MRT confirms Eurovision 2027 participation as North Macedonia mourns the passing of its first contest representative, Vlado Janevski, aged 65.
Alongside the good news regarding the exceptionally quick decision by MRT to confirm its participation in Eurovision 2027, very sad news has emerged from the country. The Macedonian singer Vlado Janevski, who was the first to represent the country at the Eurovision Song Contest in 1998, passed away last night at the age of 65 after being hospitalized following a brief illness. Janevski was not only a Eurovision star, but a singer who left a lasting mark on Macedonian music and transformed its landscape.
A Pioneer of Macedonian Music
Vladimir Vlado Janevski, born in 1960 in the city of Skopje, enjoyed a solo career spanning approximately 35 years. However, to Eurovision fans, he is best known for his performance at the 1998 contest with the song “Ne zori, zoro” (in English: “Dawn, Do Not Rise”).
North Macedonia initially planned to participate in the Eurovision Song Contest for the first time two years prior, intending to send the singer Kaliopi – who would go on to represent the country twice more in the future. However, the country ultimately failed to qualify for the contest, alongside Israel, due to the qualification round that year. Janevski finished the 1998 Eurovision Song Contest in 19th place with 16 points, finishing below the singer Dana International, who represented Israel that year and achieved a historic victory. Furthermore, Janevski’s performance was not only the country’s official debut at Eurovision but also the final performance ever to be accompanied by a live orchestra in the contest.
Listen to the song he performed at the Eurovision Song Contest!
An Exciting Return for Eurovision 2027
North Macedonia has been flirting with the idea of a return for two years, and it appears that the proximity and logistical efficiency of its neighbor Bulgaria hosting the Eurovision Song Contest motivated the move this year. At present, it remains unknown whether MRT will select its entry internally or organize a local national selection.
In recent years, it has been proposed to turn the annual Skopje Fest into the national selection format used to choose the representative, and this could potentially happen this year. Will a Macedonian national selection finally take place? Time will tell.
North Macedonia in Eurovision 2022
Andrea represented North Macedonia with her song “Circles” after winning the local national final. She competed in the second semi-final and finished in 11th place with 76 points.
Eurovision 2027: This will be North Macedonia’s 22nd participation in Eurovision. North Macedonia joined the competition in 1998 and achieved its best result in Eurovision 2019 when singer Tamara Todevska finished in seventh place with the song “Proud”.
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Nicole Postelnik is a reporter and commentator specializing in the Eurovision Song Contest. She has been following the competition since 2015, and since then, her love for Eurovision has grown stronger year after year.
