Ukraine

7 cities on shortlist UK

Seven cities are on the shortlist to host the 2023 Eurovision Song Contest. These are Glasgow, Liverpool, Leeds, Birmingham, Manchester, Newcastle and Sheffield. Not only the place itself was a subject, but also how the cities want to reflect Ukrainian culture in the festivities. Ukraine won the Eurovision Song Contest this year but cannot organize it itself. That is why the United Kingdom and the BBC are taking on the organization. photo: EBU The next step is to create a bid book. In it, the cities show how the festival is organized in their city. The venue where the festival is held is also discussed: it must also be suitable. The infrastructure and availability of hotels are also discussed. The city must also present the financial picture. The BBC and the EBU will make a decision together, which is likely to fall in the autumn.  

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Kalush Orchestra

©EBU About Quick Facts MembersIhor DidenchukOleh PsiukTymofii MuzychukVitalii DuzhykOleksandr SlobodianykVlad Kurochka Established2019 Nationality Ukrainian National SelectionVidbir 2022 In Eurovision2022 SongStefania (2022) Biography Kalush is a Ukrainian rap band founded in 2019.  The band was named after Kalush, soloist and founder of the group Oleg Psyuk’s hometown. The band’s first music video for the song “Ne marynuy” was released on their official YouTube channel on October 17, 2019.  The video was shot on the streets of Kalush. After the release of the second music video “Ty honysh” in November 2019, the band Kalush signed a cooperation agreement with the American hip-hop label Def Jam, which is part of the Universal Music Group. On December 9, 2019, a video for the song “Hory” was released. In 12 days, the video garnered 1.2 million views on YouTube. In 2021, the band’s debut album, “Hotin”, was released. On July 23 of that year, Kalush and rapper Skofka released their second album, “Yo-yo”. In 2021 a parallel project was started – KALUSH Orchestra. Unlike the main band, this band will focus on rap with folk motifs and Ukrainian authenticity. Both groups have common members. Multi-instrumentalists Tymofiy Muzychuk and Vitaliy Duzhyk joined Oleg Psyuk (vocals, lyrics) Kilimmen (DJ) and Johnny Divny. Another musician, Igor Didenchuk, has played in Kalush from the beginning and went on to focus on the Kalush Orchestra. Kalush Orchestra competed in Vidbir, the national final for the Eurovision Song Contest with the song “Stefanai”. IThe band took a second place. However, the band got a chance to represent the country in the competition due to the disqualification of the winner of the final – Alina Pash. At the moment when Russia invaded Ukraine, the band became the hot favourite to win the contest. They won the contest with a landslide. Entries Stefania Country Ukraine Year2022 LanguageUkrainian LyricsIvan KlimenkoOleh Psiuk MusicIhor DidenchukTymofii MuzychukVitalii Duzhyk Backings– Results Semi Points: 337Position: 1Running order: 6 Results Finals Points: 631Position: 1Running order: 12 https://youtu.be/F1fl60ypdLs

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And this is what we know about the following order

Tonight, during the winners’ press conference, every artist had to draw a ballot for the final. Will they perform in the 1st or in the 2nd half? Last week, the Big 5 already had their draw. However, there is one exception. The organizing country, in this case Italy, had already drawn for the 9th place on an earlier stage. As you notice, most of the countries drew a place in the first half. That means, next Thursday there will be a lot of places available in the 2nd half. 1st half: Armenia France Germany Italy (9th place) Norway Portugal Spain Switzerland The Netherlands Ukraine 2nd half: Iceland Lithuania Moldova United Kingdom

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Sietse Bakker: no plan in case Ukraine wins

The EBU has no plan yet, in case Ukraine wins the Eurovision Song Contest. Normally, the country with a high winning probability is already preparing for the organization of the next festival. Because of the war in Ukraine, it is by no means certain that this country will also be able to take on the organization in case they actually win. That is what Sietse Bakker, member of the EBU reference group, says to Dutch news agency ANP. “That might be a bit premature. After all, the competition has only just begun” says Bakker. “I do think it is important that the Reference Group comes together very quickly if Ukraine wins and thinks about what the ‘point of no return’ is: at what moment you can still decide whether or not it is possible in Kiev” , Baker explains. According to him, organizing the Eurovision Song Contest can easily take a year. “It doesn’t look good at the moment. It is still a dangerous situation. And it is highly uncertain how that will develop in the coming period.” There are several options if the winning country cannot organize the contest. “What EBU could do is go to a country that recently organized it. After all, the country can act quickly. Or one can say: we are going to a country that recently organized the Junior Song Contest, for example Poland. They did very well and they also have the ambition to organise Eurovision. The third option is to go to one of the Big Five countries.” Since 1981, the winning country has always organized the Eurovision Song Contest. Even when Ireland won three consecutive times, they always took on the organization. In 1980 the Netherlands organized the contest. The previous year’s winner, Israel, won twice in a row and was unable to cope financially. It is, of course, a bit early to speculate on this. Ukraine hasn’t won yet. However, the chances of that happening are high. In recent years, the number 1 has always won at the bookmakers. The last time that didn’t happen was in 2016. Russia was the number 1 at the bookmakers that year. Who did win in 2016? Ukraine… source: AD

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Our predictions for the first semifinal

Tomorrow, the moment is there. We will have the first semifinal for the Eurovision Song Contest. What does the team of Eurovision Universe think? You will read it here. In fact, we are convinced of a final place for these countries: Albania, after all the fuzz around the act. Song and act are strong, Rona will qualify! Latvia: A song about veggies and (….). Cheerful, colourful and with a very modern topic. Lithuania: The act might not be what Monika wished for, but the song will stand out. Switzerland: The swiss song is in the style of Duncan Laurence and Gjon’s Tears, but less strong. It’s gonna be hard for Switzerland, but it is possible. Ukraine, because…. it’s Ukraine. The country is the hot favourite to even win the final. The Netherlands, S10 manages to tell the people where she sings about. Even in Dutch! Portugal: You can’t explain “Saudade” in any other language. MARO explains it by music. Not a sure qualifier, but we think it will. Greece; there is no such a song in Eurovision this year. It is unique and the act is strong. Norway, because every year needs an act like this. People vote for yellow masked wolves. Armenia: The song is strong, the singing is strong, the act is strong….. it has written final all over!   But of course, we wish all the artists good luck. Tomorrow, by this time, we will know more….              

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In the spotlight: Kalush Orchestra

Eurovision week has arrived. Tomorrow night is  the first semifinal of the Eurovision Song Contest 2022. One of the contenders for the win this Saturday is Ukraine, which is represented by the group Kalush Orchestra. But who are they?

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Day 5: A sun that doesn’t move, a Greek tavern and COVID19

Today we saw the second rehearsals for the first 14 countries from the first semifinal. For the first time the press was allowed to see the rehearsals on large TV screens in the press center. It is now certain that the kinetic sun does not rotate. During the first rehearsals it turned out that the time between performances was too short to move the center part of the sun. As a result, several countries had to adjust their graphics, because they were not or only partially visible ALBANIA: The outfit had been changed and Ronela Hajati also had her own blond hair again, instead of the pink hair she had during the first rehearsal. It was a dynamic performance, in which there was almost constant dancing, together with her four dancers and a dancer. After the first rehearsal, there were some comments about an allegedly offensive dance move by Ronela with her dancer, but she kept it in anyway. LATVIA: The six were wearing the familiar colorful suits and the decor was also very colorful. Various types of vegetables were displayed on the LED screen. In the middle of the song there was a moment for the saxophonist. The performance ended with the singer making a split. LITHUANIA: Monika Liu stood alone on the big stage in Turin and mainly sang her song into the camera. She moved elegantly and attracted all the attention. The song doesn’t really need anything more. SWITZERLAND: Dressed all in black, Marius Bear was on stage and a broken heart was visible on his face and on the floor. So emotions abound. SLOVENIA: As said before, it was a big disco ball that mainly caught the attention of the Slovenian act. The boys wore 1970s-style velvet suits and the drummer appeared to be drumming above the disco ball. Compared to the previous rehearsal, there was little change. UKRAINE: There was a lot to see on stage, besides the colorful costumes there was a lot of visual spectacle. It was traditional, ethnic with a modern twist, just like last year’s contribution. Because of the war in Ukraine, this performance has something emotional and that is subtly reflected in the visual spectacle. BULGARIA: The performance started with a split screen, showing the drummer on one side and another member of the group. A small rock concert with all the trimmings, including a lot of fire(work). THE NETHERLANDS: There were few noticeable changes from the first rehearsal of S10. In the Netherlands, there was some fuss about the singer’s bare belly, but it is still naked for a while. A lot has been taken out of the lighting of S10. MOLDOVA: After the intimate moment of the Netherlands, a party erupted on stage with the contribution of Zdob şi Zdub, who are participating for the third time. They used the entire stage for their folklore song: Hey ho, let’s go…, but no train on stage. Lots of color, matching the contribution. CROATIA: During rehearsals today, Mia had problems with her in-ears. No surprises at Mia’s performance. The postcards were also shown to the press today. A drone searches for the location where the artist of the country in question can be seen and we see the visual artist in the area. DENMARK: The beginning was just like in the national final, Siggy starts alone at the piano, with her quieter part of the song and then the rock show starts. Last year we went back to the eighties with Denmark, now it seems back to the nineties. In case you don’t remember the name of the band, REDDI appeared on the LED screen. AUSTRIA: Of course there is a Halo on stage. Lots of fireworks and strong staging. The vocal part of the duo was, as we can see now, quite disappointing. GREECE: For those who don’t understand the act of Greece: Amanda seems to be in a Greek tavern; hence the chairs around her. But some of the seats have fallen over. That fits with the lyrics of the song. Amanda could count on a big round of applause from the audience. PORTUGAL: A delegation member from Portugal tested positive for corona, so the entire delegation had to go back to the hotel and be tested. Fortunately none of the ladies tested positive and they were able to rehearse for their performance, but later than planned. After all the rehearsals had been completed, Portugal was allowed to go on stage after Greece. During this rehearsal it was clear that it was one of the background singers who tested positive for corona. The ladies were lined up in a circle and brought this atmospheric contribution in a good way.

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Kalush Orchestra will travel to Turin

Today, the Ukrainian representative Kalush Orchestra gave a performance on the Market Square in Lviv. Despite that the group couldn’t film a Live-On-Tape back-up performance , they announced that they will travel to Turin for the Eurovision Song Contest. They will leave Ukraine at the of the month, but firstly the group will travel trough Europe for their Fundraising tour. There people can give money to support Ukraine. The first country they will tour in will be announced tomorrow on April third.

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Will we see Russia in Turin?

As you all may know, there’s a war going on in Ukraine. The Eurovision Song Contest is a non-political event, but the war between Russia and Ukraine has raised attention from countries all over the world. Even in the tiny world of the Eurovision Song Contest this war strikes. Broadcasters from all over the continent have asked the European Broadcasting Union to suspend Russia from this years Eurovision that will be held in Turin Italy.   The EBU has stated that they still welcome Russia at the Eurovision Song Contest, despite them invading Ukraine. As we speak, the broadcasters that have asked the EBU to suspend Russia are: NRK (Norway), SVT (Sweden), LRT (Lithuania), Avrotros (The Netherlands) and UA:PBC (Ukraine). Few broadcasters have taken a step that goes even further than just suspending Russia. If Russia still participates, YLE (Finland), ERR (Estonia) and RUV (Iceland) will withdraw from this years Eurovision. Some Eurovision artists have spoken out aswell about the situation in Ukraine. Manizha (Russia 2021) has stated this: The Roop (Lithuania 2020 and 2021) have posted on Instagram that they stand with Ukraine. Sergey Lazarev (Russia 2016 and 2019) said that he is against this war. Artists from 2022 that have stated something are Citi Zēni and Subwoolfer. Citi Zēni have contacted the EBU about suspending Russia, while Subwoolfer have posted a picture in their yellow (as usual) and blue wolf suits.

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Will Kalush represent Ukraine?

  Will Ukraine still participate? OGEA Ukraine states that national broadcaster UA:PBC has asked Kalush if he wants to represent Ukraine at The Eurovision Song Contest 2022, after Vidbir winner Alina Pash has withdrawn because of her travel documents. In a recent interview with Kalush on Radio NV he says he’s ready to go to Eurovision and that he will sign the participation documents today. Broadcaster UA:PBC hasn’t said anything yet about the possibility of withdrawing or selecting a new artist. In 2019 a pattern like this happened aswell. Maruv won Vidbir but wasn’t able to travel to Tel Aviv ‘cause she wouldn’t sign a contract where she was held from performing in Russia. The runner up and third place didn’t want to follow up Maruv and so Ukraine decided to withdraw from that year’s contest.

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7 cities on shortlist UK

Seven cities are on the shortlist to host the 2023 Eurovision Song Contest. These are Glasgow, Liverpool, Leeds, Birmingham, Manchester, Newcastle and Sheffield. Not only the place itself was a subject, but also how the cities want to reflect Ukrainian culture in the festivities. Ukraine won the Eurovision Song Contest this year but cannot organize it itself. That is why the United Kingdom and the BBC are taking on the organization. photo: EBU The next step is to create a bid book. In it, the cities show how the festival is organized in their city. The venue where the festival is held is also discussed: it must also be suitable. The infrastructure and availability of hotels are also discussed. The city must also present the financial picture. The BBC and the EBU will make a decision together, which is likely to fall in the autumn.  

Read More »

Kalush Orchestra

©EBU About Quick Facts MembersIhor DidenchukOleh PsiukTymofii MuzychukVitalii DuzhykOleksandr SlobodianykVlad Kurochka Established2019 Nationality Ukrainian National SelectionVidbir 2022 In Eurovision2022 SongStefania (2022) Biography Kalush is a Ukrainian rap band founded in 2019.  The band was named after Kalush, soloist and founder of the group Oleg Psyuk’s hometown. The band’s first music video for the song “Ne marynuy” was released on their official YouTube channel on October 17, 2019.  The video was shot on the streets of Kalush. After the release of the second music video “Ty honysh” in November 2019, the band Kalush signed a cooperation agreement with the American hip-hop label Def Jam, which is part of the Universal Music Group. On December 9, 2019, a video for the song “Hory” was released. In 12 days, the video garnered 1.2 million views on YouTube. In 2021, the band’s debut album, “Hotin”, was released. On July 23 of that year, Kalush and rapper Skofka released their second album, “Yo-yo”. In 2021 a parallel project was started – KALUSH Orchestra. Unlike the main band, this band will focus on rap with folk motifs and Ukrainian authenticity. Both groups have common members. Multi-instrumentalists Tymofiy Muzychuk and Vitaliy Duzhyk joined Oleg Psyuk (vocals, lyrics) Kilimmen (DJ) and Johnny Divny. Another musician, Igor Didenchuk, has played in Kalush from the beginning and went on to focus on the Kalush Orchestra. Kalush Orchestra competed in Vidbir, the national final for the Eurovision Song Contest with the song “Stefanai”. IThe band took a second place. However, the band got a chance to represent the country in the competition due to the disqualification of the winner of the final – Alina Pash. At the moment when Russia invaded Ukraine, the band became the hot favourite to win the contest. They won the contest with a landslide. Entries Stefania Country Ukraine Year2022 LanguageUkrainian LyricsIvan KlimenkoOleh Psiuk MusicIhor DidenchukTymofii MuzychukVitalii Duzhyk Backings– Results Semi Points: 337Position: 1Running order: 6 Results Finals Points: 631Position: 1Running order: 12 https://youtu.be/F1fl60ypdLs

Read More »

And this is what we know about the following order

Tonight, during the winners’ press conference, every artist had to draw a ballot for the final. Will they perform in the 1st or in the 2nd half? Last week, the Big 5 already had their draw. However, there is one exception. The organizing country, in this case Italy, had already drawn for the 9th place on an earlier stage. As you notice, most of the countries drew a place in the first half. That means, next Thursday there will be a lot of places available in the 2nd half. 1st half: Armenia France Germany Italy (9th place) Norway Portugal Spain Switzerland The Netherlands Ukraine 2nd half: Iceland Lithuania Moldova United Kingdom

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Sietse Bakker: no plan in case Ukraine wins

The EBU has no plan yet, in case Ukraine wins the Eurovision Song Contest. Normally, the country with a high winning probability is already preparing for the organization of the next festival. Because of the war in Ukraine, it is by no means certain that this country will also be able to take on the organization in case they actually win. That is what Sietse Bakker, member of the EBU reference group, says to Dutch news agency ANP. “That might be a bit premature. After all, the competition has only just begun” says Bakker. “I do think it is important that the Reference Group comes together very quickly if Ukraine wins and thinks about what the ‘point of no return’ is: at what moment you can still decide whether or not it is possible in Kiev” , Baker explains. According to him, organizing the Eurovision Song Contest can easily take a year. “It doesn’t look good at the moment. It is still a dangerous situation. And it is highly uncertain how that will develop in the coming period.” There are several options if the winning country cannot organize the contest. “What EBU could do is go to a country that recently organized it. After all, the country can act quickly. Or one can say: we are going to a country that recently organized the Junior Song Contest, for example Poland. They did very well and they also have the ambition to organise Eurovision. The third option is to go to one of the Big Five countries.” Since 1981, the winning country has always organized the Eurovision Song Contest. Even when Ireland won three consecutive times, they always took on the organization. In 1980 the Netherlands organized the contest. The previous year’s winner, Israel, won twice in a row and was unable to cope financially. It is, of course, a bit early to speculate on this. Ukraine hasn’t won yet. However, the chances of that happening are high. In recent years, the number 1 has always won at the bookmakers. The last time that didn’t happen was in 2016. Russia was the number 1 at the bookmakers that year. Who did win in 2016? Ukraine… source: AD

Read More »

Our predictions for the first semifinal

Tomorrow, the moment is there. We will have the first semifinal for the Eurovision Song Contest. What does the team of Eurovision Universe think? You will read it here. In fact, we are convinced of a final place for these countries: Albania, after all the fuzz around the act. Song and act are strong, Rona will qualify! Latvia: A song about veggies and (….). Cheerful, colourful and with a very modern topic. Lithuania: The act might not be what Monika wished for, but the song will stand out. Switzerland: The swiss song is in the style of Duncan Laurence and Gjon’s Tears, but less strong. It’s gonna be hard for Switzerland, but it is possible. Ukraine, because…. it’s Ukraine. The country is the hot favourite to even win the final. The Netherlands, S10 manages to tell the people where she sings about. Even in Dutch! Portugal: You can’t explain “Saudade” in any other language. MARO explains it by music. Not a sure qualifier, but we think it will. Greece; there is no such a song in Eurovision this year. It is unique and the act is strong. Norway, because every year needs an act like this. People vote for yellow masked wolves. Armenia: The song is strong, the singing is strong, the act is strong….. it has written final all over!   But of course, we wish all the artists good luck. Tomorrow, by this time, we will know more….              

Read More »

In the spotlight: Kalush Orchestra

Eurovision week has arrived. Tomorrow night is  the first semifinal of the Eurovision Song Contest 2022. One of the contenders for the win this Saturday is Ukraine, which is represented by the group Kalush Orchestra. But who are they?

Read More »

Day 5: A sun that doesn’t move, a Greek tavern and COVID19

Today we saw the second rehearsals for the first 14 countries from the first semifinal. For the first time the press was allowed to see the rehearsals on large TV screens in the press center. It is now certain that the kinetic sun does not rotate. During the first rehearsals it turned out that the time between performances was too short to move the center part of the sun. As a result, several countries had to adjust their graphics, because they were not or only partially visible ALBANIA: The outfit had been changed and Ronela Hajati also had her own blond hair again, instead of the pink hair she had during the first rehearsal. It was a dynamic performance, in which there was almost constant dancing, together with her four dancers and a dancer. After the first rehearsal, there were some comments about an allegedly offensive dance move by Ronela with her dancer, but she kept it in anyway. LATVIA: The six were wearing the familiar colorful suits and the decor was also very colorful. Various types of vegetables were displayed on the LED screen. In the middle of the song there was a moment for the saxophonist. The performance ended with the singer making a split. LITHUANIA: Monika Liu stood alone on the big stage in Turin and mainly sang her song into the camera. She moved elegantly and attracted all the attention. The song doesn’t really need anything more. SWITZERLAND: Dressed all in black, Marius Bear was on stage and a broken heart was visible on his face and on the floor. So emotions abound. SLOVENIA: As said before, it was a big disco ball that mainly caught the attention of the Slovenian act. The boys wore 1970s-style velvet suits and the drummer appeared to be drumming above the disco ball. Compared to the previous rehearsal, there was little change. UKRAINE: There was a lot to see on stage, besides the colorful costumes there was a lot of visual spectacle. It was traditional, ethnic with a modern twist, just like last year’s contribution. Because of the war in Ukraine, this performance has something emotional and that is subtly reflected in the visual spectacle. BULGARIA: The performance started with a split screen, showing the drummer on one side and another member of the group. A small rock concert with all the trimmings, including a lot of fire(work). THE NETHERLANDS: There were few noticeable changes from the first rehearsal of S10. In the Netherlands, there was some fuss about the singer’s bare belly, but it is still naked for a while. A lot has been taken out of the lighting of S10. MOLDOVA: After the intimate moment of the Netherlands, a party erupted on stage with the contribution of Zdob şi Zdub, who are participating for the third time. They used the entire stage for their folklore song: Hey ho, let’s go…, but no train on stage. Lots of color, matching the contribution. CROATIA: During rehearsals today, Mia had problems with her in-ears. No surprises at Mia’s performance. The postcards were also shown to the press today. A drone searches for the location where the artist of the country in question can be seen and we see the visual artist in the area. DENMARK: The beginning was just like in the national final, Siggy starts alone at the piano, with her quieter part of the song and then the rock show starts. Last year we went back to the eighties with Denmark, now it seems back to the nineties. In case you don’t remember the name of the band, REDDI appeared on the LED screen. AUSTRIA: Of course there is a Halo on stage. Lots of fireworks and strong staging. The vocal part of the duo was, as we can see now, quite disappointing. GREECE: For those who don’t understand the act of Greece: Amanda seems to be in a Greek tavern; hence the chairs around her. But some of the seats have fallen over. That fits with the lyrics of the song. Amanda could count on a big round of applause from the audience. PORTUGAL: A delegation member from Portugal tested positive for corona, so the entire delegation had to go back to the hotel and be tested. Fortunately none of the ladies tested positive and they were able to rehearse for their performance, but later than planned. After all the rehearsals had been completed, Portugal was allowed to go on stage after Greece. During this rehearsal it was clear that it was one of the background singers who tested positive for corona. The ladies were lined up in a circle and brought this atmospheric contribution in a good way.

Read More »

Kalush Orchestra will travel to Turin

Today, the Ukrainian representative Kalush Orchestra gave a performance on the Market Square in Lviv. Despite that the group couldn’t film a Live-On-Tape back-up performance , they announced that they will travel to Turin for the Eurovision Song Contest. They will leave Ukraine at the of the month, but firstly the group will travel trough Europe for their Fundraising tour. There people can give money to support Ukraine. The first country they will tour in will be announced tomorrow on April third.

Read More »

Will we see Russia in Turin?

As you all may know, there’s a war going on in Ukraine. The Eurovision Song Contest is a non-political event, but the war between Russia and Ukraine has raised attention from countries all over the world. Even in the tiny world of the Eurovision Song Contest this war strikes. Broadcasters from all over the continent have asked the European Broadcasting Union to suspend Russia from this years Eurovision that will be held in Turin Italy.   The EBU has stated that they still welcome Russia at the Eurovision Song Contest, despite them invading Ukraine. As we speak, the broadcasters that have asked the EBU to suspend Russia are: NRK (Norway), SVT (Sweden), LRT (Lithuania), Avrotros (The Netherlands) and UA:PBC (Ukraine). Few broadcasters have taken a step that goes even further than just suspending Russia. If Russia still participates, YLE (Finland), ERR (Estonia) and RUV (Iceland) will withdraw from this years Eurovision. Some Eurovision artists have spoken out aswell about the situation in Ukraine. Manizha (Russia 2021) has stated this: The Roop (Lithuania 2020 and 2021) have posted on Instagram that they stand with Ukraine. Sergey Lazarev (Russia 2016 and 2019) said that he is against this war. Artists from 2022 that have stated something are Citi Zēni and Subwoolfer. Citi Zēni have contacted the EBU about suspending Russia, while Subwoolfer have posted a picture in their yellow (as usual) and blue wolf suits.

Read More »

Will Kalush represent Ukraine?

  Will Ukraine still participate? OGEA Ukraine states that national broadcaster UA:PBC has asked Kalush if he wants to represent Ukraine at The Eurovision Song Contest 2022, after Vidbir winner Alina Pash has withdrawn because of her travel documents. In a recent interview with Kalush on Radio NV he says he’s ready to go to Eurovision and that he will sign the participation documents today. Broadcaster UA:PBC hasn’t said anything yet about the possibility of withdrawing or selecting a new artist. In 2019 a pattern like this happened aswell. Maruv won Vidbir but wasn’t able to travel to Tel Aviv ‘cause she wouldn’t sign a contract where she was held from performing in Russia. The runner up and third place didn’t want to follow up Maruv and so Ukraine decided to withdraw from that year’s contest.

Read More »

7 cities on shortlist UK

Seven cities are on the shortlist to host the 2023 Eurovision Song Contest. These are Glasgow, Liverpool, Leeds, Birmingham, Manchester, Newcastle and Sheffield. Not only the place itself was a subject, but also how the cities want to reflect Ukrainian culture in the festivities. Ukraine won the Eurovision Song Contest this year but cannot organize it itself. That is why the United Kingdom and the BBC are taking on the organization. photo: EBU The next step is to create a bid book. In it, the cities show how the festival is organized in their city. The venue where the festival is held is also discussed: it must also be suitable. The infrastructure and availability of hotels are also discussed. The city must also present the financial picture. The BBC and the EBU will make a decision together, which is likely to fall in the autumn.  

Read More »

Kalush Orchestra

©EBU About Quick Facts MembersIhor DidenchukOleh PsiukTymofii MuzychukVitalii DuzhykOleksandr SlobodianykVlad Kurochka Established2019 Nationality Ukrainian National SelectionVidbir 2022 In Eurovision2022 SongStefania (2022) Biography Kalush is a Ukrainian rap band founded in 2019.  The band was named after Kalush, soloist and founder of the group Oleg Psyuk’s hometown. The band’s first music video for the song “Ne marynuy” was released on their official YouTube channel on October 17, 2019.  The video was shot on the streets of Kalush. After the release of the second music video “Ty honysh” in November 2019, the band Kalush signed a cooperation agreement with the American hip-hop label Def Jam, which is part of the Universal Music Group. On December 9, 2019, a video for the song “Hory” was released. In 12 days, the video garnered 1.2 million views on YouTube. In 2021, the band’s debut album, “Hotin”, was released. On July 23 of that year, Kalush and rapper Skofka released their second album, “Yo-yo”. In 2021 a parallel project was started – KALUSH Orchestra. Unlike the main band, this band will focus on rap with folk motifs and Ukrainian authenticity. Both groups have common members. Multi-instrumentalists Tymofiy Muzychuk and Vitaliy Duzhyk joined Oleg Psyuk (vocals, lyrics) Kilimmen (DJ) and Johnny Divny. Another musician, Igor Didenchuk, has played in Kalush from the beginning and went on to focus on the Kalush Orchestra. Kalush Orchestra competed in Vidbir, the national final for the Eurovision Song Contest with the song “Stefanai”. IThe band took a second place. However, the band got a chance to represent the country in the competition due to the disqualification of the winner of the final – Alina Pash. At the moment when Russia invaded Ukraine, the band became the hot favourite to win the contest. They won the contest with a landslide. Entries Stefania Country Ukraine Year2022 LanguageUkrainian LyricsIvan KlimenkoOleh Psiuk MusicIhor DidenchukTymofii MuzychukVitalii Duzhyk Backings– Results Semi Points: 337Position: 1Running order: 6 Results Finals Points: 631Position: 1Running order: 12 https://youtu.be/F1fl60ypdLs

Read More »

And this is what we know about the following order

Tonight, during the winners’ press conference, every artist had to draw a ballot for the final. Will they perform in the 1st or in the 2nd half? Last week, the Big 5 already had their draw. However, there is one exception. The organizing country, in this case Italy, had already drawn for the 9th place on an earlier stage. As you notice, most of the countries drew a place in the first half. That means, next Thursday there will be a lot of places available in the 2nd half. 1st half: Armenia France Germany Italy (9th place) Norway Portugal Spain Switzerland The Netherlands Ukraine 2nd half: Iceland Lithuania Moldova United Kingdom

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Sietse Bakker: no plan in case Ukraine wins

The EBU has no plan yet, in case Ukraine wins the Eurovision Song Contest. Normally, the country with a high winning probability is already preparing for the organization of the next festival. Because of the war in Ukraine, it is by no means certain that this country will also be able to take on the organization in case they actually win. That is what Sietse Bakker, member of the EBU reference group, says to Dutch news agency ANP. “That might be a bit premature. After all, the competition has only just begun” says Bakker. “I do think it is important that the Reference Group comes together very quickly if Ukraine wins and thinks about what the ‘point of no return’ is: at what moment you can still decide whether or not it is possible in Kiev” , Baker explains. According to him, organizing the Eurovision Song Contest can easily take a year. “It doesn’t look good at the moment. It is still a dangerous situation. And it is highly uncertain how that will develop in the coming period.” There are several options if the winning country cannot organize the contest. “What EBU could do is go to a country that recently organized it. After all, the country can act quickly. Or one can say: we are going to a country that recently organized the Junior Song Contest, for example Poland. They did very well and they also have the ambition to organise Eurovision. The third option is to go to one of the Big Five countries.” Since 1981, the winning country has always organized the Eurovision Song Contest. Even when Ireland won three consecutive times, they always took on the organization. In 1980 the Netherlands organized the contest. The previous year’s winner, Israel, won twice in a row and was unable to cope financially. It is, of course, a bit early to speculate on this. Ukraine hasn’t won yet. However, the chances of that happening are high. In recent years, the number 1 has always won at the bookmakers. The last time that didn’t happen was in 2016. Russia was the number 1 at the bookmakers that year. Who did win in 2016? Ukraine… source: AD

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Our predictions for the first semifinal

Tomorrow, the moment is there. We will have the first semifinal for the Eurovision Song Contest. What does the team of Eurovision Universe think? You will read it here. In fact, we are convinced of a final place for these countries: Albania, after all the fuzz around the act. Song and act are strong, Rona will qualify! Latvia: A song about veggies and (….). Cheerful, colourful and with a very modern topic. Lithuania: The act might not be what Monika wished for, but the song will stand out. Switzerland: The swiss song is in the style of Duncan Laurence and Gjon’s Tears, but less strong. It’s gonna be hard for Switzerland, but it is possible. Ukraine, because…. it’s Ukraine. The country is the hot favourite to even win the final. The Netherlands, S10 manages to tell the people where she sings about. Even in Dutch! Portugal: You can’t explain “Saudade” in any other language. MARO explains it by music. Not a sure qualifier, but we think it will. Greece; there is no such a song in Eurovision this year. It is unique and the act is strong. Norway, because every year needs an act like this. People vote for yellow masked wolves. Armenia: The song is strong, the singing is strong, the act is strong….. it has written final all over!   But of course, we wish all the artists good luck. Tomorrow, by this time, we will know more….              

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In the spotlight: Kalush Orchestra

Eurovision week has arrived. Tomorrow night is  the first semifinal of the Eurovision Song Contest 2022. One of the contenders for the win this Saturday is Ukraine, which is represented by the group Kalush Orchestra. But who are they?

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Day 5: A sun that doesn’t move, a Greek tavern and COVID19

Today we saw the second rehearsals for the first 14 countries from the first semifinal. For the first time the press was allowed to see the rehearsals on large TV screens in the press center. It is now certain that the kinetic sun does not rotate. During the first rehearsals it turned out that the time between performances was too short to move the center part of the sun. As a result, several countries had to adjust their graphics, because they were not or only partially visible ALBANIA: The outfit had been changed and Ronela Hajati also had her own blond hair again, instead of the pink hair she had during the first rehearsal. It was a dynamic performance, in which there was almost constant dancing, together with her four dancers and a dancer. After the first rehearsal, there were some comments about an allegedly offensive dance move by Ronela with her dancer, but she kept it in anyway. LATVIA: The six were wearing the familiar colorful suits and the decor was also very colorful. Various types of vegetables were displayed on the LED screen. In the middle of the song there was a moment for the saxophonist. The performance ended with the singer making a split. LITHUANIA: Monika Liu stood alone on the big stage in Turin and mainly sang her song into the camera. She moved elegantly and attracted all the attention. The song doesn’t really need anything more. SWITZERLAND: Dressed all in black, Marius Bear was on stage and a broken heart was visible on his face and on the floor. So emotions abound. SLOVENIA: As said before, it was a big disco ball that mainly caught the attention of the Slovenian act. The boys wore 1970s-style velvet suits and the drummer appeared to be drumming above the disco ball. Compared to the previous rehearsal, there was little change. UKRAINE: There was a lot to see on stage, besides the colorful costumes there was a lot of visual spectacle. It was traditional, ethnic with a modern twist, just like last year’s contribution. Because of the war in Ukraine, this performance has something emotional and that is subtly reflected in the visual spectacle. BULGARIA: The performance started with a split screen, showing the drummer on one side and another member of the group. A small rock concert with all the trimmings, including a lot of fire(work). THE NETHERLANDS: There were few noticeable changes from the first rehearsal of S10. In the Netherlands, there was some fuss about the singer’s bare belly, but it is still naked for a while. A lot has been taken out of the lighting of S10. MOLDOVA: After the intimate moment of the Netherlands, a party erupted on stage with the contribution of Zdob şi Zdub, who are participating for the third time. They used the entire stage for their folklore song: Hey ho, let’s go…, but no train on stage. Lots of color, matching the contribution. CROATIA: During rehearsals today, Mia had problems with her in-ears. No surprises at Mia’s performance. The postcards were also shown to the press today. A drone searches for the location where the artist of the country in question can be seen and we see the visual artist in the area. DENMARK: The beginning was just like in the national final, Siggy starts alone at the piano, with her quieter part of the song and then the rock show starts. Last year we went back to the eighties with Denmark, now it seems back to the nineties. In case you don’t remember the name of the band, REDDI appeared on the LED screen. AUSTRIA: Of course there is a Halo on stage. Lots of fireworks and strong staging. The vocal part of the duo was, as we can see now, quite disappointing. GREECE: For those who don’t understand the act of Greece: Amanda seems to be in a Greek tavern; hence the chairs around her. But some of the seats have fallen over. That fits with the lyrics of the song. Amanda could count on a big round of applause from the audience. PORTUGAL: A delegation member from Portugal tested positive for corona, so the entire delegation had to go back to the hotel and be tested. Fortunately none of the ladies tested positive and they were able to rehearse for their performance, but later than planned. After all the rehearsals had been completed, Portugal was allowed to go on stage after Greece. During this rehearsal it was clear that it was one of the background singers who tested positive for corona. The ladies were lined up in a circle and brought this atmospheric contribution in a good way.

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Kalush Orchestra will travel to Turin

Today, the Ukrainian representative Kalush Orchestra gave a performance on the Market Square in Lviv. Despite that the group couldn’t film a Live-On-Tape back-up performance , they announced that they will travel to Turin for the Eurovision Song Contest. They will leave Ukraine at the of the month, but firstly the group will travel trough Europe for their Fundraising tour. There people can give money to support Ukraine. The first country they will tour in will be announced tomorrow on April third.

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Will we see Russia in Turin?

As you all may know, there’s a war going on in Ukraine. The Eurovision Song Contest is a non-political event, but the war between Russia and Ukraine has raised attention from countries all over the world. Even in the tiny world of the Eurovision Song Contest this war strikes. Broadcasters from all over the continent have asked the European Broadcasting Union to suspend Russia from this years Eurovision that will be held in Turin Italy.   The EBU has stated that they still welcome Russia at the Eurovision Song Contest, despite them invading Ukraine. As we speak, the broadcasters that have asked the EBU to suspend Russia are: NRK (Norway), SVT (Sweden), LRT (Lithuania), Avrotros (The Netherlands) and UA:PBC (Ukraine). Few broadcasters have taken a step that goes even further than just suspending Russia. If Russia still participates, YLE (Finland), ERR (Estonia) and RUV (Iceland) will withdraw from this years Eurovision. Some Eurovision artists have spoken out aswell about the situation in Ukraine. Manizha (Russia 2021) has stated this: The Roop (Lithuania 2020 and 2021) have posted on Instagram that they stand with Ukraine. Sergey Lazarev (Russia 2016 and 2019) said that he is against this war. Artists from 2022 that have stated something are Citi Zēni and Subwoolfer. Citi Zēni have contacted the EBU about suspending Russia, while Subwoolfer have posted a picture in their yellow (as usual) and blue wolf suits.

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Will Kalush represent Ukraine?

  Will Ukraine still participate? OGEA Ukraine states that national broadcaster UA:PBC has asked Kalush if he wants to represent Ukraine at The Eurovision Song Contest 2022, after Vidbir winner Alina Pash has withdrawn because of her travel documents. In a recent interview with Kalush on Radio NV he says he’s ready to go to Eurovision and that he will sign the participation documents today. Broadcaster UA:PBC hasn’t said anything yet about the possibility of withdrawing or selecting a new artist. In 2019 a pattern like this happened aswell. Maruv won Vidbir but wasn’t able to travel to Tel Aviv ‘cause she wouldn’t sign a contract where she was held from performing in Russia. The runner up and third place didn’t want to follow up Maruv and so Ukraine decided to withdraw from that year’s contest.

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7 cities on shortlist UK

Seven cities are on the shortlist to host the 2023 Eurovision Song Contest. These are Glasgow, Liverpool, Leeds, Birmingham, Manchester, Newcastle and Sheffield. Not only the place itself was a subject, but also how the cities want to reflect Ukrainian culture in the festivities. Ukraine won the Eurovision Song Contest this year but cannot organize it itself. That is why the United Kingdom and the BBC are taking on the organization. photo: EBU The next step is to create a bid book. In it, the cities show how the festival is organized in their city. The venue where the festival is

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Kalush Orchestra

©EBU About Quick Facts MembersIhor DidenchukOleh PsiukTymofii MuzychukVitalii DuzhykOleksandr SlobodianykVlad Kurochka Established2019 Nationality Ukrainian National SelectionVidbir 2022 In Eurovision2022 SongStefania (2022) Biography Kalush is a Ukrainian rap band founded in 2019.  The band was named after Kalush, soloist and founder of the group Oleg Psyuk’s hometown. The band’s first music video for the song “Ne marynuy” was released on their official YouTube channel on October 17, 2019.  The video was shot on the streets of Kalush. After the release of the second music video “Ty honysh” in November 2019, the band Kalush signed a cooperation agreement with the American hip-hop label

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And this is what we know about the following order

Tonight, during the winners’ press conference, every artist had to draw a ballot for the final. Will they perform in the 1st or in the 2nd half? Last week, the Big 5 already had their draw. However, there is one exception. The organizing country, in this case Italy, had already drawn for the 9th place on an earlier stage. As you notice, most of the countries drew a place in the first half. That means, next Thursday there will be a lot of places available in the 2nd half. 1st half: Armenia France Germany Italy (9th place) Norway Portugal Spain Switzerland

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Sietse Bakker: no plan in case Ukraine wins

The EBU has no plan yet, in case Ukraine wins the Eurovision Song Contest. Normally, the country with a high winning probability is already preparing for the organization of the next festival. Because of the war in Ukraine, it is by no means certain that this country will also be able to take on the organization in case they actually win. That is what Sietse Bakker, member of the EBU reference group, says to Dutch news agency ANP. “That might be a bit premature. After all, the competition has only just begun” says Bakker. “I do think it is important that

Read More »

Our predictions for the first semifinal

Tomorrow, the moment is there. We will have the first semifinal for the Eurovision Song Contest. What does the team of Eurovision Universe think? You will read it here. In fact, we are convinced of a final place for these countries: Albania, after all the fuzz around the act. Song and act are strong, Rona will qualify! Latvia: A song about veggies and (….). Cheerful, colourful and with a very modern topic. Lithuania: The act might not be what Monika wished for, but the song will stand out. Switzerland: The swiss song is in the style of Duncan Laurence and Gjon’s

Read More »

In the spotlight: Kalush Orchestra

Eurovision week has arrived. Tomorrow night is  the first semifinal of the Eurovision Song Contest 2022. One of the contenders for the win this Saturday is Ukraine, which is represented by the group Kalush Orchestra. But who are they?

Read More »

Day 5: A sun that doesn’t move, a Greek tavern and COVID19

Today we saw the second rehearsals for the first 14 countries from the first semifinal. For the first time the press was allowed to see the rehearsals on large TV screens in the press center. It is now certain that the kinetic sun does not rotate. During the first rehearsals it turned out that the time between performances was too short to move the center part of the sun. As a result, several countries had to adjust their graphics, because they were not or only partially visible ALBANIA: The outfit had been changed and Ronela Hajati also had her own blond

Read More »

Kalush Orchestra will travel to Turin

Today, the Ukrainian representative Kalush Orchestra gave a performance on the Market Square in Lviv. Despite that the group couldn’t film a Live-On-Tape back-up performance , they announced that they will travel to Turin for the Eurovision Song Contest. They will leave Ukraine at the of the month, but firstly the group will travel trough Europe for their Fundraising tour. There people can give money to support Ukraine. The first country they will tour in will be announced tomorrow on April third.

Read More »

Will we see Russia in Turin?

As you all may know, there’s a war going on in Ukraine. The Eurovision Song Contest is a non-political event, but the war between Russia and Ukraine has raised attention from countries all over the world. Even in the tiny world of the Eurovision Song Contest this war strikes. Broadcasters from all over the continent have asked the European Broadcasting Union to suspend Russia from this years Eurovision that will be held in Turin Italy.   The EBU has stated that they still welcome Russia at the Eurovision Song Contest, despite them invading Ukraine. As we speak, the broadcasters that have

Read More »

Will Kalush represent Ukraine?

  Will Ukraine still participate? OGEA Ukraine states that national broadcaster UA:PBC has asked Kalush if he wants to represent Ukraine at The Eurovision Song Contest 2022, after Vidbir winner Alina Pash has withdrawn because of her travel documents. In a recent interview with Kalush on Radio NV he says he’s ready to go to Eurovision and that he will sign the participation documents today. Broadcaster UA:PBC hasn’t said anything yet about the possibility of withdrawing or selecting a new artist. In 2019 a pattern like this happened aswell. Maruv won Vidbir but wasn’t able to travel to Tel Aviv ‘cause

Read More »