Sietse Bakker

Sietse Bakker: no plan in case Ukraine wins

The EBU has no plan yet, in case Ukraine wins the Eurovision Song Contest. Normally, the country with a high winning probability is already preparing for the organization of the next festival. Because of the war in Ukraine, it is by no means certain that this country will also be able to take on the organization in case they actually win. That is what Sietse Bakker, member of the EBU reference group, says to Dutch news agency ANP. “That might be a bit premature. After all, the competition has only just begun” says Bakker. “I do think it is important that the Reference Group comes together very quickly if Ukraine wins and thinks about what the ‘point of no return’ is: at what moment you can still decide whether or not it is possible in Kiev” , Baker explains. According to him, organizing the Eurovision Song Contest can easily take a year. “It doesn’t look good at the moment. It is still a dangerous situation. And it is highly uncertain how that will develop in the coming period.” There are several options if the winning country cannot organize the contest. “What EBU could do is go to a country that recently organized it. After all, the country can act quickly. Or one can say: we are going to a country that recently organized the Junior Song Contest, for example Poland. They did very well and they also have the ambition to organise Eurovision. The third option is to go to one of the Big Five countries.” Since 1981, the winning country has always organized the Eurovision Song Contest. Even when Ireland won three consecutive times, they always took on the organization. In 1980 the Netherlands organized the contest. The previous year’s winner, Israel, won twice in a row and was unable to cope financially. It is, of course, a bit early to speculate on this. Ukraine hasn’t won yet. However, the chances of that happening are high. In recent years, the number 1 has always won at the bookmakers. The last time that didn’t happen was in 2016. Russia was the number 1 at the bookmakers that year. Who did win in 2016? Ukraine… source: AD

Australia: not on site in Rotterdam

This morning, EBU announced that the Australian delegation will not be able to fly to Rotterdam for the Eurovision Song Contest. Due to the situation around COVID19, Australian participant Montaigne can not perform her song “Technicolour” live on stage in Ahoy. Instead, the live-on-tape recording of the song will be shown during the first semifinal, and depending on the results maybe again in the final. In an earlier stage, Sietse Bakker, executive producer of the Eurovision Song Contest, already stated that it would be difficult to get the Australian participant in Rotterdam. In an interview with eurovision.tv, Montaigne expressed that this does not make her very sad. “I have the preternatural ability to let go of opportunities that don’t come through. Like water off a duck’s back.” She will, however, keep on campaigning for the song. The fact that she will not travel to Rotterdam gives her the opportunity to follow the voting with her dearest friends and family.