2025

🇦🇱 Albania selects: Festivali i Këngës final tonight

Albania selects: the Festivali i Këngës final will be held tonight. After two semifinals, the final with 15 songs will be held. The show will start at 21:00 CET and you can watch it on YouTube. There is a slight difference from the last two contests: this year, the winner of the contest will also represent Albania in the Eurovision Song Contest. These are the 15 songs: no. Title Artist 1 Gjallë Jet 2 Kur Bota Hesht Kejsi Jazhxhi 3 Lutem Vesa Smolica 4 E këshim Nis Stine 5 Larg Djemtë e Detit 6 Zemrës Nita Latifi 7 Larg Jetës Pa Ty Gjergj Kaçinari 8 I parë Orgesa Zaimi 9 Amanë Ardit Çuni 10 Bosh Algert Sala 11 Zjerm Shkoadra Elektronike 12 Frymë Lorenc Hasrama 13 Karnaval Elvana Gjata 14 Antihero Mal Retkoceri 15 Mjegull Alis Kallacej Gjergj Kaçinari took part in Festivali i Këngës 2020 (final) and 2021 (final).Orgesa Zaimi participated in 2015 (semifinal), 2017 (final), 2018 (final) and 2020 (final).Elvana Gjata took part in 2003 (semifinal) and 2019 (2nd).Mal Retkoceri was chosen as the winner of Festival i Këngës 2023, but not as the Eurovision participant. Note that every participation was in the national final for the Eurovision Song Contest a year later. If it says 2020 it was, for example, for the 2021 Eurovision final. Albania in the Eurovision Song Contest Albania has been part of the Eurovision Song Contest since 2004. Their first entry was “The Image of You” by Anjeza Shahini, which finished in 7th place. The country often chooses its songs through the Festivali i Këngës competition. Albania’s best result came in 2012 when Rona Nishliu sang “Suus” and finished 5th. The songs are usually performed in Albanian, but some are in English. Albania is known for powerful ballads and strong vocal performances.

Singer Claude will represent the Netherlands

Singer Claude will represent the Netherlands at the Eurovision Songefestival 2025 As is known, the Dutch artist, Joost Klein, was disqualified last year for alleged misconduct against a camerawoman.After that, various talks took place between the EBU and Avro Tros. Finally, at the end of November, it was announced that the Netherlands will participate in the Eurovision Song Contest 2025 after all. This afternoon at 1600 PM they announced the artist Claude via Social Media. The 21-year-old singer says he is proud to be on stage on behalf of the Netherlands in Basel in Switzerland. Claude describes his participation as a dream come true: “I feel enormously honored to represent the Netherlands at the Eurovision Song Contest next year and I still can’t believe it. I’m really looking forward to it and can’t wait to let Europe hear the song.” (source AvroTros)

🇨🇿 ADONXS will represent Czechia

ADONXS will represent Czechia. That is what ČT (Czech Television) confirmed today. Rumours about ADONXS were going on already a longer time. ADONXS, born Adam Pavlovčin, is a 29-year-old singer from Czechia. He became famous after winning SuperStar Czech-Slovakia in 2021. In 2022, he released his debut album, Age of ADONXS. The same year, he won “Singer of the Year” and “Musical Discovery” awards from Evropa 2 radio. ADONXS lives in Prague and continues to make music. ADONXS will represent Czechia in the 2025 Eurovision Song Contest. It’s a new challenge in his career. About participating, ADONXS says: “First of all, I am really happy; participating in Eurovision has always been my big dream. At the same time, I feel a great responsibility to represent a country that has a great recent history in the competition, and which is my home.” About the song, he tells us: “I have visualised this moment to a large extent and for the last year I have mainly focused on creating new songs, also with the ambition of Eurovision. I applied with several songs, and I am happy that one of them was ultimately successful. I can’t wait to be able to share the song with you.“ “Moving on”, a hit for ADONXS in 2022. Czechia in the Eurovision Song Contest Czechia has been participating in the Eurovision Song Contest since 2007. Although the country struggled in its early years, failing to qualify for the finals in its first three attempts, Czechia made a remarkable comeback in 2015 after a five-year break. Since then, the country has steadily improved its Eurovision record. Czechia achieved its best result in 2018 when Mikolas Josef performed “Lie to Me,” finishing in 6th place. His energetic performance and catchy song brought Czechia international recognition and marked a turning point for the nation in the contest. The country is known for sending diverse acts, showcasing a mix of pop, ballads, and experimental music.

🇲🇪 Montenegro: Nina Žižić returns to Eurovision

Nina Žižić returns to Eurovision. She will represent Montenegro after the band NeonoeN withdrew. They decided not to participate with their song “Clickbait”. The song was already performed before September 1st of this year. That was reason for the EBU to investigate the case. Nina Žižić was the runner up of the Montenegrin national final Montesong. Her song “Dobrodošli” was the favourite of the jury. Due to a lower score at the televote, Nina didn’t win. However, today Montenegrin broadcaster RTCG announced that she will represent Montenegro in the 2025 contest. It’s not the first time Nina Žižić represents Montenegro. In 2013, she was on stage accompanying hip hop band Who See. They performed the song “Igranka”, but unfortunately did not reach the final. And now Nina Žižić returns to Eurovision. The song “Dobrodošli” is written and composed by Violeta Mihajlovska, Boris Subotić and Darko Dimitrov. Due to the early stage of selection, we don’t know whether the song will be in the first or second semifinal. Montenegro’s Eurovision history Montenegro first participated in the Eurovision Song Contest as an independent nation in 2007, following its split from Serbia and Montenegro. Despite its small size, the country brought diverse entries ranging from Balkan ballads to modern pop. Montenegro achieved its best result in 2015 with Knez‘s “Adio,” a traditional ballad composed by Željko Joksimović, which finished 13th in the final. However, financial constraints and challenges in qualifying for the final often hindered its success. After withdrawing in 2020 and after due to funding issues, Montenegro will now return to the contest.

🇲🇪 Montenegro: NeonoeN withdraws

Withdrawal One week after winning Montesong 2024, the band NeonoeN decided to leave the Eurovision Song Contest 2025. A video showed part of their song “Clickbait” being performed at the Festival Kulture Zabjelo in 2023. The Eurovision rules say that songs must be new and original. Any song performed or released before 1 September 2024 cannot be in the contest. That is the reason EBU was investigating. No decision has been made yet, until now: not from EBU but from NeonoeN itself. statement Montenegrin broadcaster RTCG made a statement: Dear, In the best public interest, with the desire to end the uncertainty and once again contribute to the music that we are here for, we inform you that we are voluntarily withdrawing from participating in Eurovision. RTCG, in accordance with the regulations, will choose another representative, and we will be the first to wish him luck and provide full support. The victory at Montesong brought us publicity whose type and scope we did not choose, nor could we control. We would like to point out, and the facts confirm this, that performing the working version of the song live neither jeopardized the process of the Montesong festival itself, nor could it have influenced its final outcome and our placement. The fact is that there have been many similar examples and that the EBU has always decided that these songs can participate (one even won at Eurovision), because they did not have a competitive advantage over the others, which is clear to everyone. However, we simply do not want to be part of any stories outside of music, nor to promote our author’s work in this way. Eurovision has never been a goal in itself for us. Expanding the field of our musical activity – it certainly is! The Montesong Festival organized by the Association of Entertainers brought 16 new songs and that is its greatest value. We would like to thank the management of RTCG for their good will and intention to give us space for other options. We believe that they will understand our decision to give up on Eurovision and we also thank them for that. Special and immense gratitude for the support of fellow musicians, lovers of good music, friends, acquaintances, journalists and the general public from Montenegro and abroad, which gave us strength in the last days. Our families, together with us, have experienced all the splendor and despair of this process and now it is time to repay them and dedicate ourselves to them in the right way. CLICKBAIT continues to live as a musical single, but we are also afraid of it as a contemporary social phenomenon. Once again, thank you all. Now let’s all support Montenegro at Eurovision!

🇲🇪 Montenegro: NeonoeN wins national final

The band NeonoeN wins the Montenegrin national final. Montenegro is the first country to select a song for the 2025 Eurovision Song Contest. The band NeonoeN will now represent Montenegro in the Eurovision Song Contest in Basel. The song they will present is called “Clickbait”. The song is written and composed by Ilija Pejović. As there has been no draw so far, we don’t yet know whether will perform in the first or second semifinal. Nina ŽiŽić was the number 1 among the jury, Baryak won with the televotes. NeonoeN became the winner by receiving 10 points from both jury and televoters. Here are the full results of the contest: NeonoeN, “Clickbait”, 20 pts Nina ŽiŽić, “Dobrodošli”, 19 pts Baryak, “Dva srca”, 15 pts Đurđa, “To ljubav je”, 12 pts Kejt, “Obala raja”, 9 pts Milena Vučić, “Škorpija”, 8 pts Tina Džankić, “Nova, 8 pts Isak Šabanović, “Ljeto, ljeto, ljeto”, 7 pts Tamara Živković, “Poguban let”, 6 pts Glumci Bend, “San”, 6 pts Verica Čuljković, “Čuješ li”, 4 pts Nemanja Petrović, “Među zvijezdama”, 1 pts Luka Radović, “Kada dođe maj”, 1 pts Anastasija Koprolčec, “Kraj”, 0 pts Bend 9, “Stop war”, 0 pts Dolce Hera, “Repeat”, 0 pts

🇲🇪 Montenegro: first national final of 2025

Yes it’s true: today, Montesong will be held. Montenegro will have the first national final for the 2025 Eurovision Song Contest in Basel. That makes Montenegro true early birds! The show starts at 20:00 CET and you can watch it here or on Youtube. The contest will be held in the Voco Sports Hall in Podgorica. 16 songs will compete. The winner will be chosen through a 50/50 jury and televote. These are the competing songs: nr. Artist Song 1 Anastasija Koprolčec Kraj 2 Tina Džankić Nova 3 Nemanja Petrović Među zvijezdama 4 Bend 9 Stop War 5 Tamara Živković Poguban let 6 Luka Radović Kada dođe maj 7 Đurđa To ljubav je 8 Kejt Obala raja 9 Nina ŽiŽić Dobrodošli 10 Neonoen Clickbait 11 Isak Šabanović Ljeto, ljeto, ljeto 12 Glumci Bend San 13 Dolce Hera Repeat 14 Baryak Dva srca 15 Verica Čuljković Čuješ li 16 Milena Vučić Škorpija Milena Vučić is the only returning artist. In 2006 she took part in the national selection of Serbia & Montenegro. She reached a 19th place. Montenegro’s Eurovision history Montenegro first participated in the Eurovision Song Contest as an independent nation in 2007, following its split from Serbia and Montenegro. Despite its small size, the country brought diverse entries ranging from Balkan ballads to modern pop. Montenegro achieved its best result in 2015 with Knez‘s “Adio,” a traditional ballad composed by Željko Joksimović, which finished 13th in the final. However, financial constraints and challenges in qualifying for the final often hindered its success. After withdrawing in 2020 and after due to funding issues, Montenegro will now return to the contest.

🇳🇱 Netherlands are in, Joost isn’t

Netherlands are in, Joost isn’t. The Netherlands will take part in the upcoming Eurovision Song Contest in Basel, Switzerland. Dutch broadcaster Avrotros announced it today. The EBU has given the Netherlands an extension until November 1st. By then, it must be clear whether the country will participate. A little more than a week before that day, Avrotros made a statement. After months of talks, the broadcaster received enough assurances from the EBU that important changes will be made to the music festival. Joost Klein was given the chance to participate again, but he decided to turn down the offer. Song submissions for 2025 are now open. Netherlands are in, Joost isn’t. Until the very last moment, Joost was the contestant to be. However, he decided not to do it. In a statement Joost says: “My team and I had everything ready, but it just doesn’t feel good. I am very thankfull for all the love around the world, however I am still affected by this year. I need to give myself more time to heal”. Dutch broadcaster Avrotros was in doubt about participation, due to the things happening last year. Joost was disqualified because of an incident between him and a camera woman. Joost was not convicted by Swedish police. Avrotros only wanted to participate if the EBU would make significant changes to the festival.

Martin Green director of Eurovision Song Contest

Martin Green will be the director of the Eurovision Song Contest. After last year’s Eurovision Song Contest, the EBU (European Broadcasting Union) made some changes. One of these changes was to appoint a director to lead the contest. Today, the name of Martin Green is announced. Green has led many major events. These include the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, Hull UK City of Culture in 2017, and the Birmingham Commonwealth Games in 2022. He also produced the BAFTA-winning Eurovision Song Contest in 2023 in Liverpool for Ukraine. Jean Philip De Tender, the EBU’s Director of Media, praised Green’s experience and creativity. He said that Green’s leadership will play a key role as they prepare for the 2025 contest and plan for the future. The EBU is committed to building on Eurovision’s history and making it even more powerful at uniting people through music. Green currently works as Vice President of global live events at TAIT, an entertainment company. He will start his new role in November. Green, who received a CBE in 2017, said he is excited to lead such a special event. He believes Eurovision brings people together across generations and cultures. He looks forward to making the event’s future even brighter. Since 1956, Eurovision has grown from a small competition with just seven countries to a global event. Today, it reaches millions of TV viewers and billions of online users around the world. The 69th Eurovision Song Contest will take place in Basel, Switzerland, from May 13 to 17, 2025. The EBU will announce the list of participating broadcasters by the end of this year. Martin Green will be the director of the Eurovision Song Contest for the first time in Basel.

Dutch broadcaster delays decision on participation

The Dutch broadcaster AVROTROS has been allowed to delay their decision about participating in next year’s Eurovision Song Contest. The European Broadcasting Union (EBU), which organizes Eurovision, has given them until at least November 1 to decide. AVROTROS explained that a meeting with the EBU’s leadership has started a positive conversation. To give this conversation a chance, they asked for more time to decide if they will participate. The EBU agreed to this delay, and AVROTROS is thankful for it. The broadcaster started questioning their participation after the EBU disqualified Dutch artist Joost Klein from this year’s Eurovision final in Malmö, Sweden. Klein had an argument with a camerawoman, which led to his disqualification. AVROTROS disagreed with the EBU’s decision. Recently, Swedish authorities closed the case, saying there wasn’t enough evidence. Next year’s Eurovision will take place in May in Basel, Switzerland. The EBU hopes that the Netherlands will take part and plans to announce the list of participating countries by the end of the year.