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Junior Eurovision 2024: Day Two of the technical rehearsals at Caja Mágica!

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As the 22nd edition of the Junior Eurovision Song Contest draws near, the excitement is building. Young artists from seventeen countries have gathered in Madrid, preparing to perform live in front of millions of viewers from across Europe and beyond.

These talented artists have been working hard for months in anticipation of this moment, and they are now ready to “bloom”. While, the first nine countries conducted their first technical rehearsals yesterday, artists from the following eight countries took the stage of Caja Mágica today:

  • Ireland
  • France
  • Poland
  • San Marino
  • Netherlands
  • Germany
  • Malta
  • Portugal

The First Rehearsals

In line with the tradition of the adult Eurovision Song Contest, the first rehearsals were closed to the press. As a result, no journalists were allowed to watch the rehearsal sessions, and there were no official rehearsal clips shared by RTVE. This means that, for now, there is no audiovisual footage available to fans, but the official social media channels of Junior Eurovision have shared a few photos offering a sneak peek behind the scenes.

Ireland – Enya Cox Dempsey

Enya Cox Dempsey, dressed in a vibrant pink and purple outfit, was the first artist to take the stage. She is not alone—four female dancers accompany her, suggesting a high-energy dance performance. The backdrop features colorful visuals.

France – Titouan

The Junior Eurovision champions, France, are back with Titouan, aiming to win for the third consecutive year. Titouan wears a white jacket with stamps and is joined by four dancers on stage. The performance is dominated by blue tones.

Poland – Dominik Arim

Dominik Arim from Poland took to the stage in a stylish beige ensemble, accompanied by four female dancers. The LED screens behind them showcase themes inspired by the earth and the sea, adding a natural, immersive element to the performance.

San Marino – Idols SM

The Sanmarinese group, Idols SM, is all about friendship, as their performance reflects the message of their song “Come Noi”. The girls wear matching outfits, creating a strong sense of unity. It is clear that San Marino is bringing a fun and energetic performance to the stage.

Netherlands – Stay Tuned

The Dutch act, Stay Tuned, is bringing a playful twist with matching outfits and full of bright neon colors. Their performance features interesting stage props, including two mirrors, which will likely add a unique visual element.

Germany – Bjarne

Bjarne from Germany also takes to the stage in beige tones, joined by five dancers who perform an extensive dance routine. The performance promises to be colorful and full of movement, with the LED screens displaying beautiful natural landscapes.

Malta – Ramires Sciberras

Ramires takes the stage in a total-black, sparkling outfit, and from what we’ve seen so far, his performance is visually impressive. Snow falls from the ceiling, smoke fills the stage, and dramatic lighting is complemented by a fiery backdrop. Could Malta be this year’s surprise contender? Personally, I think so.

Portugal – Victoria Nicole

Wearing a stunning blue-green dress, Victoria Nicole is the last to take the stage today. Her performance is dramatic, featuring smoke on stage, yet highlighted by a vibrant LED backdrop. Victoria also brings her piano to the stage, adding an intimate and personal touch to her act. The emotional performance is especially meaningful as Victoria wrote the song herself, and she is aiming for Portugal’s first-ever win at Junior Eurovision. Her heartfelt delivery and strong connection to the song make her a standout contender this year.

What’s next?

After the First Rehearsals, the Second Rehearsals will follow. These rehearsals give the artists a final opportunity to perfect their acts before the Dress Rehearsals. Any last-minute changes to the performances can be made during this time.

It is expected that the voting recap video, which will be shown before the live show, will also be filmed during these second rehearsals.

On Friday, November 15, the two Dress Rehearsals will be held. The Dress Rehearsals are full run-throughs of the show from start to finish, including the performances, interval acts, and voting sequence.

Then and it is time for Dress Rehearsals. The First Dress Rehearsal will take place on Friday morning, while the Second Dress Rehearsal will take place in the evening. The Second Dress Rehearsal is particularly important as it is also the Jury Final. This is when the seventeen national juries will watch the full show and cast their votes, which will help determine the final outcome of the competition.

Moreover, on Friday the first phase of the Online Voting will commence and the half of the contest’s outcome will be determined.

Junior Eurovision 2024

Seventeen countries will take part in the 22nd edition of the Junior Eurovision Song Contest:

  1. Italy: Simone Grande – “Pigiama Party”
  2. Estonia: Annabelle – “Tänavad”
  3. Albania: Nikol Çabeli – “Vallëzoj”
  4. Armenia: Leo – “Cosmic Friend”
  5. Cyprus: Maria Pissarides – “Crystal Waters”
  6. France: Titouan – “Comme ci, comme ça”
  7. North Macedonia: Ana and Aleksej – “Marathon”
  8. Poland: Dominik Arim – “All Together”
  9. Georgia: Andria Putkaradze – “To My Mom”
  10. Spain: Chloe DelaRosa – “Como la Lola”
  11. Germany: Bjarne – “Save the Best For Us”
  12. Netherlands: Stay Tuned – “Music”
  13. San Marino: Idols SM – “Come noi”
  14. Ukraine: Artem Kotenko – “Hear Me Now”
  15. Portugal: Victoria Nicole – “Esperança”
  16. Ireland – Enya Cox Dempsey – “Le Chéile”
  17. Malta: Ramires Sciberras – “Stilla ċkejkna”

The 22nd edition of the Junior Eurovision Song Contest will be held on November 16 in Madrid, Spain, following the country’s second-place finish last year and the refusal of the winning country, France, to host for the second year in a row. The slogan for this year’s contest is “Let’s Bloom!”, while Ruth Lorenzo, Marc Clotet and Melani Garcia will serve as this year’s hosts.

Stay tuned to EurovisionFun for all the news!

Netherlands: No decision regarding Eurovision participation taken yet!

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Despite the hopeful news that were published yesterday in many different media, the Dutch public broadcaster, stated through the channel’s Director, that they have yet to make a decision regarding their participation in Eurovision 2025.

Taco Zimmerman, chairman of AVROTROS, gave an interview to “Spreek Buis”, and he said that there is no decision regarding the Dutch participation in Eurovision 2025.

“You will hear about that soon, but we would not have asked for a postponement if it was not a serious consideration.”

There are many rumours in recent days in Dutch press, saying that AVROTROS intends to take part in the Contest in Basel, and that they have already selected Joost Klein as their representative.

Going on with his interview, the chairman was asked why isn’t the Dutch broadcaster more open, regarding they way they will make this decision:

“It is a delicate matter. We are in talks with the EBU about the fact that things have to change there. We want guarantees first, before we decide to participate again. Leaving the contest was the feeling present within the company at one point. It applied to the upcoming edition, but we never considered quitting for good.”

The EBU has given AVROTROS a further deadline to confirm their entry in the Eurovision Song Contest 2025, until November 1.

The deadline of the Netherlands is in a few days, and that means that we will soon have news regarding the country’s participation!

https://youtu.be/IiHFnmI8pxg

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

Source: spreekbuis.nl

Cornald Maas and Stefania will host Eurovision in Concert 2025!

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Despite the current uncertainty regarding the Dutch participation in the contest, Eurovision in Concert will return in 2025 for its 15th edition. This event, which consistently hosts the vast majority of the participants each year, as well as numerous past Eurovision representatives, has become a staple and is rightfully considered the biggest pre-party event. Read more

Netherlands: These are the Eurostars that will perform at Het Grote Songfestivalfeest 2024!

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Het Grote Songfestivalfeest concert took place for the first time in late 2019 to promote the Eurovision 2020, which was scheduled to be held in the Netherlands. After three years of great success, the great Concert returns once again this December, live from the capital of the Netherlands!

Participants in the concert will include former winners and contestants of Eurovision, throughout its history!

The official account of the concert on Instagram announced new participants regularly, and this process was completed just a few hours ago. Here are the artists who will participate in the concert in alphabetical order and the songs they will perform:

  • alyona alyona & Jerry Heil – “Teresa & Maria” (Ukraine 2024, 3rd Place)
  • Anne-Marie David – “Tu te reconnaîtras” (Luxembourg 1973, 1st Place)
  • Baby Lasagna – “Rim Tim Tagi Dim” (Croatia 2024, 2nd Place)
  • Bambie Thug – “Doomsday Blue” (Ireland 2024, 6th Place)
  • Elena Tsagrinou – “El Diablo” (Cyprus 2021, 16th Place)
  • Gjon’s Tears – “Tout l’Univers” (Switzerland 2021, 3rd Place)
  • Go_A – “Shum” (Ukraine 2021, 5th Place)
  • Guy Sebastian – “Tonight Again” (Australia 2015, 5th Place)
  • Johnny Logan – “What’s Another Year” & “Hold Me Now” (Ireland 1980 & 1987, 1st Place)
  • Käärijä – “Cha Cha Cha” (Finland 2023, 2nd Place)
  • Katrina – “Love Shine a Light” (United Kingdom 1997, 1st Place)
  • Kristian Kostov – “Beautiful Mess” (Bulgaria 2017, 2nd Place)
  • Loreen – “Euphoria” & “Tattoo” (Sweden 2012 & 2023, 1st Place)
  • Maggie McNeal – “I See a Star” & “Amsterdam” (Netherlands 1974 & 1980, 3rd and 5th Place)
  • Marcus & Martinus – “Unforgettable” (Sweden 2024, 9th Place)
  • Marlayne – “Alles Heefy Een Ritme” (Netherlands 1986, 13th Place)
  • Marija Šerifović – “Molitva” (Serbia 2007, 1st Place)
  • Nemo – “The Code” (Switzerland 2024, 1st Place)
  • Nicole – “Ein bißchen Frieden” (Germany 1982, 1st Place)
  • Poli Genova – “If Love Was A Crime” (Bulgaria 2016, 4th Place)
  • S10 – “De Diepte” (Netherlands 2022, 11th Place)
  • Sakis Rouvas – “Shake It” & “This Is Our Night” (Greece 2004 & 2009, 3rd and 7th Place)
  • Verka Serduchka – “Dancing Lasha Tumbai” (Ukraine 2007, 2nd Place)

The great Concert is a co-production of the Dutch public broadcaster, AVROTROS with PILOTSTUDIO and will take place on December 12 at the Ziggo Dome in Amsterdam, and it will also be broadcasted on television, recorded by the Dutch national broadcaster.

The host for the evening will once again be Edsilia Rombley (Netherlands 1998 and 2007, host of Eurovision 2021), who is expected to perform her own entries as well.

Stay tuned, as the Dutch producers may announce some moresurprise participants in the future!

Joost Klein and the camerawoman answer to the decision of the Swedish police!

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With yesterday’s announcement made by the Swedish police, one of the issues that marked Eurovision 2024 negatively for many fans, has officially come to an end. Of course, we are talking about the disqualification of Joost Klein from the final of Eurovision 2024.

After the police investigations, yesterday’s announcement stated that Joost Klein will not be prosecuted for the incident at this year’s Eurovision due to a lack of evidence.

A few hours ago Joost Klein himself, spoke about the whole issue for the first time, with an Instagram post:

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Joost Klein (@joostklein)

“The last couple of months were terrible. Even though I love to perform anywhere around the world, something didn’t feel right. Why did we have to wait so long for an answer? Everyday I felt insecure whilst I knew the truth. There is no case against me, because there never was a case.

We should all take care for each other, we should all support each other and we should ALL come together. Companies just want to protect their money and they tried to use me as a shield. A village against the city…

Guess what? LOVE ALWAYS WINS. TRUST THE PROCESS!!!!! EVEN THOUGH I LOST ALL HOPE WE BACK NOW BABY!!! ALBUM MODE!!!!!!!”

At the same time, the camerwoman spoke through her lawyer, Kristoffer Ståhl, about the decision of the police, and indicated that she is thinking of taking further legal actions, in order to be vindicated:

“My client is very saddened by the decision and is considering whether she wants to challenge the decision. She came to Malmö to do her work in a special place where music, inclusion and diversity are central. What happened to her was unexpected and very traumatic. She now has to deal with the consequences of that incident, unfortunately.” 

Lawyer Ståhl adds in his statement that there was no agreement that “the Dutch artist” would not be filmed after his appearance. “My client wants to state clearly that she did not pay more or less attention to the Dutch artist than to other candidates of the festival,” she says.

However, the woman praised the EBU for the way the organization “put the mental and physical safety of its workers first”.

We now await with great interest the reaction of the Dutch public broadcaster, and whether it will participate or not in Eurovision 2025 next May in Switzerland.

Source : Joost Klein, rtl.nl

Netherlands: The Ducth commentator, Cornald Maas, answers to Edward af Sillen!

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Earlier yesterday, through a post in his personal account in X, Edward af Sillen, the scriptwriter for the previous three contests in Sweden (2013, 2016 & 2024), parallels the two cases of a contestant’s suspension, in Eurovision 2024 and in Euro, that of Joost Klein and the Turkish football player, Merih Demiral.

His post received both positive and negative reactions, saying that the comparison is out of place. Cornald Maas, the Dutch commentator, stated the same below Edward af Sillen’s post. In detail, he commented the following:

“Oh really? No better/more meaningful comparisons? You can try better (I hope)”

The Dutch disqualification, is a topic that concerned both fans and the EBU itself, which stated in its recent statement on everything that happened during Eurovision 2024, that the simplification of the rules and everyone keeping up with the regulations (members of delegations, artists, fans) is of crucial importance for the smooth running of the contest in the future. However, it’s only logical that the Dutch commentator is negative about the whole treatment of the subject.

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

Netherlands: Twan van de Nieuwenhuijzen steps down as Head of the Dutch delegation

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After a year of service, the Head of the Dutch delegation, the well-knowned to fans, Twan van de Nieuwenhuijzen, resigns from his position, to continue his career at NOS.

Through a post on his personal account on Instagram, Twan van de Nieuwenhuijzen, announced his resignation from this position, while revealing that he will now work as Editor-in-Chief of Events at NOS. In detail, he stated:

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Twan van de Nieuwenhuijzen (@twanvdn)

“From mid-August I will begin working as Editor-in-Chief at NOS Events! I will be working with familiar faces and new colleagues on (live) programmes for national events, commemorations and celebrations. After five years of working on Eurovision, this great opportunity came at the right time. So excited!”

Twan van de Nieuwenhuijzen had a very important role in Eurovision in recent years, being the Head of the Contest from 2019 until 2023, while in 2024 he was the head of the Dutch delegation.

AVROTROS, the Dutch public broadcaster, confirmed that they are not yet looking for a new head of delegation as they have not yet decided whether they will participate in the next contest, following the incident that took place in Malmö, following the disqualification of Joost Klein.

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

Source: ad.nl

Εurovision 2024: 5miinust & Puuluup will not withdraw from the contest!

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We are just hours away from the Grand Final and the moment when we will find out the winner of the 68th Eurovision Song Contest. The atmosphere seems to be increasingly tense in Malmö Arena.

As a reminder, the Dutch singer Joost Klein will not be competing in the Grand Final of this year’s contest. According to an EBU statement, the Swedish police investigated a complaint from a female production member, following an incident after Joost’s performance on Thursday in the Second Semi-Final. In fact, despite rumours from international media, the incident has not involved any participant or mission. Thus, the Grand Final of the 68th edition of the competition will be held with 25 countries.

After the exclusion of the Netherlands, in addition to the strong reactions, rumours of other countries withdrawing from the competition in protest began to circulate. The most intense rumour was on social media regarding the Estonian delegation. However, according to exclusive information, the Estonian representatives will compete as usual in tonight’s final, as they continued their preparations and came out in today’s rehearsal of the family show.

Stay tuned to Eurovisionfun for all the news!

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Netherlands: Joost Klein questioned by Swedish police after complaint from SVT employee!

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Today is the night of the final and it is still unclear what the EBU will decide regarding the Netherlands’ participation in the Grand Final.  According to Dutch public television, Joost Klein was questioned by the police, following a complaint by an employee of SVT.

According to the police report, Joost Klein threatened her, during the first dress rehearsal, on Friday, May 11.

Police say Joost Klein was questioned late last night. The woman who filed the complaint was also questioned. The case has now been handed over to the prosecutor. The case can take weeks to settle.

Therefore, we can not predict what will be the final decision regarding the Netherlands’ participation in tonight’s Grand Final of the Eurovision Song Contest. The managing director of Dutch public television has arrived in Malmö and is in talks with the EBU to decide what will eventually happen with their participation.

We remind you that yesterday, Joost Klein was not able to perform his song for the jury because of the ongoing investigation by the EBU.  Instead, the video of his performance from the Semi-final was shown.  By the time this article was written a final decision has not been made.  The online voting for the rest of the world has not started as a consequence.

We will keep you informed once we get the final outcome of this case and the official announcements from the EBU.

Source: NOS

Stay tuned at EurovisionFun for all developments regarding Joost Klein’s participation and more news about the Eurovision Song Contest 2024!

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Eurovision 2024: EBU in crisis meeting! | Joost Klein stopped from rehearsing this afternoon!

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As you read in one of our previous articles, one of the big favorites, Dutch Joost Klein, didn’t show up at the rehearsal for the Eurovision final earlier today.

Svergies Radio’s Carolina Norén, reported from within the press centre that the EBU is currently in a crisis meeting investigating an incident they say occurred yesterday.

She mentioned that she could actually see towards the Dutch box where Joost Klein is supposed to be and the Dutch delegation is waiting for a decision.

She also asked the Israeli delegation briefly, if they had reported anything but they denied anything like that. It was at yesterday’s press conference that it was noticed that Joost Klein had the Dutch flag on him.

Last night, when the Israeli participant Eden Golan received a critical question regarding security concerns on this year’s contest, and the moderators interrupted and said she wouldn’t need to respond, Joost then asked, why not? But this is unclear that the Dutch favourite was stopped from performing earlier for that reason.

According to information to SVT, a physical confrontation has occurred between the artist and a photographer.

So we have to wait for an official statement from the EBU and hope that things clear up a bit. Joost Klein is still in the arena, the Netherlands delegation is sitting and waiting for a decision.

Source: Sveriges Radio/SVT

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Stay tuned on Eurovisionfun for all the news regarding the Eurovision Song Contest 2024, in Malmö!