The Greek national broadcaster ERT has officially announced that for the first time in 22 years, Greece will hold an open national final for Eurovision.

ERT, the Greek national broadcaster, held an official unveiling ceremony today announcing the organization of an open national final in Greece for the first time in 22 years. The song submission window will be open to any artist wishing to represent Greece in the Eurovision Song Contest 2025, set to take place in Basel.

ERT’s Decision-Making Process

After extensive discussions regarding Greece’s participation in Eurovision 2025, ERT has reached a final decision. Following the end of Konstantinos Zoulas‘ term as president of Greek national broadcaster on September 16th, Katerina Kaskanioti took over, and the official announcement ceremony took place at the Athens Conservatory.

For 22 years, Greece selected its representatives through internal selection or closed national finals. The last open national final held in Greece was in 2003. The growing interest from artists to represent the country led ERT’s management to favor the idea of an open contest.

Voting Format and Public Involvement

While the official voting format is not yet confirmed, it has been revealed that the public vote will be equal to the jury vote. This decision gives the Greek public significant influence over the results, addressing long-standing demands for involvement in choosing the song.

Record Labels and Artist Participation

News of the national final has reached record labels in Greece, which are already preparing for the upcoming Eurovision season. All record labels, without exception, will submit several candidates.

Discussions about potential participants have already begun. Well-known artists such as Shaya, Josephine, Evangelia, and Zaf have expressed interest in participating. Some have publicly declared their desire to compete, while others are still considering their options.

This open national final marks a significant change in Greece’s Eurovision selection process, potentially discovering new talent and reinvigorating public interest in the competitio.

Greece in Eurovision 2024

“Zari” is the title of the song performed by singer Marina Satti, who was selected through an internal selection process by the Greek national broadcaster. Greece qualified for the final after placing fifth in the second semi-final with 86 points, and in the grand final, they finished in 11th place with 126 points.

Eurovision 2025: This will mark Greece’s 45th participation in Eurovision. Greece joined the competition in 1974 and achieved its best result in Eurovision 2005 when singer Helena Paparizou won first place with the song “My Number One”.