🇫🇷 Road to Basel: France

Road to Basel: France. We cannot wait for the Eurovision Song Contest in Basel. Therefore, we take a closer look at one of the contestants each day. Today, we highlight France.

Louane

Louane Emera, known simply as Louane, is a beloved French singer-songwriter and actress whose heartfelt music and captivating stage presence have earned her widespread acclaim. After rising to fame through her participation in The Voice: la plus belle voix in 2013, Louane quickly established herself as one of France’s most promising young talents. Subsequently, her debut album, Chambre 12, became a chart-topping success, showcasing her ability to blend emotional depth with accessible pop melodies. Furthermore, known for hits such as “Avenir,” Louane effortlessly conveys vulnerability and strength in her music. Consequently, her performances are praised for authenticity and warmth, qualities that resonate deeply with audiences across generations. Additionally, Louane’s diverse talents extend to acting; notably, she received a CĂ©sar Award for her role in La Famille BĂ©lier.

Maman (what does AI say?)

Louane’s 2025 release, “Maman,” is a heartfelt and introspective ballad that elegantly captures the emotional complexities of motherhood, memory, and identity. Co-written by Louane and Tristan Salvati, the song is deeply personal, drawing inspiration from Louane’s own experiences of loss and becoming a mother. Moreover, with delicate melodies and poignant lyrics, “Maman” reflects the powerful bond between parent and child, bridging the past and the future. Additionally, Louane’s vulnerable yet powerful vocal performance enriches the song’s universal appeal, profoundly resonating with listeners. Through “Maman,” Louane explores themes of love, reflection, and generational continuity, showcasing her artistic maturity and emotional authenticity.

Internal selection

In 2025, France TĂ©lĂ©visions opted for an internal selection process to choose their Eurovision representative. Consequently, on January 30, 2025, they announced Louane as the chosen artist. Subsequently, Louane unveiled her song “Maman” during a live performance at the Stade de France on March 15, 2025, coinciding with the halftime show of the Six Nations rugby match between France and Scotland. As a result of being a member of the “Big Five,” France automatically qualifies for the Eurovision Grand Final, scheduled for May 17, 2025, in Basel, Switzerland.

France in the Eurovision Song Contest

France has participated in the Eurovision Song Contest since its inception in 1956. Soon after joining, the country achieved its first victory in 1958 with AndrĂ© Claveau’s “Dors, mon amour.” France subsequently won four more times: Jacqueline Boyer with “Tom Pillibi” (1960), Isabelle Aubret with “Un premier amour” (1962), Frida Boccara singing “Un jour, un enfant” (1969, a four-way tie), and Marie Myriam’s “L’oiseau et l’enfant” (1977), which remains their latest victory.

Moreover, other notable entries include Amina’s “C’est le dernier qui a parlĂ© qui a raison,” which tied for first place but finished second after a tie-break in 1991, and Barbara Pravi‘s “VoilĂ ,” which achieved second place in 2021. Consistently, France competes as part of the “Big Five,” granting automatic qualification for the final.

A random French entry

We let the website random.org select a French entry from Eurovision history. It is the 1958 winning song, “Dors Mon Amour”, sung by AndrĂ© Claveau. With the money, he didn’t buy a car or a yacht. No, he bought a cow!

Betting odds

Currently, France takes a third place in the betting odds for winning the Eurovision Song Contest. That means only two entries make more change to win the whole thing. If this comes true, it would be one of the better scores for France, especially in the last few years.

We can not wait for the Eurovision Song Contest in Basel.

 

 

 

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Weekly Update

It’s Tuesday, February 24, 2026, and time for another weekly update! This week saw Belgium and Austria unveiling their Eurovision entries for Vienna. Austria also launched a Eurovision-themed train to build excitement ahead of May. Meanwhile, a decision by Belgium’s VRT broadcaster made waves in the Eurovision community. National finals are in full swing across Europe as well. Italy’s Sanremo festival kicks off, Serbia’s selection reaches its climax, and finalists are being decided in Lithuania, Norway, Finland, and Germany. Here are this week’s top stories: New Entries 🇧🇪 Belgium Belgium’s French-language broadcaster RTBF has internally selected 23-year-old Essyla (Alice Van Eesbeeck) to represent the nation with the song “Dancing on the Ice”. Essyla, a former The Voice Belgique finalist, is Belgium’s first female solo Eurovision act since 2020. Her pop ballad “Dancing on the Ice” was co-written by Essyla herself and will fly the Belgian flag in Vienna. 🇦🇹 Austria Host country Austria also revealed its entry. In the national final Wer singt für Österreich?, 19-year-old singer Cosmó (Benjamin Gedeon) won with his upbeat German-language track “Tanzschein”. Cosmó beat 11 other acts in a combined jury and televote. He earned the honor of representing Austria on home soil at Eurovision 2026. “Tanzschein” (which means “dance ticket”) is a dance-pop song inspired by club culture. As host country, Austria will perform “Tanzschein” directly in the Grand Final. 2026 Contest News A specially decorated Eurovision train is now traveling across Austria, carrying the contest’s vibrant theme to cities and towns. National railway operator ÖBB unveiled the locomotive, which features striking Eurovision 2026 artwork and branding. ÖBB officials christened the train at Vienna’s central station as part of its launch ceremony. The locomotive’s mission is to build excitement for the upcoming song contest nationwide while also promoting climate-friendly travel for fans. This eye-catching train is part of ÖBB’s collaboration with host broadcaster ORF under a sustainability partnership. The initiative encourages fans to use eco-friendly rail travel to attend Eurovision events, highlighting climate-conscious transportation. It also continues a Eurovision tradition: back in 2015, ÖBB launched a similar Eurovision-branded locomotive to celebrate Austria hosting the contest that year, forging a link between rail travel and the Eurovision festivities. source: ÖBB 📷 ÖBB/Willinger In Belgium, VRT (Flemish broadcaster) announced it will not send its usual TV crew to Vienna for Eurovision 2026. Longtime commentator Peter Van de Veire will provide commentary from VRT’s studio in Brussels instead of on-site. VRT cited unresolved concerns with the event’s current context and a desire to be a “reliable guide” for viewers. This move comes amid calls from VRT and RTBF staff unions to boycott Eurovision 2026 over political controversies. Nevertheless, Belgium will participate as planned with RTBF’s entrant Essyla. source: VRT National Finals Roundup 🇮🇹 Italy: The famed Sanremo 2026 festival runs from 24 to 28 February with 30 artists competing. The winner will earn the right of first refusal to represent Italy at Eurovision. 🇷🇸 Serbia: RTS is holding Pesma za Evroviziju ’26 with two semi-finals on Feb 24 and 26, and a final on Feb 28. Twenty-four acts are vying to succeed Princ (Serbia’s 2025 entrant). The winner chosen on Sunday will become Serbia’s representative in Vienna. 🇱🇹 Lithuania: After five heats, Lithuania’s selection Eurovizija.LT 2026 will conclude with an 11-act final on 27 February. Singer Nøra Blu just won the wildcard round with her song “Hold My Own.” She claimed the last spot in the final. 🇳🇴 Norway: Melodi Grand Prix 2026 will take place on 28 February in Lillehammer’s Håkons Hall. Nine finalists are set, including Eurovision 2009 winner Alexander Rybak with “Rise.” Drag artist Skrellex won a special radio duel tournament to secure the last final spot. He will compete in the final with the song “Into the Wild”. 🇫🇮 Finland: The final of Uuden Musiikin Kilpailu (UMK) 2026 is scheduled for 28 February at Nokia Arena in Tampere. Seven acts will compete. The result will be decided by 75% public voting and 25% international jury voting. 🇩🇪 Germany: Germany’s national final “Das Deutsche Finale 2026” will be held on 28 February in Berlin. Nine acts, including former pop star Sarah Engels with the song “Fire”, will perform. A two-round voting system will be used. In the first round, an international jury will pick the top three finalists. Then the German public will choose the winner in a superfinal. The victor will represent Germany in the 70th Eurovision Song Contest this May. Agenda Date Country National Final Time Watch here: 24 February Serbia 1st semifinal 21:00 RTS Pesma Evrovizija on YouTube   Italy 1st night 20:40 RaiPlay 25 February Italy 2nd night 20:40 RaiPlay 26 February Italy 3rd night 20:40 RaiPlay   Serbia 2nd semifinal 21:00 RTS Pesma Evrovizija on YouTube 27 February Lithuania Final 18:00 LRT and YouTube LRT   Italy 4th night 20:40 RaiPlay 28 February Norway Final 19.45 NRK   Bulgaria Song selection 20:00 BNT and Escplus   Sweden 5th heat/fq 20:00 SVT Play   Finland Final 20:00 YLE and YLE (English commentary)   Germany Final 20:00 ARD1 (To be announced)   Italy Final 20:40 RaiPlay   Serbia Final 21:00 RTS Pesma Evrovizija on YouTube   Portugal 2nd semifinal 01:00 RTP1 and RTPinternacional

Read More »

Weekly Update

It’s Tuesday, February 24, 2026, and time for another weekly update! This week saw Belgium and Austria unveiling their Eurovision entries for Vienna. Austria also launched a Eurovision-themed train to build excitement ahead of May. Meanwhile, a decision by Belgium’s VRT broadcaster made waves in the Eurovision community. National finals are in full swing across Europe as well. Italy’s Sanremo festival kicks off, Serbia’s selection reaches its climax, and finalists are being decided in Lithuania, Norway, Finland, and Germany. Here are this week’s top stories: New Entries 🇧🇪 Belgium Belgium’s French-language broadcaster RTBF has internally selected 23-year-old Essyla (Alice Van Eesbeeck) to represent the nation with the song “Dancing on the Ice”. Essyla, a former The Voice Belgique finalist, is Belgium’s first female solo Eurovision act since 2020. Her pop ballad “Dancing on the Ice” was co-written by Essyla herself and will fly the Belgian flag in Vienna. 🇦🇹 Austria Host country Austria also revealed its entry. In the national final Wer singt für Österreich?, 19-year-old singer Cosmó (Benjamin Gedeon) won with his upbeat German-language track “Tanzschein”. Cosmó beat 11 other acts in a combined jury and televote. He earned the honor of representing Austria on home soil at Eurovision 2026. “Tanzschein” (which means “dance ticket”) is a dance-pop song inspired by club culture. As host country, Austria will perform “Tanzschein” directly in the Grand Final. 2026 Contest News A specially decorated Eurovision train is now traveling across Austria, carrying the contest’s vibrant theme to cities and towns. National railway operator ÖBB unveiled the locomotive, which features striking Eurovision 2026 artwork and branding. ÖBB officials christened the train at Vienna’s central station as part of its launch ceremony. The locomotive’s mission is to build excitement for the upcoming song contest nationwide while also promoting climate-friendly travel for fans. This eye-catching train is part of ÖBB’s collaboration with host broadcaster ORF under a sustainability partnership. The initiative encourages fans to use eco-friendly rail travel to attend Eurovision events, highlighting climate-conscious transportation. It also continues a Eurovision tradition: back in 2015, ÖBB launched a similar Eurovision-branded locomotive to celebrate Austria hosting the contest that year, forging a link between rail travel and the Eurovision festivities. source: ÖBB 📷 ÖBB/Willinger In Belgium, VRT (Flemish broadcaster) announced it will not send its usual TV crew to Vienna for Eurovision 2026. Longtime commentator Peter Van de Veire will provide commentary from VRT’s studio in Brussels instead of on-site. VRT cited unresolved concerns with the event’s current context and a desire to be a “reliable guide” for viewers. This move comes amid calls from VRT and RTBF staff unions to boycott Eurovision 2026 over political controversies. Nevertheless, Belgium will participate as planned with RTBF’s entrant Essyla. source: VRT National Finals Roundup 🇮🇹 Italy: The famed Sanremo 2026 festival runs from 24 to 28 February with 30 artists competing. The winner will earn the right of first refusal to represent Italy at Eurovision. 🇷🇸 Serbia: RTS is holding Pesma za Evroviziju ’26 with two semi-finals on Feb 24 and 26, and a final on Feb 28. Twenty-four acts are vying to succeed Princ (Serbia’s 2025 entrant). The winner chosen on Sunday will become Serbia’s representative in Vienna. 🇱🇹 Lithuania: After five heats, Lithuania’s selection Eurovizija.LT 2026 will conclude with an 11-act final on 27 February. Singer Nøra Blu just won the wildcard round with her song “Hold My Own.” She claimed the last spot in the final. 🇳🇴 Norway: Melodi Grand Prix 2026 will take place on 28 February in Lillehammer’s Håkons Hall. Nine finalists are set, including Eurovision 2009 winner Alexander Rybak with “Rise.” Drag artist Skrellex won a special radio duel tournament to secure the last final spot. He will compete in the final with the song “Into the Wild”. 🇫🇮 Finland: The final of Uuden Musiikin Kilpailu (UMK) 2026 is scheduled for 28 February at Nokia Arena in Tampere. Seven acts will compete. The result will be decided by 75% public voting and 25% international jury voting. 🇩🇪 Germany: Germany’s national final “Das Deutsche Finale 2026” will be held on 28 February in Berlin. Nine acts, including former pop star Sarah Engels with the song “Fire”, will perform. A two-round voting system will be used. In the first round, an international jury will pick the top three finalists. Then the German public will choose the winner in a superfinal. The victor will represent Germany in the 70th Eurovision Song Contest this May. Agenda Date Country National Final Time Watch here: 24 February Serbia 1st semifinal 21:00 RTS Pesma Evrovizija on YouTube   Italy 1st night 20:40 RaiPlay 25 February Italy 2nd night 20:40 RaiPlay 26 February Italy 3rd night 20:40 RaiPlay   Serbia 2nd semifinal 21:00 RTS Pesma Evrovizija on YouTube 27 February Lithuania Final 18:00 LRT and YouTube LRT   Italy 4th night 20:40 RaiPlay 28 February Norway Final 19.45 NRK   Bulgaria Song selection 20:00 BNT and Escplus   Sweden 5th heat/fq 20:00 SVT Play   Finland Final 20:00 YLE and YLE (English commentary)   Germany Final 20:00 ARD1 (To be announced)   Italy Final 20:40 RaiPlay   Serbia Final 21:00 RTS Pesma Evrovizija on YouTube   Portugal 2nd semifinal 01:00 RTP1 and RTPinternacional

Read More »
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