (28 February & 1 March) Husqvarna Garden

Grand Final: Stockholm (7-8 March) Strawberry Arena

The Melodifestivalen 2025 journey starts on 1 February 2025 and ends on 8 March 2025. It will travel to Luleå, Gothenburg, Västerås, Malmö, Jönköping and Stockholm on the following dates:

01/02/2025 – Melodifestivalen 2025 Semi-Final #1 – Luleå
08/02/2025 – Melodifestivalen 2025 Semi-Final #2 – Gothenburg
15/02/2025 – Melodifestivalen 2025 Semi-Final #3 – Västerås
22/02/2025 – Melodifestivalen 2025 Semi-Final #4 – Malmö
01/03/2025 – Melodifestivalen 2025 Semi-Final #5 – Jönköping
08/03/2025 – Melodifestivalen 2025 Grand Final – Stockholm

 

The songs that will compete to participate in the grand final of Melodifestivalen 2025 will be thirty. Six songs will participate in each semi-final. In the final, twelve songs will be competing for Sweden’s big win and representation in Basel in 2025 at the Eurovision Song Contest. The final song selection will result from a combination of public voting and voting by an international jury.

For all news regarding the competition stay tuned to Eurovision Fun!

Source: esctoday

Estonia: 175 entries submitted for Eesti Laul 2025!

The submission window for Eesti Laul 2025, the Estonian national selection for Eurovision, opened a month ago, marking the official beginning of the Eurovision 2025 season. The submission’s period ended today, October 21, after being opened for a month.

Hence, ERR revealed that 175 entries were submitted for Eesti Laul 2025 and will compete for the Estonian representation in Basel.

Eesti Laul 2025 statistics

As it was revealed, out of the 175 submissions:

  • 65 of them are in Estonian
  • 110 of them are sung in foreign languages, including English, Italian, French and German

Regarding the artists, there are both established and emerging performers. The Head of ERR’s programs, Karmel Killandi, mentions:

I am especially happy that there are talented young performers among the contestants, as well as famous artists. We still hope, that this competition lays the foundation for a stage career at home or internationally. It is certain that the [Estonian] music scene is richer by 175 songs, and that’s why we do this competition!

The interest on Eesti Laul 2025 is not only confined inside Estonia but extends internationally.

This year’s Eesti Laul proves that music knows no borders and Eesti Laul is a valued platform abroad as well.

According to Vanni, many “creative” forces from abroad take part in the competition, including creators from Norway, Germany, Sweden, Finland, Malta, Spain, Turkey, USA, Great Britain, Latvia, Austria, Denmark, Holland, Croatia and Lithuania.

We take it as recognition that Eesti Laul has its place on the international scene.

Rumored artists

The following artists have teased their participation in Eesti Laul so far:

  • Tommy Cash uploaded a “Transfer Complete” image in his instagram messages channel yesterday, while
  • Ant Nurhan said he’s “not allowed to comment on it”

Eesti Laul 2025 – what’s next?

A jury made up of singers, composers, producers, presenters, singing instructors, and music enthusiasts in general will now assess the songs that were submitted to Eesti Laul 2025. The 35-member panel will assess the songs in an anonymous manner without being aware of the songwriters’ or artists’ identities. Fifteen of the competing songs will advance straight to the finals, where the public can vote on the sixteenth song.

The jury’s decision will be published by the Estonian National Broadcasting Company at the beginning of November. On December 6, the songs will be played for the first time on the “Start” program. At the beginning of January, the sixteenth competitor will be revealed.

The Estonian selection will only consist of one night-show, in which sixteen songs are going to compete and will take place on February 15, 2025.

This year’s Eesti Laul’s winners and therefore the Estonian representatives in Malmö were 5miinust and Puuluup, finishing in the twentieth place in the Grand Final.

Source: menu.err, X

Eurovision 2025: More than 3,000 have applied for volunteers!

More than 3,000 persons have already apllied to become volunteers at the Eurovision Song Contest 2025 in Basel, Switzerland!

One month has already passed since the opening of the applications for volunteers for Eurovision 2025 and more than 3,000 individuals have already signed up. The Event Manager of Basel, Beat Läuchli, explained that he is encouraged by the enthusiasm that Basel has shown so far toward the hosting of the event.

In his interview Beat Läuchli confirmed that the plans for the supporting events related to Eurovision are under way. The city of Basel plans to invite former Eurovision contestants to appear in numerous public event around the city. Further information regarding the hosting plans of Basel are to be announced within the coming months.

As far as the skills of the volunteers are conserned, the knowledge of the German language will be a top priority, but the knowledge of French, Italian, English or any other langyage will also be taken into account. Those interested to apply for volunteers are able to do so, by clicking the link here.

Source: swissinfo

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Greece: Rules Guide | The Selection Process for the Greek Participation in Eurovision 2025!

The selection process of the song that will represent Greece at the 69th Eurovision Song Contest was announced and consists of two evaluation phases. ERT, the national broadcaster of the country, determined certain rules in favour of the trasparency and impartiality of the procedure. Below we present you the most pivotal elements of the rules contained in 13 pages as they were publiced by ERT.

Evaluation Phase A’

  1. Submission and initial evaluation of the songs: The songs that will be submitted in due time and meet the appropriate specifications will be evaluated by the Committee of Phase A’. This committee will be composed at least of five members with proven experience and status at the music and show industry. The committe will not be aware of the names of composers and the artists during the evaluation, and will choose up to 12 songs that will be advanced to the National  Final, based on criteria such as the lyrics, the music and the performance. Furthermore, three back-up songs will be chosen.
  2. Qualifiers announcment: ERT, at its own discretion, will announce the songs and the composers that will participate in the National Final. The evaluation order of the songs is not going to be revealed. Changes in the mixing and the production of the qualified songs are allowed, but will be limited, until the date set by ERT. The release of any promotional content (video-clips) prior to the Final is forbidden, and there will be disqualification in case of breaching.

Evaluation Phase B’ (National Final)

  1. Conduct of the National Final: The National Final will take place on a date to be announced by ERT and will be broadcast live on its media. Up to twelve (12) songs will participate in the Final, which will be performed live with a background phonogram (music playback). The running order of the songs will be determined by draw.
  2. Song Selection Voting: The song that will represent Greece at Eurovision will be chosen by a combination of the public vote and two Jury Committees (one Greek and one international), as per below:
    • Public vote (50% of final score):  The public will be able to vote for their favorite song either by phone calls or by sending text messages (SMS). The distribution of points will be as per below:
      • The song with the most votes will receive 24 points.
      • The second will receive 20 points, the third 16 points, and the remaining points are distributed as follows: 14, 12, 10, 8, 6, 4 and 2 points for the following positions (up to tenth).
      • The last two songs will receive no points.
    • Voting of the two Jury Committees (50% of the final score): Each committee will consist of at least five (5) members with recognized experience in the music field, who may come from Greece or abroad. Each committee will score the songs as follows:
      • The first song will receive 12 points.
      • The second 10 points, the third 8 points, and the scoring will continue with 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2 and 1 point for the following places (up to tenth).
      • The last two songs will receive no points.
  3. Tie: In case of a tie in the overall score, the winner will be the song that received the most points from the audience. If televoting is deemed invalid for any reason, the song will be selected based on the vote of the two Judging Panels. In case of a tie between the committees, the song that received the most votes from the Greek committee will be declared the winner.
  4. Limitations on Public Appearences: For the sake of equal visibility, the artists and creators of the songs participating in the National Final are not allowed to appear in media other than ERT media until the Final is held. In case of violation of this rule, ERT reserves the right to disqualify them.

To complete the selection process of the Greek Eurovision entry, ERT ensures that all evaluation and voting stages are carried out impartially and transparently. The strict rules that determine the procedures, from the initial selection of the songs to the final vote of the public and the committees, ensure the equal treatment of all candidates and the objective selection of the song that will represent Greece in the international competition. In this way, ERT seeks a fair and reliable process that will bring out the best possible participation for the country.

Source: ΕΡΤ

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Spain: New details for the Benidorm Fest 2025 submissions by RTVE!

The Spanish broadcaster RTVE has revealed new details about the songs submitted for the upcoming Benidorm Fest 2025!

During a press conference María Eizaguirre, RTVE’s Corporation and Participation Director shared new details about the entries received for Benidorm Fest 2025.

Highlights include a significant number of folk, urban and rap songs, although pop remains the dominant genre. This year, several submissions came from non-Hispanic artists living in Spain, reflecting the growing international appeal of the festival.

For the first time, RTVE received a song created using artificial intelligence, marking a technological milestone similar to other preselection show such as San Marino’s one . In addition, more women than men have submitted entries.

Submissions will now be evaluated by Benidorm Fest 2024’s music advisors: Rayden, Pablo Cebrián, Tony Sánchez-Ohlsson and Beatriz Luengo. They will select the 16 artists who will compete in the festival, with their names to be announced later.

These selected artists will compete in two semi-finals on January 28 and 30, with four artists from each semi-final advancing to the final. The grand final will take place on February 1, where Spain’s entry for Eurovision 2025 in Basel will be chosen.

Source: ESCPlus

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Montenegro: These are the composers of the songs competing in Montesong!

Montenegro is returning to the Contest after two years and is determined to make this return the start of a new, successful era for the country in Eurovision!

A few days ago, the announcement of the 16 participants of Montesong took place, which included well-known names and euro-stars. With a new post earlier today, RTCG, the public broadcaster of Montenegro, presented the composers of the songs that will take part in the national final:

  1. Anastasija Koprolčec – “Kraj” (Bojan Marović, Stevan Milanović)
  2. Bend “9” – “Stop War” (Milić Šarović)
  3. Boban Rajović – “Suze” (G. Ratković, M. Bogosavljević, B. Glusac)
  4. Dolce Hera – “Repeat” (A. Prelević Palladino, T Tadič, M. Čaćić)
  5. Đurđa – “To Ljubav Je” (K. Kovać, O. Patocska, Đ. Petrović Poljak, J Jensen)
  6. GlumciBend – “San” (Mladen Nikčević, Dragana Tripković)
  7. Isak Šabanović – “Ljeto, Ljeto, Ljeto” (Leontina, Nemanja Filipović)
  8. Kejt – “Obala Raja” (Katarina Bogićević, Hugo Smeh)
  9. Luka Perazić i Rade Vukčević – “Dva Srca” (Rade Vukčević)
  10. Luka Radović – “Kada Dođe Maj” (Luka Radović)
  11. Milena Vučić – “Škorpija” (N. Arežna, M. Peruničić, A. Stajic, S. Vučić)
  12. Nemanja Petrović – “Među Zvijezdama” (Branislav Opačić)
  13. Neonoen – “Clickbait” (Ilija Pejović)
  14. Nina Žižić – “Dobro Došli” (B. Subotić, V. Mihajlovska, D. Dimitrov)
  15. Tina Džankić – “Nova” (Vladimir Maraš, Anja Zagorac)
  16. Verica Čuljković – “Čuješ li” (Verica Čuljković)

The songs will be released in about a month from now, and the national final will take place on November 27th, with the result being determined by the public and the jury vote in a 50% ratio each. It is also expected to be the first national final of the new season!

But until we learn about this year’s participation of Montenegro in Eurovision, let’s remember their last entry from 2022, with Vladana with the song “Breathe”:

Stay tuned on Eurovisionfun for all the news regarding the Montenegrin participation at the Eurovision Song Contest 2025, in Basel!

Source: rtcg.me

Eurovision 2025: Martin Green appointed in a new Director role!

The Eurovision Song Contest sees its biggest growth in its almost seventy-years history. The brand now attracts hundreds of millions of viewers around the globe making it a global phenomenon. As  the growth and the complexity extends, the EBU has appointed broadcasts events leader Martin Green in a new role as Director overseeing the world’s biggest entertainment show.

Having a rich background as an executive producer of major television events and according to Jean Philip De Tender, the EBU’s Director of Media and Deputy Director-General, Martin’s choice is justified as following:

Martin’s experience, strategic thinking and creative energy will be invaluable to the song contest as we get set for the 2025 event and evolve into the future.

The creation of this senior role and Martin’s appointment reflect how we’re building on the history and the strengths of a unique platform that celebrates the power of music to bring people together.

Who is Martin Green?

Green’s track record as an executive producer of major events includes the ceremonies of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, Hull UK City of Culture 2017, the Birmingham Commonwealth Games 2022 and the BAFTA-winning Eurovision Song Contest (ESC) in Liverpool in 2023 on behalf of Ukraine.

Green, who was made CBE in the 2017 UK Queen’s New Year Honours List, is currently Vice President of global live events at the entertainment company TAIT. He will start as Director of the ESC in November.

Regarding his new role, Martin Green mentions:

The Eurovision Song Contest captures the imaginations of people across generations, countries and cultures. It remains a beacon of joy, artistry and diversity – and a testament to the inclusive power of public service broadcasting.

Being asked to lead the event is a dream come true and I look forward to working with everyone involved to take the project and the brand into an exciting future.

Eurovision 2025

So far, thirty three countries have publicly confirmed their participation in Eurovision 2025:

  • Albania – RTSH
  • Austria – ORF
  • Azerbaijan – İctimai
  • Belgium – RTBF
  • Croatia – HRT
  • Cyprus – CyBC
  • Czechia – ČT
  • Denmark – DR
  • Estonia – ERR
  • Finland – YLE
  • France – FT
  • Georgia – GPB
  • Germany – NDR
  • Greece – ERT
  • Iceland – RÚV
  • Ireland – RTÉ
  • Israel – IPBC
  • Italy – RAI
  • Latvia – LTV
  • Lithuania – LRT
  • Luxembourg – RTL
  • Malta – PBS
  • Montenegro – RTCG
  • Norway – NRK
  • Portugal – RTP
  • San Marino – San Marino RTV
  • Serbia – RTS
  • Slovenia – RTVSLO
  • Spain – RTVE
  • Sweden – SVT
  • Switzerland – SRG SSR
  • Ukraine – Suspilne
  • United Kingdom – BBC

The participating countries’ list for Eurovision 2025 is expected to be revealed until the end of 2024.

Stay tuned to EurovisionFun for all the news!

Source: EBU

Eurovision 2025: Today is the deadline for participating countries to withdraw!

September 15 was the deadline that the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) set for its member broadcasters to submit their participation for Eurovision 2025.

There was still time for countries that confirmed their participation to withdraw without incurring penalties. This deadline ends today, October 15. As a result, any country that enrolled to participate in Eurovision 2025 was until today still free to change its mind and withdraw without facing consequences.

It should be noted that The Netherlands has been granted an extension until November 1st to confirm their participation.

But since force majeure is typically identified as the cause of withdrawal, the EBU hardly ever fines nations that withdraw after the deadline. Naturally, there have been occasions when the EBU has imposed penalties in situations like Lebanon in 2005.

Eurovision 2025

So far, thirty three countries have publicly confirmed their participation in Eurovision 2025:

  • Albania – RTSH
  • Austria – ORF
  • Azerbaijan – İctimai
  • Belgium – RTBF
  • Croatia – HRT
  • Cyprus – CyBC
  • Czechia – ČT
  • Denmark – DR
  • Estonia – ERR
  • Finland – YLE
  • France – FT
  • Georgia – GPB
  • Germany – NDR
  • Greece – ERT
  • Iceland – RÚV
  • Ireland – RTÉ
  • Israel – IPBC
  • Italy – RAI
  • Latvia – LTV
  • Lithuania – LRT
  • Luxembourg – RTL
  • Malta – PBS
  • Montenegro – RTCG
  • Norway – NRK
  • Portugal – RTP
  • San Marino – San Marino RTV
  • Serbia – RTS
  • Slovenia – RTVSLO
  • Spain – RTVE
  • Sweden – SVT
  • Switzerland – SRG SSR
  • Ukraine – Suspilne
  • United Kingdom – BBC

After November, we can expect the EBU to reveal the participating countries’ list for Eurovision 2025.

Stay tuned to EurovisionFun for all the news!