Finland: The Record‑Breaking Sensation of UMK 2026!

Finland: The Record‑Breaking Sensation of UMK 2026!

by Ofek Jerassi Comment Closed
(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Not all UMK 2026 entries have been revealed yet, but Linda Lampenius and Pete Parkkonen’s new song is already breaking Finnish national selection records, surpassing Erika Vikman and Käärijä. Finland’s national broadcaster YLE began unveiling songs last Wednesday from the seven artists competing in the national selection "UMK 2026", which will determine Finland’s representative for Eurovision 2026, set to take place in Vienna, Austria. Only two of the seven songs have been released so far, but a clear frontrunner has already emerged—one that shattered Erika Vikman’s record from last year, amassing more than 490,000 YouTube views within a single day. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); The viral hit turning heads across Finland is “Liekinheitin” by Linda Lampenius x Pete Parkkonen. Its meteoric success is largely credited to the participation of Linda Lampenius, a violinist celebrated in Finland as one of the country’s most versatile musicians. Lampenius is known for effortlessly moving between pop, jazz, classical, techno and numerous other genres....
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Opinion: The Eurovision 2026 Live Tour – Europe’s New Iron Curtain

Opinion: The Eurovision 2026 Live Tour – Europe’s New Iron Curtain

by Ofek Jerassi Comment Closed
(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); The European Broadcasting Union unveiled the Eurovision 2026 live concert tour across ten cities—all in Western Europe. This exclusionary route raises questions about representation, unity, and the contest’s identity. Yesterday, the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) unveiled the first-ever Eurovision Song Contest live concert tour, celebrating the contest’s 70th anniversary. Ten cities across Europe will host concerts this summer, but one thing immediately stands out on the map — the Iron Curtain seems to remain alive and well in Europe, even in 2026. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Ignoring the East: A Risk to Eurovision’s Core The cities selected for the tour are located in the United Kingdom, Italy, Denmark, Sweden, Switzerland, Belgium, France, Germany, and the Netherlands — a country that, ironically, is not even participating in this year’s Eurovision, having withdrawn in protest over political disputes surrounding Israel’s participation. When plotted on a map, all the chosen cities form a solid stretch through Western Europe. None of the concerts...
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A Greek Drama: Keren Peles’ Song Didn’t Qualify to “Sing For Greece”

A Greek Drama: Keren Peles’ Song Didn’t Qualify to “Sing For Greece”

by Ofek Jerassi Comment Closed
(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); The participant list for “Sing for Greece 2026” has been revealed. The song written by Keren Peles, Tomer Biran, and Poseidonas Giannopoulos for Xannova Xan did not make the final cut Moments ago, the list of competing songs for the Greek national selection "Sing for Greece 2026" was published, featuring a surprising exclusion: the song co‑written by Keren Peles, Tomer Biran, and Greek songwriter Poseidonas Giannopoulos for singer Xannova Xan has not been accepted into the competition. The decision, taken by a special committee of Greece’s national broadcaster ERT, effectively removes the Israeli‑Greek collaboration from contention to represent Greece at Eurovision 2026. The rejection has sparked debate across Greek media circles, as several professionals in Greece who heard the song recently claimed it was highly rated and considered one of the top three submitted to the committee. The move also raises eyebrows given Peles’s proven songwriting record—she has penned notable tracks in the past two Eurovisions—and Xannova Xan’s reputation as one of the strongest...
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Euromix’s Choice: Who Should Represent Montenegro at Eurovision 2026?

Euromix’s Choice: Who Should Represent Montenegro at Eurovision 2026?

by Ofek Jerassi Comment Closed
(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Members of the Euromix editorial team convened to vote for the competing songs in Montesong 2025. Who should represent Montenegro at Eurovision 2026 according to the editorial team? The Montenegrin national final, "Montesong", will take place today, Sunday, December 21, 2025, featuring 15 contestants. The winner of this local competition will represent Montenegro at Eurovision 2026 in Vienna, Austria. The winner will be determined by a combination of 50% jury votes and 50% public votes. Just before the national final, the Euromix editorial team convened to listen to the participating songs and choose their favorites from the Montenegrin national final. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});   (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Editorial Picks: Who Should Represent Montenegro? Avi Zaikaner: First Place - Majda Božović - "Ipak Smo Ljudi" Montenegro is returning to Eurovision with a national final that offers more variety and slightly higher quality than last year’s selection. However, at this stage it is difficult to identify a song that could realistically...
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Eurovision 2026: This Is What the Stage Will Look Like!

Eurovision 2026: This Is What the Stage Will Look Like!

by Ofek Jerassi Comment Closed
(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Austria’s national broadcaster ORF has unveiled the first visual concept for the Eurovision 2026 stage, taking place in Vienna, Austria on May 12, 14, and 16 The build-up to Eurovision 2026 in Vienna, Austria is gathering pace, with the official reveal of the stage design. To mark the 70th Eurovision Song Contest, ORF is once again turning to the concept of German‑Jewish stage designer Florian Wieder, who has created no fewer than nine previous Eurovision stages. At the heart of the new design stands a curved leaf‑shaped LED platform, which serves as the central production element, complemented by a sweeping arch and a complex structural framework that complete the striking look.   (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); The German‑Jewish designer Florian Wieder, regarded as one of the leading stage designers in the world, has created dozens of sets for major award shows and television productions worldwide, including X Factor, American Idol, MTV award shows and nine previous Eurovision stages (among them Eurovision 2019 in Israel and Eurovision...
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Euromix’s Choice: Who Should Win Junior Eurovision 2025?

Euromix’s Choice: Who Should Win Junior Eurovision 2025?

by Ofek Jerassi Comment Closed
(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Members of the Euromix editorial team convened to vote for the competing songs in Junior Eurovision 2025, to be held in Tbilisi, Georgia. Who should win Junior Eurovision according to the editorial team? Junior Eurovision 2025 will take place tomorrow - Saturday, December 13, and will be held in Tbilisi, the capital of Georgia. Georgia reached first place in last year's Junior Eurovision in Madrid. Junior Eurovision has been held since 2003 and is intended for participants aged 9 to 14. This will be the 23rd edition of the Eurovision spin-off competition. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Editorial Picks: Who Should Win Junior Eurovision? Ofek Jerassi: First place – Georgia: Anita Abgariani - "Shine Like a Star" The Georgian song by Anita Abgariani is brilliantly constructed. It is powerful and strongly reminiscent of the song that represented Georgia in 2022, “I Believe,” the best Junior Eurovision song of all time in this view. The track is catchy and, although its rhythm feels far from childish,...
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Croatia: Did It Support Israel’s Participation in Eurovision 2026?

Croatia: Did It Support Israel’s Participation in Eurovision 2026?

by Ofek Jerassi Comment Closed
 (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Croatia’s national broadcaster HRT confirmed it will not boycott Eurovision 2026 in Vienna and will participate as planned, while keeping its vote on Israel’s participation secret.​ The Croatian national broadcaster HRT clarified this morning that it will not boycott Eurovision 2026 and will take part in the contest as planned. It will therefore not join Spain, Slovenia, Ireland and the Netherlands, which have announced they will boycott Eurovision in response to Israel’s participation in the competition. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); In its official statement, the Croatian national broadcaster wrote that “HRT will take part in Eurovision as usual and, as always, will broadcast the contest live.” Croatia refused to reveal how it voted regarding Israel’s participation, making it one of the few European countries whose voting stance remains unclear. The Croatian statement on the matter was deliberately vague; similar to the United Kingdom, it announced that it would support the majority decision, while stressing that every broadcaster has “the legitimate right to...
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Georgia: Eurovision 2026 Participation Confirmed

Georgia: Eurovision 2026 Participation Confirmed

by Ofek Jerassi Comment Closed
(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Georgian national broadcaster GPB has announced that it confirms its participation in Eurovision 2026, which will be held in Vienna, Austria. Georgian national broadcaster, GBP has confirmed that the country will participate in Eurovision 2026, to be held in Vienna, Austria. Georgia becomes the 34th country to express interest in joining Eurovision 2026, following following Albania, Australia, Azerbaijan, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Israel, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Moldova, Montenegro, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, San Marino, Serbia, Sweden, Switzerland, Ukraine, the United Kingdom, and the host country, Austria. A message of support to the Israeli participation in the Eurovision Song Contest was added in Georgia's confirmation of participation. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Georgia's Eurovision History: Early Success and Long-term Decline Georgia has participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 16 times, never winning, and was absent once. Another planned participation in Eurovision 2020 was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Initially considered a successful and consistent participant, Georgia...
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France: “We Helped Prevent the Boycott of Israel at Eurovision 2026”​

France: “We Helped Prevent the Boycott of Israel at Eurovision 2026”​

by Ofek Jerassi Comment Closed
 (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot states that France firmly opposed efforts to boycott Israel at Eurovision 2026. French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot celebrated on Twitter the decision allowing Israel to remain in Eurovision 2026, using the platform to issue a sharp condemnation of the boycott movement. In his statement, he revealed that the French national broadcaster France Télévisions not only voted in favour of the rule reform – effectively backing Israel’s participation – but also played a significant role in the decision to prevent the boycott from going ahead. This position had previously been articulated by the President of France, Emmanuel Macron, who had already stated clearly that he opposed any boycott. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); In his remarks, Barrot declared that France “will never choose the path of boycotting peoples and artists.” He stressed that “through culture we learn to understand one another and encounter the only truly universal thing – humanity. Is there any better way to build peace?” Barrot criticised the countries that...
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Belgium: Will It Join the Countries Boycotting Israel at Eurovision?

Belgium: Will It Join the Countries Boycotting Israel at Eurovision?

by Ofek Jerassi Comment Closed
(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Belgium’s French and Dutch-language national broadcasters will jointly decide the country’s stance on Israel ahead of Eurovision 2026, raising concerns that Belgium may back calls for Israel’s exclusion. Belgium, a country divided into two main language regions, also operates with two national broadcasters: a French-speaking (Walloon) broadcaster and a Dutch-speaking (Flemish) broadcaster. This year, the French-speaking national broadcaster, RTBF, is responsible for selecting Belgium’s representative. In September, the broadcaster announced that it would make an official decision on whether to take part in Eurovision 2026 after the European Broadcasting Union’s General Assembly, scheduled for today. Now the Flemish national broadcaster, VRT, which was responsible last year and will be again next year, has declared that Belgium’s position in today’s discussion will not be determined by the Walloons alone but will be decided jointly by both national broadcasters. This development raises concerns regarding Israel’s position in the contest, as the Flemish broadcaster is known for its harsher stance toward Israel,...
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