Gooseberry season? No way, countries are making plans!

You thought the summer was gooseberry season for Eurovision fans? You thought there was no news? You are wrong! Apart from the annual plagiarism accusation adressed to the winner (Dutch band The Vendetta’s and their song “You want it, you got it“) no less than 10 countries are making plans for 2022.

Andorra
Susanne Georgi, who took part in the 2009 contest, is planning actions to get Andorra back in Eurovision. She does that every year, but especially for 2022 she is very positive. The public broadcaster of Andorra had made clear that there are no plans for a return; however, nothing is official yet.

Germany
At German broadcaster NDR, they have the feeling that somehow they are doing something wrong. Jendrik Sigwart was not the big hit they were hoping for. The Germans will investigate what went wrong, in order to do it better in 2022.

Finland
There will be a Uuden Musiikin Kilpailu (UMK, New Music Competition) again in 2022. It will be held in february. It is likely to have the same system as in 2020 and 2021, with more than one artist.

France
If there are any changes in the French selection “Eurovision France, c’est vous qui décidéz”, there will only be small changes. That is what French tv-station France2 announced. And they have a reason: they became 2nd this year!

Israel
Again, Israeli broadcaster Kan will not organize the national selection. They haven’t done that since the broadcaster was established in 2018. So far, talent show “HaKokhav Haba L’Eurovizion” was the national selection method. However, rumour has it that the X-Factor winner might be the Eurovision contestant in 2022. To be continued…

Ireland
The Irish broadcaster RTÉ wants to let the public make the choice, but how? A national final is expensive. An online version could be an alternative. And beside there is Sinéad O’Connor (photo). The singer of “Nothing compares 2u” and many other songs expressed her astonishment about the fact that she was never asked to do the job. Reactions from RTÉ-officials were positive. Also, to be continued…

Norway
The contest is open already! Everyone who wishes to represent Norway can submit songs to NRK. In January and February, a series of Melodi Grand Prix contests will take place.

Serbia
Of course it was different this year, as Serbian TV wanted to give Hurricane a 2nd chance. However, the national final Beovizija will be the contest to select the 2022 song. In what format this will happen exactly, is not known yet.

Sweden
No big changes are expected in Sweden. However, one small change is already announced. Every year, since 2012, the winner of the radio talent show P4 Nästa got a wildcard for Melodifestivalen. However, next year that will not be the case. If participants of P4 Nästa want to participate in Melodifestivalen, they just have to submit their songs like everybody else.

The Netherlands
Dutch broadcaster Avrotros already asked everyone to submit songs for the 2022 contest. A committee will select the best song out of it. Avrotros only wants complete songs with demo to be submitted. We can already take one name from the list: Davina Michelle, the singer you have seen in the first semifinal entre act, says that she is not ready to do the job in 2022.

Of course, we will keep you updated!

photo credits: Leah Pritchard, Wikimedia Commons

Share

Related news

Uncategorized

Weekly Update

It’s time for another weekly Eurovision update. Belgium has officially joined the list of 2026 participants, and Israel intends to take part. The EBU shared a statement after recent discussions. Luxembourg, Austria, and Denmark opened their national selection processes. Meanwhile, two Austrian cities exited the host city race, while two others moved forward with formal bids. Belgium Confirms, Israel Plans to Participate Belgium confirmed its participation in the Eurovision Song Contest 2026. Broadcaster RTBF announced the decision and will later decide how it will choose its entry. The Flemish broadcaster VRT will not be in charge this time, following the usual alternation. source: escspot 📷 EBU/Sarah Bennett Israel also intends to take part. Public broadcaster KAN said preparations are underway for next year’s contest in Austria. Although discussions about Israel’s role in Eurovision have drawn attention recently, KAN made its stance clear. Israel joins over a dozen broadcasters that have already declared their intention to participate.  EBU Responds with Statement after Assembly The European Broadcasting Union (EBU) addressed recent concerns about Eurovision’s direction. During the General Assembly in London, members shared their views on the contest’s growing challenges in a complex global climate. The EBU released a statement afterward, recognizing that participation questions have become more sensitive and complicated. Broadcasters voiced many opinions and expressed support for KAN’s independence, especially under political pressure. To move forward, the EBU brought in a former senior television executive to lead a structured dialogue with its members. This process will include further discussions and a report with recommendations, expected in the autumn. Countries Start Their Search for 2026 Entries In this weekly update we also look at national selections. Several countries have now launched their search for Eurovision 2026 songs. Luxembourg opened its submission platform on 4 July. Songwriters and performers can submit entries online. The national final will take place on 24 January 2026 at the Rockhal Arena. source: RTL Austria also began preparing for next year. Broadcaster ORF opened submissions for artists and songwriters. The submission deadline is 15 September. Last month, ORF hosted a songwriting camp in Vienna. Artists and producers worked together, creating 18 new songs. Some of these songs could be selected internally to represent Austria. source: Merci,Cherie In Denmark, broadcaster DR opened submissions for Dansk Melodi Grand Prix 2026. Composers can send in their songs until 2 November. A professional jury will select eight finalists. The national final is set for 14 February 2026 in Frederikshavn. The winner will represent Denmark at Eurovision 2026. source: DR 📷 EBU/Sarah Louise Bennett Vienna and Innsbruck Submit Host Bids The list of potential host cities is getting shorter. Wels and Linz, who planned a joint bid, decided not to move forward. Technical issues and high costs led them to withdraw. Their venue, the TipsArena, didn’t meet key Eurovision requirements. source: OTS At the same time, Vienna and Innsbruck submitted official bids to host the contest. Vienna proposed the Wiener Stadthalle, the same venue it used in 2015. Innsbruck chose the Olympiaworld complex. Both cities confirmed their bids with detailed proposals. ORF, the Austrian broadcaster, will now review the applications. A decision on the 2026 host city is expected by 8 August. That’s all for this weekly update. Stay tuned for another weekly roundup next week as the road to Eurovision 2026 continues! Share

Share
Read More »
Uncategorized
Martijn

Weekly Update

It’s time for another weekly Eurovision update. Belgium has officially joined the list of 2026 participants, and Israel intends to take part. The EBU shared a statement after recent discussions. Luxembourg, Austria, and Denmark opened their national selection processes. Meanwhile, two Austrian cities exited the host city race, while two others moved forward with formal bids. Belgium Confirms, Israel Plans to Participate Belgium confirmed its participation in the Eurovision Song Contest 2026. Broadcaster RTBF announced the decision and will later decide how it will choose its entry. The Flemish broadcaster VRT will not be in charge this time, following the usual alternation. source: escspot 📷 EBU/Sarah Bennett Israel also intends to take part. Public broadcaster KAN said preparations are underway for next year’s contest in Austria. Although discussions about Israel’s role in Eurovision have drawn attention recently, KAN made its stance clear. Israel joins over a dozen broadcasters that have already declared their intention to participate.  EBU Responds with Statement after Assembly The European Broadcasting Union (EBU) addressed recent concerns about Eurovision’s direction. During the General Assembly in London, members shared their views on the contest’s growing challenges in a complex global climate. The EBU released a statement afterward, recognizing that participation questions have become more sensitive and complicated. Broadcasters voiced many opinions and expressed support for KAN’s independence, especially under political pressure. To move forward, the EBU brought in a former senior television executive to lead a structured dialogue with its members. This process will include further discussions and a report with recommendations, expected in the autumn. Countries Start Their Search for 2026 Entries In this weekly update we also look at national selections. Several countries have now launched their search for Eurovision 2026 songs. Luxembourg opened its submission platform on 4 July. Songwriters and performers can submit entries online. The national final will take place on 24 January 2026 at the Rockhal Arena. source: RTL Austria also began preparing for next year. Broadcaster ORF opened submissions for artists and songwriters. The submission deadline is 15 September. Last month, ORF hosted a songwriting camp in Vienna. Artists and producers worked together, creating 18 new songs. Some of these songs could be selected internally to represent Austria. source: Merci,Cherie In Denmark, broadcaster DR opened submissions for Dansk Melodi Grand Prix 2026. Composers can send in their songs until 2 November. A professional jury will select eight finalists. The national final is set for 14 February 2026 in Frederikshavn. The winner will represent Denmark at Eurovision 2026. source: DR 📷 EBU/Sarah Louise Bennett Vienna and Innsbruck Submit Host Bids The list of potential host cities is getting shorter. Wels and Linz, who planned a joint bid, decided not to move forward. Technical issues and high costs led them to withdraw. Their venue, the TipsArena, didn’t meet key Eurovision requirements. source: OTS At the same time, Vienna and Innsbruck submitted official bids to host the contest. Vienna proposed the Wiener Stadthalle, the same venue it used in 2015. Innsbruck chose the Olympiaworld complex. Both cities confirmed their bids with detailed proposals. ORF, the Austrian broadcaster, will now review the applications. A decision on the 2026 host city is expected by 8 August. That’s all for this weekly update. Stay tuned for another weekly roundup next week as the road to Eurovision 2026 continues! Share

Share
Read More »