Roie Ben Hoor, Author at EuroMix

YouTube’s Silent Boycott: Eurovision Ignores Russia’s 2008 Victory in New Branding

March 4, 2026 by Roie Ben Hoor Comment Closed

(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); The Eurovision official YouTube channel upgraded thumbnails for all winners with shiny new branding - but skipped Russia's 2008 victory. Political revenge or a human error? Sometimes a single small image on YouTube can ignite a full political storm. Over the past day, social media networks and fan groups have been buzzing over what appears to be a quiet yet defiant political move by the EBU against Russia. The arena: the official YouTube channel of the Eurovision Song Contest. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); New Branding for All Winners – Except One This year, to mark 70 years of Eurovision, a decision was made to refresh the contest's branding. Managers of the official Eurovision YouTube channel embarked on a comprehensive project to update the aesthetics in the video archive. All performance videos of contest winners over the years received a new, designed, and uniform Thumbnail. The festive and shiny branding features a golden background, a large heart containing the flag...

Tonight at 21:00 CET: First Semi-Final of “San Marino Song Contest 2026”

March 4, 2026March 4, 2026 by Roie Ben Hoor Comment Closed

(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Watch: Tonight at 21:00 CET, The first semi-final of “San Marino Song Contest 2026” takes place. Five entries will secure their place in the final. A viewing link is provided. The first semi-final of “San Marino Song Contest 2026,” will take place tonight at 21:00 CET. Out of 20 contestants, only five will secure their place in the Grand Final on March 6th. The winner will perform their song on May 12th, during the second half of the first semi-final of Eurovision 2026 in Vienna, Austria. The semi-finals are hosted by Simona Ventura and broadcast live on the public channel RTV. In total, 20 artists will compete in the Grand Final for the opportunity to represent San Marino at Eurovision 2026. Among the contestants, ten are classified as “established artists” and were revealed last week alongside the remaining ten acts selected through pre-recorded semi-final stages, airing on March 4th and 5th. The first semi-final will begin at 21:00 and run...

Tonight at 20:40 CET: Italy Selects Its Entry For Eurovision

February 28, 2026 by Roie Ben Hoor Comment Closed

(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Watch: Tonight at 20:40 CET, the Grand Final of "Festival Di Sanremo 2026", selecting Italy’s entry for Eurovision 2026, in Vienna, Austria. Link to watch the live broadcast - Below! Tonight, the grand final of the long‑running and much‑loved Festival Di Sanremo 2026 will take place, serving as Italy’s national selection process for Eurovision. The final follows four live shows held over the past week, and the winner will earn the right to become Italy’s entry for Eurovision 2026, in Vienna, Austria. The show, like all the other nights of the festival, will take place at the “Ariston” Theatre (Teatro Ariston), which has hosted the festival regularly since 1977 (with the exception of 1990, when it was held at the “Nuovo Mercato Dei Fiori” hall). All 30 competing artists will perform their entries once again. Only the audience at home will vote during this round. The results from this evening's audience votes will be combined with the scores...

Tonight at 18:00 CET: Lithuania Selects Its Entry for Eurovision

February 27, 2026February 27, 2026 by Roie Ben Hoor Comment Closed

(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Watch: Tonight at 18:00 CET, the Grand Final of Lithuanian “Eurovizija.LT 2026”, selecting Lithuania's entry for Eurovision 2026, in Vienna, Austria. Link to watch the live broadcast - Below! Tonight at 18:00 CET, Lithuania’s national broadcaster LRT will host the grand final of its Eurovision selection show "Eurovizija.LT 2026". The show will be broadcast live from the Twinsbet Arena in Vilnius, with hosts Gabrielė Martirosian, Rimvydas Černiauskas and Eglė Kernagytė guiding viewers through the evening. At the end of the vote, the winning act will be chosen to represent Lithuania at Eurovision 2026 in Vienna, Austria. Eleven acts will perform in the final, having qualified through five heats and an online wildcard round. The results will be determined by a 50/50 split between a professional jury and public voting, with the same format applied to both the public and jury points. The final will run from 18:00 until approximately 21:30 CET. The grand final will begin at 18:00 and...

Belgian Media Unions Call to Boycott Eurovision 2026 Over Israel’s Participation

February 17, 2026 by Roie Ben Hoor Comment Closed

(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Escalation in protest: Workers’ unions at Belgium’s national broadcasters VRT and RTBF launch coordinated action, demanding Belgium’s immediate withdrawal from Eurovision 2026 due to Israel’s partcipation. The pressure on European national broadcasters is escalating — and this time, it comes from within. On Tuesday morning, in a joint and dramatic announcement, the workers’ unions of Belgium’s two public national broadcasters, VRT (Flemish) and RTBF (Walloon), officially called for a boycott of Eurovision 2026 in protest of Israel’s participation. This follows our December report on a group of 170 Belgian artists and cultural figures who had issued a strongly worded public letter urging the broadcasters to withdraw from Eurovision 2026 as long as Israel remains a participant. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); “Mannequins Instead of Workers”: Protest Installation at Headquarters In an unusual act of inter‑union solidarity, members of the ACOD (by VRT) and CGSP (by RTBF) unions took over the shared lobby of the broadcasting headquarters in Brussels earlier today....

Tonight at 20:15 CET: First Semi-Final of “Dora 2026”

February 12, 2026February 23, 2026 by Roie Ben Hoor Comment Closed

(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Watch: Tonight at 20:15 CET, the first semi-final of "Dora 2026" takes place. Eight songs will secure their place in the final. A viewing link is provided. The first semi-final of Dora 2026 will take place tonight at 20:15 CET, at the HTV studios in Zagreb and will be broadcast live on HTV, the HRTi platform, and the broadcaster's website. During the show, 12 contestants will compete for eight spots in the final scheduled for Sunday, February 15th. The semi-final results will be determined solely by public voting, without jury involvement. The show will be hosted by Barbara Kolar, Duško Ćurlić, Iva Šulentić, and Ivan Vukušić. To watch the first semi-final live from 20:15 to 22:20 CET – click here (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); The second semi-final is scheduled for Friday, February 13th, where eight additional contestants will secure their spots in the final on February 15th. At the end of the final, Croatia's official entry for Eurovision 2026, in...

Pro-Palestinian Groups Threaten to Disrupt “Sing for Greece 2026”

February 8, 2026 by Roie Ben Hoor Comment Closed

(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); As Greece prepares for "Sing for Greece 2026", pro-Palestinian groups threaten mass protests, urging the national broadcaster ERT to push for Israel’s exclusion from the contest. Greece is gearing up to choose its entry for Eurovision 2026 through a festive television series titled “Sing for Greece”, culminating in the grand final on February 15th. Yet, the celebration appears to be overshadowed by growing political tensions. According to local Greek media, several pro-Palestinian organizations and radical left-wing movements have announced plans to gather outside Athens’ Festival Hall on the night of the final to stage demonstrations and disrupt the event. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Growing Calls to Ban Israel from Eurovision This organization wave follows reports that the Greek branch of the BDS movement - known for promoting economic and cultural boycotts against Israel, sent a dramatic letter condemning Israel, the EBU, and the Greek national broadcaster ERT. The letter urged the 28 participating...

Alexander Rybak Opens Up: “I Regret the Kiss, It Was Unprofessional”

February 4, 2026February 6, 2026 by Roie Ben Hoor Comment Closed

(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Alexander Rybak returns to "Melodi Grand Prix 2026", reflecting on his past. In a candid interview, he apologizes for his controversial on-stage kiss with Lena Meyer-Landrut and speaks openly about overcoming addiction. Former Eurovision winner Alexander Rybak shared a New Year’s post on his Instagram account, mentioning a date that led European fans to suspect that the artist, who has represented Norway twice and won Eurovision 2009 by a landslide, is planning a return to the competition, set to take place in Vienna, Austria. Alexander Rybak, the man and the violin who brought Norway a historic Eurovision victory with “Fairytale” in 2009, is making a comeback this year at "Melodi Grand Prix 2026", in hopes of representing his country for the third time. But this musical return also brings a moment of deep reflection on one of Eurovision’s most talked-about and controversial moments. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); In an intimate interview with Norway’s national broadcaster NRK, Rybak expressed regret for...