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

Picture of Martijn

Martijn

See all contributions

Related news
Uncategorized

70 years of Eurovision: when Irish eyes are smiling

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. 1994 The EBU was frantically searching for a new system. The countries with the worst scores from the previous year had to sit on the sidelines for a year. They had to make way for Estonia, Hungary, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, Russia, and Slovakia. Proud Ireland hosted the Song Contest again, this time simply in Dublin, at the Point Theatre. The hosts were Cynthia Ní Mhurchú and Gerry Ryan. The interval act was the most talked-about ever: River Dance. A dance written by Bill Whelan, but which later grew into an internationally acclaimed act. The songs Marie Bergman represented Sweden, in a duet with Roger Pontare. Marie had also participated in 1971 and 1972. Evridiki returned for Cyprus. Former Bobbysocks member Elisabeth Andreasson sang, also in a duet, for Norway. And the Icelandic Sigga, who had participated in a group twice, now took part solo. That was quite a challenge. Her duo partner from two years earlier, Sissa, was actually supposed to sing the song “Nætur,” but she was sidelined by the Icelandic broadcaster. Portugal caught attention with Sara Tavares. She had won a singing competition in her own country; back then, she imitated Whitney Houston. Her song “Chamar a musica” impressed the audience. Germany opted more for a lot of cheerfulness. The all-female trio Mekado, formed especially for the occasion, performed the cheerful “Wir geben ‘ner Party.” It was sung in German, but with many international terms. And it was a song by Ralph Siegel and Bernd Meinunger. The aforementioned Elisabeth Andreasson sang a duet with the much younger (and sadly enough deceased very young) Jan Werner Danielsen: “Duett,” a mystical song. Friderika Bayer from Hungary sang the serene “Kinek mondjam el vétkeimet?” For a moment, it seemed Hungary was going to win. The first juries all gave their 12 to the debuting country. Ultimately, Friderika finished fourth. Youddiph also came from Eastern Europe. She represented Russia with “Vechny strannik,” but above all with her dress. She constantly changed it into a different dress, keeping the viewer mesmerized and focused on it. The Polish Edyta Górniak had dressed much more simple. The song, too, stood out for its simplicity. It came in second. Because Ireland won, of course. That was how it was done in those days. Paul Harrington & Charlie McGettigan Rumour has it that Ireland had sent two middle-aged men with a ballad because they didn’t want to win again. If that was the case, that plan was not exactly successful. For it was precisely as anti-heroes that Paul Harrington and Charlie McGettigan made a huge impression. Halfway through the voting, they took a lead with their “Rock ‘n’ roll kids” that they never relinquished. The crowd went wild; Ireland was celebrating one big party. Except perhaps at the Irish broadcaster RTÉ, which now found itself facing the organization of the contest once again. Charlie McGettigan recently made the news by wanting to return his trophy, following in the footsteps of Nemo (2024). He, too, could not live with Israel’s participation. However, he could not find his trophy. Understandable, because anyone who looks closely at the award ceremony will see that only composer Brendan Graham received a trophy. 1995 Once again, a number of countries had to make way so that others could return. However, Italy and Luxembourg, both on the reserve bench the previous year, did not return. 23 countries participated in this festival. It was hosted by Mary Kennedy. The songs Arzu Ece participated for Turkey for the second time, having entered the Eurovision stage six years earlier as a member of the group Pan. She was the only artist returning. Justyna Steczkowska participated for Poland. Although she did not finish high, she did attract attention due to the atonal singing during her song. Also noteworthy: Eddie Friel for Ireland. His song “Dreamin’” was such a shameless copy of Julie Felix’s “Moonlight” (just listen to the two songs) that disqualification loomed. Anabel Conde was the participant for Spain. She finished in second place. The group Magazin represented Croatia, with opera singer Lidija Horváth as an additional vocalist. Whereas all group members sang at the national final, now only Lidija and group singer Danijela were visible. The rest had faded into the background. Danijela would not stay with Magazin for much longer. And then there was Alexandros Panayi: he was the fan favorite for Cyprus with “Sti fotia”. He would later often travel with Greece and Cyprus as a backing vocalist or vocal coach. One of the favorites was the Swede Jan Johansen with the ballad “Se på mej”. Another notable ballad was that of Slovenia, “Prisluhni mi”. Neither song won. And then we do not want to leave Iceland unmentioned. After many attempts in national finals, the broadcaster there had selected Bo Halldórsson. He sang the beautiful ballad “Núna”. Later, his daughter Svala would also represent her country. We mention him because Bo Halldórsson passed away last week at 74. Secret Garden Norway won with a remarkable song. The winning “Nocturne” contained only 25 words. The group, Secret Garden, was built around Rolf Løvland, who wrote the winning song 10 years earlier, and his girlfriend Fionualla Sherry. As a violinist, she played a leading role in the song. Singer Gunnhild Tvinnereim, along with the other group members, had only a supporting role. Remarkably: although Ireland did not win, Fionualla Sherry was indeed Irish. And so Ireland won again, but then without winning.

Read More »
April 14, 2026 No Comments
Uncategorized
Martijn

70 years of Eurovision: when Irish eyes are smiling

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. 1994 The EBU was frantically searching for a new system. The countries with the worst scores from the previous year had to sit on the sidelines for a year. They had to make way for Estonia, Hungary, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, Russia, and Slovakia. Proud Ireland hosted the Song Contest again, this time simply in Dublin, at the Point Theatre. The hosts were Cynthia Ní Mhurchú and Gerry Ryan. The interval act was the most talked-about ever: River Dance. A dance written by Bill Whelan, but which later grew into an internationally acclaimed act. The songs Marie Bergman represented Sweden, in a duet with Roger Pontare. Marie had also participated in 1971 and 1972. Evridiki returned for Cyprus. Former Bobbysocks member Elisabeth Andreasson sang, also in a duet, for Norway. And the Icelandic Sigga, who had participated in a group twice, now took part solo. That was quite a challenge. Her duo partner from two years earlier, Sissa, was actually supposed to sing the song “Nætur,” but she was sidelined by the Icelandic broadcaster. Portugal caught attention with Sara Tavares. She had won a singing competition in her own country; back then, she imitated Whitney Houston. Her song “Chamar a musica” impressed the audience. Germany opted more for a lot of cheerfulness. The all-female trio Mekado, formed especially for the occasion, performed the cheerful “Wir geben ‘ner Party.” It was sung in German, but with many international terms. And it was a song by Ralph Siegel and Bernd Meinunger. The aforementioned Elisabeth Andreasson sang a duet with the much younger (and sadly enough deceased very young) Jan Werner Danielsen: “Duett,” a mystical song. Friderika Bayer from Hungary sang the serene “Kinek mondjam el vétkeimet?” For a moment, it seemed Hungary was going to win. The first juries all gave their 12 to the debuting country. Ultimately, Friderika finished fourth. Youddiph also came from Eastern Europe. She represented Russia with “Vechny strannik,” but above all with her dress. She constantly changed it into a different dress, keeping the viewer mesmerized and focused on it. The Polish Edyta Górniak had dressed much more simple. The song, too, stood out for its simplicity. It came in second. Because Ireland won, of course. That was how it was done in those days. Paul Harrington & Charlie McGettigan Rumour has it that Ireland had sent two middle-aged men with a ballad because they didn’t want to win again. If that was the case, that plan was not exactly successful. For it was precisely as anti-heroes that Paul Harrington and Charlie McGettigan made a huge impression. Halfway through the voting, they took a lead with their “Rock ‘n’ roll kids” that they never relinquished. The crowd went wild; Ireland was celebrating one big party. Except perhaps at the Irish broadcaster RTÉ, which now found itself facing the organization of the contest once again. Charlie McGettigan recently made the news by wanting to return his trophy, following in the footsteps of Nemo (2024). He, too, could not live with Israel’s participation. However, he could not find his trophy. Understandable, because anyone who looks closely at the award ceremony will see that only composer Brendan Graham received a trophy. 1995 Once again, a number of countries had to make way so that others could return. However, Italy and Luxembourg, both on the reserve bench the previous year, did not return. 23 countries participated in this festival. It was hosted by Mary Kennedy. The songs Arzu Ece participated for Turkey for the second time, having entered the Eurovision stage six years earlier as a member of the group Pan. She was the only artist returning. Justyna Steczkowska participated for Poland. Although she did not finish high, she did attract attention due to the atonal singing during her song. Also noteworthy: Eddie Friel for Ireland. His song “Dreamin’” was such a shameless copy of Julie Felix’s “Moonlight” (just listen to the two songs) that disqualification loomed. Anabel Conde was the participant for Spain. She finished in second place. The group Magazin represented Croatia, with opera singer Lidija Horváth as an additional vocalist. Whereas all group members sang at the national final, now only Lidija and group singer Danijela were visible. The rest had faded into the background. Danijela would not stay with Magazin for much longer. And then there was Alexandros Panayi: he was the fan favorite for Cyprus with “Sti fotia”. He would later often travel with Greece and Cyprus as a backing vocalist or vocal coach. One of the favorites was the Swede Jan Johansen with the ballad “Se på mej”. Another notable ballad was that of Slovenia, “Prisluhni mi”. Neither song won. And then we do not want to leave Iceland unmentioned. After many attempts in national finals, the broadcaster there had selected Bo Halldórsson. He sang the beautiful ballad “Núna”. Later, his daughter Svala would also represent her country. We mention him because Bo Halldórsson passed away last week at 74. Secret Garden Norway won with a remarkable song. The winning “Nocturne” contained only 25 words. The group, Secret Garden, was built around Rolf Løvland, who wrote the winning song 10 years earlier, and his girlfriend Fionualla Sherry. As a violinist, she played a leading role in the song. Singer Gunnhild Tvinnereim, along with the other group members, had only a supporting role. Remarkably: although Ireland did not win, Fionualla Sherry was indeed Irish. And so Ireland won again, but then without winning.

Read More »
April 14, 2026 No Comments
© 2019 – 2026 Eurovision Universe / eurovisionuniverse.com

Maintained in cooperation with IT-M.art

Follow Us: