eurovision.news1

23/07/2025

🇦🇹 Eurovision 2026 Host City Race Heats Up: Vienna and Innsbruck Unveil Slogans

As the competition to host the Eurovision Song Contest 2026 intensifies, two Austrian cities have officially revealed their slogans:

Vienna: “Europe, shall we dance?”

Innsbruck: “Together on Top”

Both slogans reflect each city's unique vision for hosting Europe’s biggest music event. Meanwhile, St. Pölten has also entered the race, bringing the number of official candidates to three.

The final decision on the host city is expected to be announced later this year.

07/07/2025

🇮🇱 If Israel Is Disqualified from Eurovision 2026, Germany and Italy Will Also Withdraw from the Contest and Refuse to Provide Additional Funding as Part of the 'Big 5'.

27/06/2025

🇪🇺 Martin Österdahl Resigns from Eurovision Role After Transformative Tenure

The European Broadcasting Union (EBU) has officially announced that Martin Österdahl, who has overseen the Eurovision Song Contest and Junior Eurovision since 2020, will step down from his role this summer.

In a personal statement, Österdahl reflected on his time leading one of the world’s most beloved music competitions:

“From day one, I’ve been inspired by the unique power of the Eurovision Song Contest to unite people through music — especially in 2021, when we brought the contest back live in front of millions amid a global pandemic. It was a testament to the resilience and spirit at the heart of our community.

I’m incredibly proud of the changes we’ve made to modernize and strengthen Eurovision — from establishing the permanent slogan ‘United By Music,’ to securing long-term sponsors and brand partnerships, and increasing engagement and reach across our digital platforms. These efforts have brought millions of new fans to the contest.

Today, Eurovision is a global phenomenon: hundreds of thousands register for tickets, it attracts hundreds of millions of viewers worldwide, and it serves as a powerful platform for artists and songwriters to reach international success overnight.

Having contributed to Eurovision in various capacities for nearly two decades, it has been the greatest honor of my professional life to lead the world’s largest music event. I’ve worked to turn this contest into a global super brand that brings joy to more people than ever before.

I am deeply grateful to the entire Eurovision community — especially the Core Team, participating broadcasters, artists, and fans — for their passion and support.”

Martin Green, who was appointed Executive Producer for Eurovision 2024, will assume the role on an interim basis. The EBU will announce a new Executive Supervisor in the coming months.

02/06/2025

🇦🇹 Two Possible Date Sets Considered for Eurovision 2026 Grand Final

The European Broadcasting Union (EBU) has revealed two potential sets of dates for the Eurovision Song Contest 2026.

According to preliminary planning, the contest may take place either on May 12, 14, and 16 or on May 19, 21, and 23. One of these date sets will be confirmed for the semi-finals and the grand final of next year's edition.

The final decision is expected to be announced in the coming months, depending on host city arrangements and venue availability.

29/05/2025

🇨🇭 Eurovision 2025 Attracts Record-Breaking Global Audience of 166 Million

The 69th edition of the Eurovision Song Contest once again captivated a massive global audience, drawing 166 million viewers across 37 broadcasting countries. This marks a 3% increase in viewership compared to last year.

The Grand Final achieved a remarkable 47.7% audience share, the highest recorded since 2004. Notably, the contest set a new benchmark among younger viewers aged 15–24, with an impressive 60.4% share in that demographic.

Across 19 countries, the final reached a viewership share exceeding 50%. Iceland topped the chart with a staggering 97.8%, while Switzerland, this year’s host nation, recorded a 57% increase from the previous year, with an average of 1.1 million viewers.

In Germany, Eurovision reached its highest ratings since 2016, drawing 9.1 million viewers. Poland’s audience tripled compared to the previous year, climbing to 4 million, while France’s viewership share hit 40%. Finland achieved a historic 90.5% share, and Greece registered its best numbers since 2010, with 2.8 million viewers tuning in for the final.

Top-Performing Countries by Audience Share:

Iceland – 97.8%

Finland – 90.5%

Sweden – 89.6%

Norway – 85.4%

Denmark & Netherlands – 75.1%

German-speaking region of Switzerland – 74.2%

Even countries not participating in the contest showed significant engagement. Through the online voting system, viewers from 146 countries took part. Leading the way among non-participating nations were the United States, Canada, Romania, Slovakia, Mexico, Turkey, Hungary, Kosovo, the UAE, and South Africa.

The contest’s official YouTube channel also saw a spike in engagement. The Grand Final alone garnered 12.1 million views, showing growth from the previous year. The two Semi-Finals were watched 4.4 million and 3.4 million times, respectively.

Eurovision Viewership Over Recent Years:

2025 – 166 million

2024 – 163 million

2023 – 162 million

2022 – 183 million

2021 – 182 million

2020 – Contest cancelled

2019 – 182 million

2018 – 186 million

2017 – 182 million

2016 – 204 million

2015 – 197 million

2014 – 195 million

Source: EBU

23/05/2025

🇪🇺 Jury Votes May Return to Eurovision Semi-Finals Amid Widespread Criticism

The Eurovision Song Contest 2025 is likely to be remembered as one of the most controversial editions in the event’s history. From Israel’s participation to discrepancies between public and jury votes, and broader questions about the contest’s format, the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) now faces mounting pressure to implement significant changes. Jean Philip De Tender, EBU’s Media Director, addressed these concerns in an interview with Belgium’s VRT Radio 1.

One of the most hotly debated issues throughout the competition was the decision to allow Israel to participate. De Tender acknowledged the controversy and confirmed that the matter will be reviewed at the highest levels within the EBU in the coming weeks:

“We are a neutral organization with no mandate to take political positions,” he stated. “However, we are fully aware of Eurovision’s powerful impact both publicly and internationally. Based on the expectations of our member broadcasters, we will put this issue on the table and reach a collective decision.”

Another point of contention was the voting outcome involving Israel’s contestant, Yuval Raphael, who earned 297 points from the public vote but only 60 from professional juries. Broadcasters from Spain (RTVE), Belgium (VRT), Lithuania (LRT), Iceland (RÚV), and Ireland (RTÉ) responded by issuing a formal request for a detailed breakdown of the voting results.

De Tender commented on the current voting rules, particularly the limit of “20 votes per SIM or payment card”:

“This rule was introduced to accommodate families, allowing different members to vote for different acts. But over time, we’ve noticed that people don’t always vote based on the song alone — political, national, or cultural reasons increasingly influence voting behavior, which can distort the results."

He added that reforms to ensure a more transparent and balanced televoting system are both possible and necessary.

Currently, jury votes only influence the outcome of the Grand Final, with semi-final qualifiers determined exclusively by public vote. However, this system may soon change.

20/05/2025

🇮🇱 Israeli Broadcaster KAN to Appeal Jury Vote Miscalculation, Demands Additional 50 Points from EBU

The Israeli public broadcaster KAN has officially stated that the country's jury votes in the Eurovision Song Contest 2025 were miscalculated. According to the channel, Israel’s jury score should have been 50 points higher, and KAN plans to submit an official appeal to the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) requesting that the score be corrected.

In the final results, Israel received only 60 points from the professional juries, placing 15th in the jury vote. However, the country topped the televoting with an impressive 297 points, ultimately securing second place overall with a combined total of 357 points.

Source: ESC Halley

18/05/2025

🇪🇺 Eurovision Controversy: Jury vs. Televoting – Who Decides the Winner? 🎤🎶

In recent years, the Eurovision Song Contest has been stirring debates over voting fairness and the impact of politics on results. Since 2023, the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) has taken a bold step to reduce the jury’s influence in the semifinals by relying solely on public televoting for qualification. Yet, despite this change, the winners of the last three contests have all been decided by the jury votes in the grand final — raising the question: is the jury vote more crucial than ever?

Back in the day, Eurovision fans criticized the jury system for being politically motivated. But nowadays, many celebrate the jury’s presence, arguing that without it, the contest’s musical quality would suffer dramatically. The last three winning entries proved that jury support keeps the artistic essence alive on the Eurovision stage, rewarding performances with strong artistic direction rather than just popular appeal.

Let’s take a look at the data from the past three years:

🇸🇪 Eurovision 2023 Winner – Sweden

Semi-Final 1: 2nd place with 135 points

Grand Final:

Jury Vote: 1st place with 340 points

Televote: 2nd place with 243 points

Total: 1st place with 583 points

🇨🇭 Eurovision 2024 Winner – Switzerland

Semi-Final 2: 4th place with 132 points

Grand Final:

Jury Vote: 1st place with 365 points

Televote: 5th place with 226 points

Total: 1st place with 591 points

🇦🇹 Eurovision 2025 Winner – Austria

Semi-Final 2: 5th place with 104 points

Grand Final:

Jury Vote: 1st place with 258 points

Televote: 4th place with 178 points

Total: 1st place with 436 points

Interestingly, none of these winners were top-ranked in their semi-finals — and all three were crowned thanks to strong jury support in the final.

So, what does this mean for Eurovision’s future? Should the jury continue to play a dominant role, or should the public televote have more influence? Should the semifinals revert to including jury voting to balance things out?

18/05/2025

🇪🇺 Eurovision 2025 Grand Final: Televoting Results Revealed

Last night, the Grand Final of the 69th Eurovision Song Contest took place in Basel, Switzerland. At the end of a spectacular show, Austria’s representative JJ was crowned the winner of Eurovision 2025 with the song "Wasted Love," earning a total of 436 points.

The winner was determined by a combined voting system — 50% professional jury votes and 50% public televoting.

Here are the televoting results from the Grand Final:

1. Israel 🇮🇱 – 297 points

2. Estonia 🇪🇪 – 258 points

3. Sweden 🇸🇪 – 195 points

4. Austria 🇦🇹 – 178 points

5. Albania 🇦🇱 – 173 points

6. Ukraine 🇺🇦 – 158 points

7. Poland 🇵🇱 – 139 points

8. Greece 🇬🇷 – 126 points

9. Finland 🇫🇮 – 108 points

10. Italy 🇮🇹 – 97 points

11. Germany 🇩🇪 – 74 points

12. Norway 🇳🇴 – 67 points

13. Lithuania 🇱🇹 – 62 points

14. France 🇫🇷 – 50 points

15. Netherlands 🇳🇱 – 42 points

16. Latvia 🇱🇻 – 42 points

17. Iceland 🇮🇸 – 33 points

18. Armenia 🇦🇲 – 30 points

19. Luxembourg 🇱🇺 – 24 points

20. San Marino 🇸🇲 – 18 points

21. Portugal 🇵🇹 – 13 points

22. Spain 🇪🇸 – 10 points

23. Malta 🇲🇹 – 8 points

24. Denmark 🇩🇰 – 2 points

25. United Kingdom 🇬🇧 – 0 points

26. Switzerland 🇨🇭 – 0 points

18/05/2025

🇪🇺 Results of the First and Second Semi-Finals of Eurovision Song Contest 2025 Announced

The results of the first and second semi-finals of the Eurovision Song Contest 2025 have been officially revealed.

As a reminder, the qualifiers for the Grand Final were determined solely through public televoting and the "Rest of the World" vote, without the involvement of a professional jury.

Are you satisfied with the results?

17/05/2025

17/05/2025

🇦🇹 And the winner is revealed! Austria triumphs at the 69th Eurovision Song Contest

Austria has emerged as the winner of the 69th Eurovision Song Contest, securing the top spot among fierce competition from across Europe and beyond. With a powerful performance and strong public and jury support, Austria clinched the victory, marking another significant achievement in the country's Eurovision history.

As a result, the 70th edition of the Eurovision Song Contest will take place in Austria next year, promising yet another spectacular celebration of music, diversity, and unity.