Independent review of ESC: the results are in

Eurovision 2024

The 2024 Contest reached over 160 million people in 37 public service media markets. This was, however, a contest that will be reminded for other things. Several countries have added complaints about safety behind the scenes. Also, Dutch contestant Joost Klein was disqualified; a novum in the Eurovision Song Contest. Reason for the EBU to announce an independent review of the Eurovision Song Contest (ESC) 2024 in Malmö.

Review and conclusion

An industry expert led this review. They gathered feedback from various ESC stakeholders, including Heads of Delegation, ESC Reference Group members, and the EBU/ESC core team.

Today, the EBU shares the conclusions of this review. Based on the findings, the EBU identified three key areas to focus on in the coming months. These areas aim to strengthen and protect next year’s Eurovision Song Contest and future events. The areas are: EBU Governance and Participation, Safety and Risk Management, and Audience Engagement, Fans, and Media.

Actions already taken

To keep up the momentum, the EBU appointed a task force of senior leaders. This team will oversee decision-making and changes in these areas.

“The review also highlighted the need for a stronger leadership team to manage such a large event. We created a new role, ESC Director, reporting to the EBU Deputy Director General and Media Director. This role supports the Executive Supervisor, focusing on ESC production, delegations, member relationships, and daily production issues. The ESC Director will also oversee a new role called Head of ESC Brand and Commercial.”

Decisions

“Just six weeks after the 2024 Eurovision Song Contest, we made these decisions quickly to ensure the event’s future success.

We are dedicated to ensuring that the Eurovision Song Contest continues to thrive. We aim to reassure participating broadcasters and millions of fans that we are committed to maintaining the success of this joyful event.” 

Development areas
  1. EBU Governance and Participation: Clarify decision-making roles within the EBU. Ensure diverse member opinions are heard. Define the responsibilities of the ESC Core Team. Outline the roles of Heads of Delegations and Participating Artists.

  2. Safety and Risk Management: Simplify and improve understanding of ESC rules. Strengthen crisis management protocols. Enhance security and cybersecurity measures.

  3. Ensuring a General-Audience Show and Broad Engagement: Increase collaboration with fan groups, influencers, and media. Build broader engagement and ensure the ESC remains a prime-time show for all ages.

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Weekly Update

It’s Tuesday, March 10, 2026, and time for another weekly Eurovision update! The past week was one of the busiest yet on the road to Vienna. Nine countries revealed their entries for Eurovision 2026, adding fresh songs and artists to the line-up. Sweden launched a new preview show to hype up the contest, and two countries released revamped versions of their songs. Czechia also confirmed its representative. Meanwhile, the betting odds shifted as new favorites emerged. Here are this week’s top stories: New Eurovision Entries Confirmed 🇷🇴 Romania Alexandra Căpitănescu won Romania’s Selecția Națională 2026 with her power ballad “Choke Me,” earning her the ticket to Eurovision 2026 in Vienna. 🇮🇱 Israel Israel revealed its entry “Michelle,” which Noam Bettan will perform in Vienna. Noam secured his spot by winning HaKokhav Haba (The Next Star), and the upbeat track features lyrics in Hebrew, English, and French. 🇬🇧 United Kingdom The BBC internally selected electronic artist Look Mum No Computer (Sam Battle) to represent the UK. His song “Eins Zwei Drei” premiered this week, bringing an experimental electro-pop flair to Britain’s 2026 entry. 🇫🇷 France France Télévisions announced that 17-year-old singer Monroe will represent France with the song “Regarde !”. This theatrical pop track blends elements of opera and modern pop, delivering a universal love message. Its reveal also shot France up the betting rankings. 🇸🇲 San Marino San Marino is sending a familiar face. Senhit will represent the nation for a third time, this round featuring ’80s pop icon Boy George. They won Una Voce per San Marino and will perform the synth-pop song “Superstar” in the second semifinal. 🇸🇪 Sweden Melodifestivalen 2026 concluded with Felicia taking the crown. Her catchy pop song “My System” won the jury and public vote (161 points total). Felicia will fly the Swedish flag in Vienna, aiming to continue Sweden’s strong Eurovision track record. 🇵🇹 Portugal Folk group Bandidos do Cante triumphed at Festival da Canção 2026 with their song “Rosa.” Despite pre-contest rumors that some acts might decline the ticket, Bandidos do Cante confirmed they will proudly represent Portugal in Eurovision 2026. 🇵🇱 Poland Poland chose Alicja as its act for Vienna. The 22-year-old singer-songwriter will perform her emotive song “Pray,” which she co-wrote. Alicja was originally set to be Poland’s entrant in 2020, making this a long-awaited second chance on the Eurovision stage. 🇦🇿 Azerbaijan Azerbaijan completed its Eurovision 2026 line-up by internally selecting singer JIVA (Jamila Hashimova) and releasing her entry “Just Go.” It’s an emotional ballad about love and inner strength that adds intensity to this year’s contest. 🇸🇪 Sweden Launches Eurovisionklubben Preview Show Sweden’s broadcaster SVT has launched a new weekly TV program called Eurovisionklubben. This Eurovision preview show airs every Wednesday evening on SVT Play and serves as a “club” for fans to obsess over all things Eurovision. Hosts Torbjörn Averås Skorup and Tina Mehrafzoon invite experts and enthusiasts to chat about the latest news, entries, and predictions. Eurovisionklubben marks the first dedicated Eurovision preview series on SVT since 2016, ramping up the excitement in Sweden as the contest approaches. source: Instagram Melodifestivalen 🇲🇪 Montenegro Releases Revamped “Nova Zora” Montenegro released a revamped version of “Nova Zora,” its Eurovision entry performed by Tamara Živković. The final version of the song debuted on March 8 (International Women’s Day), a date Tamara deliberately chose for its significance. The revamp features enhanced production and a richer sound to better suit the big stage in May. Tamara notes that “Nova Zora” (“New Dawn”) carries an empowering message for women, making the song’s new arrangement even more impactful. Montenegro will present this updated power ballad live in the first semi-final on May 12. 🇺🇦 Ukraine Unveils Updated “Ridnym” Ukraine’s Eurovision entry “Ridnym” by LELÉKA has undergone a makeover. The Ukrainian broadcaster Suspilne released an updated version of the song, now with an even stronger bandura presence – a traditional Ukrainian harp-like instrument. The new arrangement amplifies the folk elements of “Ridnym” to emphasize its cultural roots and emotional depth. LELÉKA, who won Vidbir 2026 to earn the ticket to Vienna, says the Eurovision version of “Ridnym” brings the song “closer to home.” Ukraine will showcase this refreshed track in the second semi-final on May 14. 🇨🇿 Czechia Selects Daniel Zizka Czechia has confirmed its representative for Eurovision 2026. ČT (Czech Television) announced that 23-year-old Daniel Zizka will carry the Czech flag in Vienna. Daniel is set to perform the song “Crossroads,” with the track due out on March 11. The artist reveal has generated buzz – Daniel Zizka has earned praise for his soulful voice and authentic style. The Czech delegation noted that when Daniel first performed “Crossroads” in the studio, the room fell silent. They hint that the entry will be a powerful one. source: eurovision.com 📷 Hana Kinzova/EBU Betting Odds Update With nearly all songs now revealed, the betting markets are shifting daily. As of March 10, Finland remains the odds-on favorite to win Eurovision 2026. This status is thanks to the buzz around Linda Lampenius & Pete Parkkonen’s rock-violin track “Liekinheitin.” France has surged into second place after Monroe’s “Regarde !” came out late last week, overtaking Denmark. Denmark’s entry (Søren Torpegaard Lund’s Danish ballad) now sits in third. Rounding out the current top five are Greece (Akylas with “Ferto”) and Australia (pop star Delta Goodrem with “Eclipse”). Sweden and Israel are just outside that upper tier. With two months until showtime, fans are watching the odds closely. But anything can still change on the Eurovision stage. Agenda Date Country National Final Time Watch here: 11 March Czechia Song 00:00 YouTube   Switzerland Song 12:00 YouTube Eurovision   Georgia Song ? YouTube Nobody knows Armenia Song/Artist ? ?!?!?!?!?!?!?

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Martijn

Weekly Update

It’s Tuesday, March 10, 2026, and time for another weekly Eurovision update! The past week was one of the busiest yet on the road to Vienna. Nine countries revealed their entries for Eurovision 2026, adding fresh songs and artists to the line-up. Sweden launched a new preview show to hype up the contest, and two countries released revamped versions of their songs. Czechia also confirmed its representative. Meanwhile, the betting odds shifted as new favorites emerged. Here are this week’s top stories: New Eurovision Entries Confirmed 🇷🇴 Romania Alexandra Căpitănescu won Romania’s Selecția Națională 2026 with her power ballad “Choke Me,” earning her the ticket to Eurovision 2026 in Vienna. 🇮🇱 Israel Israel revealed its entry “Michelle,” which Noam Bettan will perform in Vienna. Noam secured his spot by winning HaKokhav Haba (The Next Star), and the upbeat track features lyrics in Hebrew, English, and French. 🇬🇧 United Kingdom The BBC internally selected electronic artist Look Mum No Computer (Sam Battle) to represent the UK. His song “Eins Zwei Drei” premiered this week, bringing an experimental electro-pop flair to Britain’s 2026 entry. 🇫🇷 France France Télévisions announced that 17-year-old singer Monroe will represent France with the song “Regarde !”. This theatrical pop track blends elements of opera and modern pop, delivering a universal love message. Its reveal also shot France up the betting rankings. 🇸🇲 San Marino San Marino is sending a familiar face. Senhit will represent the nation for a third time, this round featuring ’80s pop icon Boy George. They won Una Voce per San Marino and will perform the synth-pop song “Superstar” in the second semifinal. 🇸🇪 Sweden Melodifestivalen 2026 concluded with Felicia taking the crown. Her catchy pop song “My System” won the jury and public vote (161 points total). Felicia will fly the Swedish flag in Vienna, aiming to continue Sweden’s strong Eurovision track record. 🇵🇹 Portugal Folk group Bandidos do Cante triumphed at Festival da Canção 2026 with their song “Rosa.” Despite pre-contest rumors that some acts might decline the ticket, Bandidos do Cante confirmed they will proudly represent Portugal in Eurovision 2026. 🇵🇱 Poland Poland chose Alicja as its act for Vienna. The 22-year-old singer-songwriter will perform her emotive song “Pray,” which she co-wrote. Alicja was originally set to be Poland’s entrant in 2020, making this a long-awaited second chance on the Eurovision stage. 🇦🇿 Azerbaijan Azerbaijan completed its Eurovision 2026 line-up by internally selecting singer JIVA (Jamila Hashimova) and releasing her entry “Just Go.” It’s an emotional ballad about love and inner strength that adds intensity to this year’s contest. 🇸🇪 Sweden Launches Eurovisionklubben Preview Show Sweden’s broadcaster SVT has launched a new weekly TV program called Eurovisionklubben. This Eurovision preview show airs every Wednesday evening on SVT Play and serves as a “club” for fans to obsess over all things Eurovision. Hosts Torbjörn Averås Skorup and Tina Mehrafzoon invite experts and enthusiasts to chat about the latest news, entries, and predictions. Eurovisionklubben marks the first dedicated Eurovision preview series on SVT since 2016, ramping up the excitement in Sweden as the contest approaches. source: Instagram Melodifestivalen 🇲🇪 Montenegro Releases Revamped “Nova Zora” Montenegro released a revamped version of “Nova Zora,” its Eurovision entry performed by Tamara Živković. The final version of the song debuted on March 8 (International Women’s Day), a date Tamara deliberately chose for its significance. The revamp features enhanced production and a richer sound to better suit the big stage in May. Tamara notes that “Nova Zora” (“New Dawn”) carries an empowering message for women, making the song’s new arrangement even more impactful. Montenegro will present this updated power ballad live in the first semi-final on May 12. 🇺🇦 Ukraine Unveils Updated “Ridnym” Ukraine’s Eurovision entry “Ridnym” by LELÉKA has undergone a makeover. The Ukrainian broadcaster Suspilne released an updated version of the song, now with an even stronger bandura presence – a traditional Ukrainian harp-like instrument. The new arrangement amplifies the folk elements of “Ridnym” to emphasize its cultural roots and emotional depth. LELÉKA, who won Vidbir 2026 to earn the ticket to Vienna, says the Eurovision version of “Ridnym” brings the song “closer to home.” Ukraine will showcase this refreshed track in the second semi-final on May 14. 🇨🇿 Czechia Selects Daniel Zizka Czechia has confirmed its representative for Eurovision 2026. ČT (Czech Television) announced that 23-year-old Daniel Zizka will carry the Czech flag in Vienna. Daniel is set to perform the song “Crossroads,” with the track due out on March 11. The artist reveal has generated buzz – Daniel Zizka has earned praise for his soulful voice and authentic style. The Czech delegation noted that when Daniel first performed “Crossroads” in the studio, the room fell silent. They hint that the entry will be a powerful one. source: eurovision.com 📷 Hana Kinzova/EBU Betting Odds Update With nearly all songs now revealed, the betting markets are shifting daily. As of March 10, Finland remains the odds-on favorite to win Eurovision 2026. This status is thanks to the buzz around Linda Lampenius & Pete Parkkonen’s rock-violin track “Liekinheitin.” France has surged into second place after Monroe’s “Regarde !” came out late last week, overtaking Denmark. Denmark’s entry (Søren Torpegaard Lund’s Danish ballad) now sits in third. Rounding out the current top five are Greece (Akylas with “Ferto”) and Australia (pop star Delta Goodrem with “Eclipse”). Sweden and Israel are just outside that upper tier. With two months until showtime, fans are watching the odds closely. But anything can still change on the Eurovision stage. Agenda Date Country National Final Time Watch here: 11 March Czechia Song 00:00 YouTube   Switzerland Song 12:00 YouTube Eurovision   Georgia Song ? YouTube Nobody knows Armenia Song/Artist ? ?!?!?!?!?!?!?

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