Basel seems to be feverishly preparing for the 69th Eurovision Song Contest. In fact, new information has already been announced about how they plan to organise the best experience for fans of the contest.
The first deadline set by the EBU for its member broadcasters to submit their preliminary participation in Eurovision 2025 expires on September 15. Following this, and for the next month until October 11, those who have declared participation can withdraw without a penalty. After this date, any withdrawal will incur a penalty. So far, 28 countries have confirmed their participation in one way or another, while some others have not yet clarified their intentions. Let’s take a detailed look at the countries that participated in Eurovision 2024 and have not yet announced whether they will attend Basel or not.
Ireland, Poland, Estonia, Armenia, and Croatia are expected to participate in Eurovision 2025, barring any unexpected events. Although the national broadcasters of these countries have remained silent, the presence of their Heads of Delegation a few days ago in Dubrovnik, Croatia, where the Eurovision Workshop took place under the auspices of the EBU, suggests that they will all compete in Basel next May.
Croatia, which achieved its best-ever result in the contest this year, hosted the Eurovision Workshop, making it highly unlikely for the country to withdraw from the next contest. The same is true, more or less, for Ireland, which achieved its best result in 20 years. Despite the issues caused by Bambie Thug in this year’s competition, the Irish delegation did not publicly express any objections.
Armenia usually announces its plans for Eurovision after the Junior Eurovision ends, so their current stance is not surprising.
The public broadcasters of Poland and Estonia are currently undergoing budget cuts, which is why they have not yet announced anything regarding their participation. However, a withdrawal seems unlikely, especially after the participation of their Heads of Delegation in the Eurovision Workshop in Dubrovnik.
Five other countries that participated in Eurovision 2024 have not revealed their intentions for the next contest. Here are the countries:
The Netherlands announced that, following the dramatic events this year with Joost Klein’s elimination from the final, it would wait to discuss matters with the EBU regarding backstage issues. This discussion has begun, and the Dutch broadcaster has received an extension until November 1 to confirm or decline their participation. The atmosphere seems positive between the two parties, and we hope that these discussions will have a happy ending, with the Netherlands participating in Basel.
Slovenia has announced that its public broadcaster will decide in October whether to participate in Eurovision 2025. This aligns with the EBU’s deadline for public broadcasters to withdraw from the contest without penalty, which is October 11. Slovenia’s broadcaster sent several queries to the EBU immediately after the end of this year’s contest, which included questions about the televote.
Iceland was expected to announce its decision regarding Eurovision 2025 in the past few days but postponed it until next week, after the preliminary participation deadline of September 15 has passed.
Moldova is another country that typically delays announcing its plans. However, barring any surprises, Moldova is expected to be present in Basel.
Australia, as always, is a special case. Its contract with the EBU has expired, and each year it requires a special invitation to SBS for the “land of kangaroos” to participate.
Luxembourg’s return this year and Montenegro’s announcement of their return for Eurovision 2025 have brought joy and hope to fans for the return of other countries that mainly abstain for economic reasons.
The only countries in this category that have not ruled out a potential return are Romania, Bulgaria, and North Macedonia. All three have participated in the contest until recently but withdrew due to financial constraints. None of these countries have publicly ruled out returning for Eurovision 2025, leaving room to hope for at least one more return in the next contest, apart from Montenegro.
How many countries do you think will participate in Eurovision 2025? Let us know in the comments below!
Stay tuned to Eurovisionfun for all the latest updates!
The next country to take the stage for its first rehearsal is this year’s bookers’ favorite, Switzerland, that is represented by Nemo and their song “The Code”!
Born in 1999 and coming from Biel, a small Swiss town, music has always played an essential role in Nemo’s life, considering they have been playing the violin, piano and drums ever since they were a child. Their career sparked in 2016, after they went viral, and until this day, Nemo’s music has gained traction with occupying several high positions on the Swiss charts.
Nemo’s songs revolve around gender identity, mental health and finding one’s place in this world, themes which are also showcased on their Eurovision entry “The Code”.
Time for Switzerland’s Nemo to rehearse now – they are a musician, singer and songwriter with a big following in Switzerland. The Code is a mix of rap, drum ‘n’ bass and opera, and we’ve seen over pre-party season that Nemo has the vocal range to deliver all three.
The video for this track gave us hope that Nemo might bring something super-creative to the Eurovision stage, and they have NOT disappointed – Nemo is wearing an outfit made of pink and white fur (with matching fur boots!), and their main prop is a white circular platform two or three metres in diameter. It tips and pivots in all directions – Nemo climbs it, slides down it, dances on it, jumps off it – the whole thing is a showcase of balance, precision timing and codebreaking ambition.
Not something we’ve EVER seen at Eurovision before – welcome to the show, Nemo fans.
Switzerland first rehearsal at Eurovision 2024. Credit: Corinne Cumming/EBU
Δείτε αυτή τη δημοσίευση στο Instagram.
Below you can catch a glimpse of Nemo’s first rehearsal from TikTok:
https://www.tiktok.com/@eurovision/video/7363304192934513952?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc&web_id=7269788284946957856
Switzerland’s second rehearsal is scheduled to take place on Thursday, 2nd of May, when we get a rounder image of how Nemo’s performance will appear on TV.
Source: eurovision.tv
Stay tuned to EurovisionFun for all the latest news regarding the Eurovision Song Contest 2024!
For the third consecutive year, TikTok, the most popular platform among young people, comes back as a sponsor of the Eurovision Song Contest.
With 600,000 posts already on the #Eurovision2024 hashtag, TikTok is the number one discussion forum for our favorite contest. With exclusive and behind-the-scenes content, TikTok has revised the way all fans of the competition will experience and celebrate the world’s biggest live music event.
It is not yet known whether this will follow last year’s pattern, where the first rehearsals were exclusively uploaded on TikTok, the Eurovision account, or whether the exclusive content mentioned in the announcement will cover something else
Of course, you can also follow Eurovisionfun on TikTok, since exclusive material is also uploaded there, from the biggest Eurovision website in Greece and Cyprus!
@eurovisionfn She’s coming @SATTI #eurovisionfun #eurovision2024 #eurovision #eurovisiongreece #marinasatti #foryourpage ♬ πρωτότυπος ήχος – Eurovisionfn
Stay tuned on Eurovisionfun for all the Eurovision 2024 updates!
Source: Eurovision.tv
The speculated fan favorite Grossstadtgeflüster will not take part in the German preliminary round Das deutsche Finale 2024 for the selection of the German representative at Eurovision Song Contest in Malmö. The reason for this is quite simple: the band hadn’t even applied to NDR for it. The group made this clear today in a statement on social media.
It all fit! The title of the song “Ich kündige” is concise, unique and catchy. It was released after 1 September 2023 and could have simply been limited to the usual three minutes which is a requirement for a Eurovision Song Contest entry. And the song had already triggered a hype in the Eurovision bubble and on TikTok in advance. Nevertheless, Grossstadtgeflüster will not take part in the German Eurovision preliminaries in 2024 and thus will not get a chance to represent Germany at the Eurovision Song Contest to be held in Malmö, Sweden.
You can listen to their song “Ich kündige” at the video down below:
Specifically, the band responded to the rumours with a statement on an Instagram post, which can be seen below:
View this post on Instagram
“Because of the many people asking us if we would participate in the ESC:
Certainly, it would have been an honor for us to secure the last place for Germany.
However, we didn’t apply because we’re pretty terrible at meeting deadlines, and on top of that, we tend to develop a mysterious skin irritation whenever we walk too close to a German flag.”
As early as October 12, there have been reports about a possible application of Grossstadtgeflüster with “Ich kündige” on ESCKompakt, noting that the band had not confirmed that they were involved in the application process.
Lots of hype had been developed around the song “Ich kündige” and its video. A Tiktok with the song had reached almost 3 million views within two days. A hint from the X fan account Songfestival Azerbaijan did the rest to spark the hopes in the Eurovision bubble.
So now, two days before the official announcement of the actual participants in the Eurovision preliminary decision Das deutsche Finale 2024, comes the clarifying cancellation. With this, the band is probably doing NDR a favor, because the possible disappointment of the fans about the non-participation of Grossstadtgeflüster should have evaporated by then.
Source: esc-kompakt.de
Follow us in all our social media, so that you’ll not miss anything regarding the Eurovision Song Contest:
EBU has released through the official Eurovision website the rules of the 2024 contest to be held in Malmö, Sweden.
What needs to be pointed out is that the National Juries and the National Audiences will be combined according to a ration which will be decided later. More specifically the rules specify:
“In the Final; the points of the National Audiences and of the National Juries shall be combined according to a ratio which is determined by the EBU, subject to the Reference Group approval, to calculate the official result of the Final.
For example, if the ratio is 50-50, the points of the National Jury carry the same weight as the points of the National Audiences”
As it seems there are also still no plans to introduce the use of Auto-Tune in the contest and use of such or lipsyncing are explicitly prohibited. The pre-recorded backing vocals are still allowed in this year’s contest too.
Do you think that there will be a later announcement for a change in the ratio of combined voting, by EBU? Let us know in the comments section below!
Source: EBU
The OGAE Song Contest 2023 has officially revealed its list of participating entries, marking the third time that OGAE Australia will host this prestigious event. This year’s edition will feature 31 songs in the competition.
Originating in 1986, the OGAE Song Contest stands out as one of the most successful Eurovision-affiliated contests. Annually, OGAE clubs (short for Organisation Générale des Amateurs de l’Eurovision, or the General Organisation of Eurovision Fans) are invited to submit songs that have not been featured in the official Eurovision Song Contest (ESC), Junior Eurovision Song Contest (JESC), or national finals.
The voting period for this year’s competition has officially commenced and will run until October 21st, with the winner set to be announced on November 25th.
In the wake of Australia’s victory in the 2021 edition with “Fly Away” by Tones and I, the country was slated to host the OGAE Song Contest in 2022. However, the contest had to be canceled for the year due to ongoing geopolitical tensions involving Ukraine and Russia. Consequently, Australia is now gearing up to host the event in 2023.
For more comprehensive information about the contest, including the complete rulebook and snippets of the competing songs, visit OGAE Australia’s website.
Source: eurovoix
Stay tuned at EurovisionFun for all the latest news regarding the Eurovision Song Contest 2024!
Follow us on all social media, so you do not miss a moment of what is going on in Liverpool:
The Ukrainian team has reflected on their participation in the Eurovision Song Contest 2023, which was hosted by the United Kingdom on their behalf.
Led by Oksana Skibinska, Head of the Ukrainian delegation, and Herman Nenov, Creative Director of the Eurovision Song Contest 2023 for Ukraine, the team discussed the contest’s impact, the selection of interval acts, and their objectives in an interview with Anna Tulyeva, host of the Eurovision Ukraine video blog?
Did everything work out the way you planned?
The ideas and messages I wanted to convey were conveyed. The result is good, and a lot of people, in particular Eurofans, in my opinion, were satisfied. This year’s Eurovision was the best presentation of Ukraine among all three Song Contests organised after our victory in the contests (2005, 2017 and 2023). It was during this Eurovision that there was “the most Ukraine” and Ukrainian artists for all years, despite the fact that we were already the host country of the competition twice. Regarding the interval acts, I want to say that each of the Ukrainian artists invited by us this year carried a certain truth about our present. There were no random people there. I was against showing the same artists, and the same assets of ours a third time. We had the task of showing different musical directions of Ukraine.
Tell me, what ideas were included in the interval acts? How were they created?
All the ideas were determined by December, we went to the Christmas holidays already having a road map, and from January we started negotiations with artists and the realisation of the production. All performances were thought out in the moments of the most violent attacks. Alyosha’s performance was invented in a bomb shelter. The first idea came to me during the period of missile attacks. I was in the shelter and I witnessed a conversation between a girl and a boy, they were talking about the fact that they cannot, unfortunately, now hug and be together to support each other. It touched me and became the impetus for the first Semi-Final interval act. For me, all interval acts had to be honest, because ideas were really born in super extreme conditions. We were looking for such artists – as honest as possible.
Tell us about your collaborations. Who did you enjoy working with the most?
In general, I am just humanly grateful for the way the BBC team treated us. They didn’t just ask, “How are you there?”, but they were really worried when we had shelling. Speaking of Ukrainians, the best collaboration for me was with the Big Brave Events 1+1 media team. In general, it was a very large international collaboration with the creative team of the competition, 1+1 media and director Tim Van Someren , a world-famous director who created commercials for the Olympic Games. Tim came up with the British part, I came up with the Ukrainian part, related to the subway and the journey of the Kalush Orchestra. This idea was very important for us, for the entire Suspilne team. You understand when in Britain, people can hold festivals, gather for events – people in Ukraine spent many months of their lives in the subway, gave birth there, sang songs, hid from rocket fire. The National Selection and other cool Ukrainian creative projects took place there. The 1+1 team, which was responsible for the production of the Ukrainian part, also added their cool ideas: with Maria Prymachenko, with Banksy. Despite the large number of co-creators, we turned out a very coherent work.
What is Eurovision 2023 to you? If you could put your opinion into one short sentence, what would you say?
Oh, I can’t be brief about this Eurovision. First, for me this is probably a historic event in my life. I am very grateful for this honour, it is an experience I will never forget.
How was this year’s Eurovision Song Contest? How do you feel about it now, after the end of the competition?
It was a unique Eurovision, it cannot be compared with any other. It took place in unprecedented conditions when one country held a competition on behalf of another. And at the beginning, perhaps no one understood what “on behalf of Ukraine” means. It took almost a year for this understanding, in fact, the preparation lasted from October to May. There were precedents when one country won and another hosted. Our case is unique, because from the beginning, when Great Britain took on the obligation, the BBC clearly stated: “We will do this Eurovision on behalf of Ukraine.” The same words of Sam Ryder that it will be a Ukrainian party in Britain, a Ukrainian holiday. What kind of holiday can be when people die in Ukraine? It was one of the key issues for us – to find a balance and keep Eurovision in a way that people enjoy watching.
It was a unique Eurovision. Has your perception of the competition changed after this year?
Eurovision is a big venue, a powerful platform. It is more than a competition, and this year’s Eurovision proved it. In unique circumstances, the circumstances of the war in Europe, Eurovision became the place where 37 countries united around common values. Ukraine’s victory in 2022 had great symbolism and meaning, Ukraine needed this victory for moral elevation, for understanding that we are not alone. This year, the Eurovision Song Contest was a victory for us, something Ukrainians can be proud of.
You can watch the full interview on Ukraine’s Eurovision YouTube channel:
Source: eurovoix
Stay tuned at EurovisionFun for all the latest news regarding the Eurovision Song Contest 2024!
Follow us on all social media, so you do not miss a moment of what is going on in Liverpool:
Radio 2 today reveals that Space Man by Sam Ryder from 2022’s Eurovision Song Contest is Your Ultimate UK Eurovision Song following a listener vote to discover the nation’s favourite ever Eurovision UK entry.
Making Your Mind Up by Bucks Fizz (1981) is in second place, Ooh Aah…Just a Little Bit by Gina G (1996) is in third place, Love Shine a Light by Katrina and the Waves (1997) in fourth, and Save Your Kisses for Me by Brotherhood of Man (1976) rounded off the top five.
The full Top 40 countdown hosted by Steve Wright is available on BBC Sounds from Monday 24 April and broadcast on Radio 2 on Saturday 13 May, 1-3pm.
From Tuesday 21 March, listeners were asked to vote for up to five of their favourite songs of all the UK entrants that have competed in the Eurovision final since our first entry back in 1957 (with the exception of the cancelled 2020 contest and the 2023 entry). Voting closed on Tuesday 11 April, with the results compiled for this special show, Your Ultimate Eurovision Song.
Space Man represented the UK at the Eurovision Song Contest 2022 in Turin, Italy, after being internally selected through TaP Music and the BBC, the British broadcaster for the Eurovision Song Contest. It was co-written by Ryder alongside Amy Wadge and Max Wolfgang in London. At the contest in Turin, Ryder finished in second place with 466 points, becoming the highest scoring UK Eurovision entrant, winning the jury vote with 283 points, and scoring the third highest jury votes by a contestant. He scored the best UK their best result since 1998 and its first top three result since 2002. Space Man peaked at number two on the UK Singles Chart, becoming the highest-charting UK Eurovision entry since Gina G’s Ooh Aah… Just a Little Bit in 1996.
Sam Ryder says: “This is just bonkers! We went into that competition as fans and we thought it may be that we come absolutely dead last. But what we can achieve is holding ourselves with a certain grace and respect for being there in the first place, and gratitude first and foremost. When we were sat there on the night and those scores started coming in, we were looking at each other bursting out laughing because we didn’t have a clue that would happen. And now this result! I’m just so grateful. Thanks to all of the listeners who voted and everyone at Radio 2 who supported the song from day one – I really honestly appreciate it.”
Steve Wright says: “Sam Ryder’s Space Man has really taken off with Radio 2 listeners! I can’t wait to count down the rest of the chart and see who else has been blasting off into the hearts of Radio 2 listeners as we all look forward to this year’s Grand Final.”
Helen Thomas, Head of Radio 2, says: “We’re thrilled to see that Sam Ryder’s Space Man continues to resonate so strongly with our listeners. It’s testament to Sam’s exceptional talent as a songwriter and performer. I can’t wait for everyone to hear all the other stellar Eurovision specials which we have in store on Radio 2 and on BBC Sounds, from Sophie Ellis-Bextor’s Eurovision Kitchen Disco to OJ’s Eurovision After Party, not to mention our live coverage of the semi finals for the first time with Paddy O’Connell and the Grand Final commentary hosted by our own Scott Mills and Rylan.”
1. Sam Ryder – Space Man (2022)
2. Bucks Fizz – Making Your Mind Up (1981)
3. Gina G – Ooh Aah… Just a Little Bit (1996)
4. Katrina and the Waves – Love Shine a Light (1997)
5. Brotherhood of Man – Save Your Kisses for Me (1976)
6. Sandie Shaw – Puppet on a String (1967)
7. Cliff Richard – Congratulations (1968)
8. The New Seekers – Beg, Steal or Borrow (1972)
9. Lulu – Boom Bang-a-Bang (1969)
10. Michael Ball – One Step Out of Time (1992)
11. Sonia – Better the Devil You Know (1993)
12. Bardo – One Step Further (1982)
13. Scooch – Flying the Flag (For You) (2007)
14. Mary Hopkin – Knock, Knock Who’s There? (1970)
15. Imaani – Where Are You? (1998)
16. Olivia Newton-John – Long Live Love (1974)
17. Daz Sampson – Teenage Life (2006)
18. Cliff Richard – Power to All Our Friends (1973)
19. Lucie Jones – Never Give Up on You (2017)
20. Lynsey de Paul & Mike Moran – Rock Bottom (1977)
21. Love City Groove – Love City Groove (1995)
22. Blue – I Can (2011)
23. The Shadows – Let Me Be the One (1975)
24. Clodagh Rodgers – Jack in the Box (1971)
25. SuRie – Storm (2018)
26. Frances Ruffelle – Lonely Symphony (We Will Be Free) (1994)
27. The Allisons – Are You Sure? (1961)
28. Molly – Children of the Universe (2014)
29. Jade Ewen – It’s My Time (2009)
30. Jessica Garlick – Come Back (2002)
31. Precious – Say It Again (1999)
32. James Newman – Embers (2021)
33. Sweet Dreams – I’m Never Giving Up (1983)
34. Co-Co – The Bad Old Days (1978)
35. Belle and the Devotions – Love Games (1984)
36. Scott Fitzgerald – Go (1988)
37. Samantha Janus – A Message to Your Heart (1991)
38. Jemini – Cry Baby (2003)
39. Electro Velvet – Still in Love with You (2015)
40. Bonnie Tyler – Believe in Me (2013)
Stay tuned to Eurovisionfun for all the updates!
After one Semi-Final and a Grand Final, Supernova 2023, the selection process for the next Latvian entry in the Eurovision Song Contest, has just finished.
The big winner of Supernova was Sudden Lights with the song “Aijā“, who will travel with the Latvian flag to Liverpool.
The Participants:
The Results:
The song with the highest number of votes based on the combination of votes from a jury panel and the Latvian public will be declared the winner.
Τhe results were as follows:
Sudden Light will wave the Latvian flag in Liverpool with “Aijā“!
Don’t miss the exclusive interview from Sudden Lights on our Youtube channel some days ago!
Stay tuned to Eurovisionfun for all news regarding Latvia’s participation in Eurovision 2023!
