What can we expect and who will win tomorrow?

After a film with, again, beautiful images of the Netherlands, and yes, a role for Duncan Laurence, we go to the flag parade. DJ Pieter Gabriel accompanies the artists musically with his own adaptation of the worldwide hit “Venus” by Shocking Blue, also a hit from Dutch soil. Presenters Edsilia Rombley, Jan Smit and Chantal Janzen sing the song.

We open with Cyprus; often an uptempo pop song is chosen to open, this year too. Albania takes the cursed second place. However, Albania is not one of the potential winners anyway, so the second place remains where it is. Israel follows; she once bursted out in tears when the Eurovision song contest was canceled, but now Eden Alene is in the final, followed by Belgium. Hopefully Hooverphonic will remain in peoples memories in the beginning of the broadcast. The advantage is that the song may stand out even more after an uptempo song. However, Russia follows with a striking act and then Malta. What that does to Malta’s chances is a big question mark, but it is not favorable. Certainly not because Portugal will follow after Malta; they are the surprise of the contest. We wouldn’t even be surprised if Portugal ends up very high; The Black Mamba isn’t Salvador Sobral, but still. The end of the first block is formed by Serbia; The fact that the three ladies are through to the final was no surprise, but it will probably not be much more there. Or is Serbia lucky that all other countries of the former Yugoslavia are not there?

While advertisements are watched in some countries, the rest of Europe sees Nikkie Tutorials showcasing three winners of the #Eurovisionchallenge. Valentina, who won the junior Eurovision this year, will also say something. Emmelie De Forrest, Jamala and Duncan Laurence talk about their trophy. After that, Chantal Janzen and Jan Smit will make an appeal to share your photo of how you watch the Eurovision song contest.

The second block is opened by the United Kingdom. That is usually not something to be happy about. People are still refilling the glasses or sitting on the toilet. By the way, yesterday in the Dutch tv-show Op1 you could see how British journalists are already busy putting the blame for a low score apart from themselves, even before the contest is over. However, the UK entry is completely insignificant to Greece that performes next. Greenscreen is certainly not new, but it is smart to use it. In quality, however, the Greek entry is far surpassed by that of Switzerland. According to many, one of the strongest voices of the festival. Still, the song may soumd a little too much like “Arcade” to be a winner. Also a top song, possibly even a winner, is Iceland. Would it give Daði og Gagnamagnið sympathy votes that they are not allowed to be present live? The Icelandics are in any case followed by the not too strong entry from Spain, although, to be honest, it must be said that the singing of Blas Cantó improves with each rehearsal. Moldova will then take office. But it is still doubtful whether the name of Filipp Kirkorov (composer) will be good for a high score. Germany is a “love it or hate it” entry that can go in any direction. And after a song about a middle finger, the director has chosen to put the other middle finger song right after it. The song from Finland turned out to have a lot of fans yesterday. Whether it helps them on the scoreboard? We’ll know tomorrow night.

And then we see Edsilia Rombley at the top of the comment booths to chitchat with various commentators. Chantal Janzen and Jan Smit refer to the time when there was still a live orchestra. They promise an orchestra with a top DJ.

In the meantime, Bulgaria is ready with Victoria on her rock. Another strong entry. Then we see Lithuania again. At the bookies, the yellow-clad men have fallen somewhat; not because they are not good, perhaps because a large number of countries have an even stronger entry.

And then Chantal Janzen announces Duncan Laurence, who speaks to the viewer in a video. Why so soon? Well, it gives the crew time to prepare the scenery of Ukraine.

A trip, as Dutch commentator Sander Lantinga called the entry. of Ukraine We can imagine why. It would not surprise anyone if Ukraine ends up in the top of the rankings. Immediately after that, another top favorite follows: France. Take a good look, because this could well be the winner of the Eurovision Song Contest 2021. To be honest, the entry from Azerbaijan is fairly insignificant. Anyway, the King’s Commissioner in Friesland Arno Brok and Mayor of Leeuwarden Sybrand Buma give a voting advice: stim Azerbaijan (vote Azerbaijan, but in Frisian language). It doesn’t seem to be a coincidence, but after Azerbaijan, Norway will perform. All week, something seems to be going on between the Azerbaijani Efendi and the Norwegian TIX. It is very worthy to lsearch for #efentix.

Then NikkieTutorials and Edsilia Rombley take the floor and announce some entre-acts and… the entry of the Netherlands. Jeangu Macrooy is praised for his cast-iron voice. He seems to slightly do better among bookmakers. But after the Netherlands, another top favorite (there are quite a lot this year) follows: Italy. Would the glam rock-leaning group win the Eurovision song contest? We do not consider it impossible. Sweden is not one of this year’s top favorites. The entry is just not strong enough for a top score. Finally we see San Marino. And then the rule of applies: world stars do NOT win the Eurovision song contest. Whether it’s Cliff Richard, t.A.T.u., DJ Bobo or Bonnie Tyler, it doesn’t work. A high position is definitely not impossible, San Marino will break its own record for sure.

Then a spectacular entre act:follows: a classical orchestra of toung people and Afrojack accompany Wulf and Glennis Grace while they sing under the title “Music binds us”. We see images of people in Rotterdam, but the song and music come from the Erasmus Bridge.

NikkieTutorials comes again with a section of Eurovision Tutorials about the voting. Then she shows us images of how the festival in Ahoy is structured and how it works behind the scenes. Edsilia Rombley then meets several Eurovision winners, a film that was already shot before the Corona crisis. That is why Edsilia explicitly announces that she is hugging the former winners and not keeping a one and a half meter distance. Then we see a video in which Chantal Janzen explains how the audience has changed over the years.

And then we’re going to look at Teach In, Lenny Kuhr, Måns Zelmerlöw and Lordi. They sing from different rooftops in Rotterdam. Duncan Laurence then sings his hit “Arcade” and a new song. Not live, because he is at home with Corona, but a previously recorded rehearsal of his performance. And then…. The producers have even turned the countdown moment into something beautiful with dancers. The voting goes pretty smoothly. Of course something can go wrong, but there is no useless waiting. The scoreboard, with a lot of white, is easy to read. Edsilia and Nikkie are present in the greenroom while Jan and Chantal do the voting. Who is going to win remains uncertain for a long time, longer than ever. The bookmakers do not state a clear winner.

However, team Eurovision Universe has tried to predict the top 10. In a little more than 24 hours we know how right (or wrong) we are:

1.France
2.Italy
3.Malta
4.Switzerland
5.Ukraine
6.Bulgaria
7.Iceland
8.Portugal
9.Norway
10.Finland

photo credits: EBU

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70 years of Eurovision: middle-aged men

The Eurovision Song Contest is celebrating its 70th anniversary. That is a wonderful milestone. We at Eurovision Universe love diving into the history of the contest. That is why we are taking a closer look at the contests of the past 70 years. 2000 And so the Eurovision Song Contest entered the 21st century. Russia returned after a break, and Latvia made its debut. The contest was held at the Globen Arena in Stockholm. The presentation was handled by Kattis Ahlström and Anders Lundin. The songs Alexandros Panayi participated for Cyprus for the second time, this time as the male half of the duo Voice. Serafin Zubiri returned for Spain. Roger Pontare also participated for Spain for the second time. Israel had a remarkable entry. The members of the group PingPong sang incredibly off-key. But that was not what caused a shitstorm. At the end of the song, the group members waved Israeli and Syrian (!!) flags. The Dutch Linda Wagenmakers wore an enormous dress, under which four dancers turned out to be sitting. The Netherlands had to cut short the broadcast halfway through. A fireworks factory had exploded in that country, wiping out an entire residential area. With a cowboy hat and moss-green clothing, the Estonian Ines was the favorite. Her “Once in a lifetime” ultimately took fourth place for Estonia. For Russia, Alsou took the lead with the song “Solo”. A pop song that fit perfectly into its time and consequently secured second place. The German Stefan Raab mocked the abolition of the language rule in the song “Wadde hadde dudde da”. Raab himself was dressed in a white and gold glitter suit, while his dancers partially undressed. All in all, it was a show that captivated the viewer from start to finish. Latvia made a debut that was immediately remarkable. The group Brainstorm sang “My Star”, a song that fit perfectly into the tradition of 90s Britpop. The group led by singer Renārs Kaupers effortlessly secured third place. The Olsen Brothers The winners were two anti-heroes. Two Danish brothers in their fifties took first place. Jørgen and Nils Olsen had been a duo since the 1960s. In 1978, they participated in Melodi Grand Prix, the Danish national final, for the first time. Many times they made attempts, either together or Jørgen alone. It never worked out. And then, in 2000, when no one expected it anymore, “Smuk som et stjerneskud,” in English “Fly On The Wings Of Love,” won the ticket to the Eurovision Song Contest. In all the polls and odds, the two brothers played no role whatsoever. And yet they won, to the delight of many. The Olsen Brothers continued making music for a long time. Until Nils became seriously ill. He has since recovered, but the two never took to the stage again. 2001 The Parken Stadium in Copenhagen was perhaps the largest venue for a Eurovision Song Contest ever. Natasja Crone-Back and Søren Pilmark presented the festival from there. Greece returned after a short break. A total of 23 countries participated. The songs None of the artists had participated before. Michelle from the Netherlands was notable. She sat on the floor and argued with the director. She felt they were asking impossible things of her. While an intimate and small song was presented during the Dutch national final, Michelle completely faded into the background on the large stage at Parken. Then there was the duo Friends from Sweden. Their song “Listen To Your Heartbeat” bore a striking resemblance to the Belgian entry from 1996, “Liefde is een kaartspel” (Love is a card game). For a long time, disqualification loomed. Ultimately, it did not come to that, but in 2003, the Belgian music association SABAM determined that it was indeed plagiarism. Although the composers vehemently denied it, it ended in a settlement. Once again, a Canadian singer was one of the favorites: Natasha St-Pier represented France with “Je n’ai que mon âme” (I don’t have but my soul). She ultimately finished fourth. Expectations for the Slovenian Nuša Derenda were also high. She ultimately finished seventh. Confusion abounded: in addition to the Dutch Michelle, Germany also sent a singer named Michelle. Because this lady had a longer career, it was felt that the Dutch Michelle should simply call herself Antje, a typically Dutch name. A salient detail: The Dutch Michelle was actually named that. The German Michelle was actually named Tanja. And then there was the duo Antique from Greece. That is to say: they actually lived in Sweden and had had hits there as well. But with “Die For You,” they were favorites for their homeland, Greece. They had to share that role with the Danes. Rollo & King already had a major hit to their name in their own country and now sang “Never Ever Let You Go” to a second place finish. Tanel Padar & Dave Benton Quite surprisingly, the duo Tanel Padar and Dave Benton won for Estonia. Padar had previously sung in the backing choir for Estonia. Benton was from Aruba, but had also lived and worked in the Dutch city of Rotterdam for some time. Traveling in pursuit of love, he ended up in Estonia. The lyrics “Not even time can take away the starlight from us, no it wont fade” suited Dave Benton very well, who was 50 years old by then. But one might wonder why the 20-year-old Padar sang along. Incidentally, in recent years we have already been able to admire Sissi, Dave Benton’s daughter, several times in the Estonian national final.

Read More »
April 17, 2026 No Comments
History
Martijn

70 years of Eurovision: middle-aged men

The Eurovision Song Contest is celebrating its 70th anniversary. That is a wonderful milestone. We at Eurovision Universe love diving into the history of the contest. That is why we are taking a closer look at the contests of the past 70 years. 2000 And so the Eurovision Song Contest entered the 21st century. Russia returned after a break, and Latvia made its debut. The contest was held at the Globen Arena in Stockholm. The presentation was handled by Kattis Ahlström and Anders Lundin. The songs Alexandros Panayi participated for Cyprus for the second time, this time as the male half of the duo Voice. Serafin Zubiri returned for Spain. Roger Pontare also participated for Spain for the second time. Israel had a remarkable entry. The members of the group PingPong sang incredibly off-key. But that was not what caused a shitstorm. At the end of the song, the group members waved Israeli and Syrian (!!) flags. The Dutch Linda Wagenmakers wore an enormous dress, under which four dancers turned out to be sitting. The Netherlands had to cut short the broadcast halfway through. A fireworks factory had exploded in that country, wiping out an entire residential area. With a cowboy hat and moss-green clothing, the Estonian Ines was the favorite. Her “Once in a lifetime” ultimately took fourth place for Estonia. For Russia, Alsou took the lead with the song “Solo”. A pop song that fit perfectly into its time and consequently secured second place. The German Stefan Raab mocked the abolition of the language rule in the song “Wadde hadde dudde da”. Raab himself was dressed in a white and gold glitter suit, while his dancers partially undressed. All in all, it was a show that captivated the viewer from start to finish. Latvia made a debut that was immediately remarkable. The group Brainstorm sang “My Star”, a song that fit perfectly into the tradition of 90s Britpop. The group led by singer Renārs Kaupers effortlessly secured third place. The Olsen Brothers The winners were two anti-heroes. Two Danish brothers in their fifties took first place. Jørgen and Nils Olsen had been a duo since the 1960s. In 1978, they participated in Melodi Grand Prix, the Danish national final, for the first time. Many times they made attempts, either together or Jørgen alone. It never worked out. And then, in 2000, when no one expected it anymore, “Smuk som et stjerneskud,” in English “Fly On The Wings Of Love,” won the ticket to the Eurovision Song Contest. In all the polls and odds, the two brothers played no role whatsoever. And yet they won, to the delight of many. The Olsen Brothers continued making music for a long time. Until Nils became seriously ill. He has since recovered, but the two never took to the stage again. 2001 The Parken Stadium in Copenhagen was perhaps the largest venue for a Eurovision Song Contest ever. Natasja Crone-Back and Søren Pilmark presented the festival from there. Greece returned after a short break. A total of 23 countries participated. The songs None of the artists had participated before. Michelle from the Netherlands was notable. She sat on the floor and argued with the director. She felt they were asking impossible things of her. While an intimate and small song was presented during the Dutch national final, Michelle completely faded into the background on the large stage at Parken. Then there was the duo Friends from Sweden. Their song “Listen To Your Heartbeat” bore a striking resemblance to the Belgian entry from 1996, “Liefde is een kaartspel” (Love is a card game). For a long time, disqualification loomed. Ultimately, it did not come to that, but in 2003, the Belgian music association SABAM determined that it was indeed plagiarism. Although the composers vehemently denied it, it ended in a settlement. Once again, a Canadian singer was one of the favorites: Natasha St-Pier represented France with “Je n’ai que mon âme” (I don’t have but my soul). She ultimately finished fourth. Expectations for the Slovenian Nuša Derenda were also high. She ultimately finished seventh. Confusion abounded: in addition to the Dutch Michelle, Germany also sent a singer named Michelle. Because this lady had a longer career, it was felt that the Dutch Michelle should simply call herself Antje, a typically Dutch name. A salient detail: The Dutch Michelle was actually named that. The German Michelle was actually named Tanja. And then there was the duo Antique from Greece. That is to say: they actually lived in Sweden and had had hits there as well. But with “Die For You,” they were favorites for their homeland, Greece. They had to share that role with the Danes. Rollo & King already had a major hit to their name in their own country and now sang “Never Ever Let You Go” to a second place finish. Tanel Padar & Dave Benton Quite surprisingly, the duo Tanel Padar and Dave Benton won for Estonia. Padar had previously sung in the backing choir for Estonia. Benton was from Aruba, but had also lived and worked in the Dutch city of Rotterdam for some time. Traveling in pursuit of love, he ended up in Estonia. The lyrics “Not even time can take away the starlight from us, no it wont fade” suited Dave Benton very well, who was 50 years old by then. But one might wonder why the 20-year-old Padar sang along. Incidentally, in recent years we have already been able to admire Sissi, Dave Benton’s daughter, several times in the Estonian national final.

Read More »
April 17, 2026 No Comments
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