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Category: Greece

The Greek entry is chosen by ERT. Greece first took part in 1974 and has won once.

  • 24 December – The past is forgotten and everything is starting over

    24 December – The past is forgotten and everything is starting over

    To be true to your own country’s sound or not? That is the question. If you do, you get kudos in your own country but might be seen as a novelty by certain others.

    Back in 2010, Greece sent today’s birthday boy Γιώργος Αλκαίος/Giorgos Alkaios along with his ‘friends’. His song had a definite Greek bent to it, but it also had a contemporary sound. There was something to keep everyone happy. And, in the early part of the 21st Century at least, Greece could do no wrong when it came to what they entered. This could only be a good thing. It did work to an extant. Giorgos and his pals came second in the semi-final and eighth in the Grand Final. It proved that you didn’t need to sing in English to get a good result.

    Giorgos is 54 today.

    Χρόνια πολλά, Γιώργος!

  • 17 December – We collide in black and white

    17 December – We collide in black and white

    It’s often a thing that singers sometimes sing for another country to where you think they should sing for. There are often valid reasons, and it’s of course down to a national broadcaster who they give the gig to.

    Today’s birthday girl Στεφανία Λυμπερακάκη/Stefania Liberakakis did her stuff – as you would think – for Greece. It was the logical choice. But what you may not know is that she also did her stuff as part of a group for the Netherlands. You don’t remember? Well, Stefania was part of the group Kisses who went to the Junior Eurovision (JESC) in Valletta in 2016. It’s obviously a good grounding, and she’s not the only singer to cut their teeth at JESC. Anyway, after a false start in 2020 she got to go to Rotterdam with her famously disembodied [last] dancers and greenscreen shenanigans. It was highly entertaining. So entertaining in fact, she finished tenth.

    Stefania is 22 today.

    Χρόνια πολλά/Gefeliciteerd, Στεφανία/Stefania!

  • 5 December – Come and get entangled in my nets

    5 December – Come and get entangled in my nets

    A real treat in store for you today. A song occasionally comes along that breaks the mould. It just draws you in, and you can’t explain why.

    Anyway, we go back to the fun and games of 1991. It made the headlines, and not necessarily for the right reasons. Tie breaks, script failures, angry scrutineers – what larks. And amongst it all, today’s birthday girl Σοφία Βόσσου/Sophia Vossou (née Σοφία Παπαευγαγγέλου/Sophia Papaeuaggeliou). Not wanting to be outdone, her performance was memorable. But not necessarily for her singing prowess. No, if you watch the orchestra’s saxophonist, he steals the show. But enough of that. Sophia finished 13th, and in true tradition, got 10 points from Cyprus. Hang on, only 10? It must have been the saxophone.

    Sophia is 63 today.

    Χρόνια πολλά, Σοφία!

  • 5 November – No pain, no gain

    5 November – No pain, no gain

    Props. They’re always that cherry on top of a performance that can make or break it. That is, the cherry could be something utterly delicious, or it could be one that’s been out a bit too long and is starting to go off.

    Today’s birthday girl Κατερίνα Ντούσκα/Katerine Duska got the Greek gig to go to Tel Aviv in 2019. Hers was an eye-catching performance with a tableau of a prop that revolved to reveal, well, watch the video to find out. She stood on said tableau, with her pals cavorting around her. Two of them carried swords – yes, swords. An offensive weapon on stage that’s not someone’s voice? Well that was quite novel. Well Kat had a plum draw in her semi-final so naturally qualified. Things went a bit wrong in the Grand Final, but she was on straight after the winner. Maybe too many props spoiled the broth.

    Katerine is 35 today.

    Χρόνια πολλά Κατερίνα!

  • 23 October – Lost souls make sure no one loses their way

    23 October – Lost souls make sure no one loses their way

    It’s been many a year since a lower age limit on performers meant that we said to goodbye to precocious child stars at our favourite TV show. They do have their own show now, which means a more level-playing field for all.

    But it means we get the occasional teenager in the big contest, like today’s birthday boy Βίκτωρ Βερνίκος Γιούργκενσεν/Victor Vernicos Jørgensen. He was clearly the youngest performer in sunny Liverpool in 2023, but he also marked another milestone – and we love a milestone. Victor is the first named performer to be born over 100 years after the earliest birth of a Eurovision performer. That was – trivia fans – Germany’s Lale Anderson. He now has someone else in this exclusive club, but with Victor, you can say that it’s only a matter of time before a winner comes from this Second Century club. If he tries again, it could even be Victor.

    Victor is 18 today.

    Χρόνια πολλά/Tillykke med fødselsdagen, Βίκτωρ/Victor!

  • Opa! Greece brings back Eurovision national final

    Opa! Greece brings back Eurovision national final

    Greek broadcaster ERT has officially confirmed that it will be choosing its entry for the 2025 contest through a televised national final—something the country hasn’t done in years! So, get ready for a feast of drama, high notes, and maybe a few key changes as Greek artists battle it out for the chance to represent their homeland in Basel next May.

    What’s the deal?

    ERT, Greece’s national broadcaster, hinted at this Eurovision bombshell at the Athens Conservatory last week during a glitzy event that could only be topped by a My Number One flashmob. Katerina Kaskanioti, ERT’s managing director, announced that this year’s entry would not be a behind-the-scenes deal with a single artist (like we’ve seen recently), but rather a full-on, knockdown selection show open to anyone with a decent tune and the guts to perform it live on national television. Or a contract with Panik records, we sort of assume.

    ERT is going big. We’re talking public vote, an open call for submissions (no matter your record label, no seriously, the bit about Panik was just me being silly), and the possibility of discovering the next big thing in Greek music. Could we see the second coming of Helena Paparizou? Or maybe something completely off-the-wall? Time will tell!

    The song submission window

    ERT will soon open its virtual doors for submissions, so anyone with a song tucked away in their bottom drawer should get ready to hit send. Details on how to submit will drop soon, but if you’ve got something original, under three minutes, and Eurovision-ready, it’s time to make your move.

    Even more exciting: any Greek artist can enter, whether they’re signed to a label or hustling solo. This is Greece’s first open call national selection without special collaborations since 2002, making it a real wildcard of a year.

    Public vote—but how much?

    The public will have a say in who takes to the Eurovision stage for Greece, but exactly how much of a say is still up in the air. ERT hasn’t confirmed the ratio of public to jury vote yet, but knowing Greece, the fans will have a strong voice in the process. After all, Eurovision wouldn’t be Eurovision without some good old-fashioned Grecian drama!

    Why Basel 2025 could be special

    The excitement for Greece’s return to the national final format is palpable. And not just because it’s only September and the contest isn’t until next May. With ERT ruling out label-specific partnerships, we could be in for a year of surprises—and who knows? Maybe Greece’s next Eurovision legend is out there, waiting to be discovered.

    So, to all you budding Greek/ish pop stars and songwriters: this is your moment. Stay tuned for more details from ERT, and start polishing those lyrics—because Eurovision 2025 is shaping up to be a year where anything could happen.

    And if you’re a fan? Get ready to vote, scream, and cry in equal measure—Greece is back in the national final game, and it’s going to be wild!

  • 21 August – There’s a crossroad up ahead

    21 August – There’s a crossroad up ahead

    Do you often wonder what goes on in planning meetings to decide upon a staging for a Eurovision song? The outfit to wear, the positions of the backing singers, whether to have dancers even. It all needs careful planning.

    In 2017, today’s birthday girl Demy (née Δήμητρα Παπαδέα/Dimitra Papadea) went to Kyiv after singing all three songs in the national final. Her stage act used the potentially dangerous medium of water. Water is OK in itself, but when you’re on a state-of-the-art stage with lots of expensive electronics around, water can have some undesirable effects. Who’s idea was that? Luckily, the guys splashing about in the paddling pool in front of Demy came off unscathed, even though they wore microphones. Demy, for her troubles comfortably made it through her semi-final, and finished 19th in the Grand Final. More of her Saturday night points came from juries, so does that mean the televoters were put off by the dangers of stage water?

    Demy is 33 today.

    Χρόνια πολλά, Demy!

  • 8 June – Difficult times are coming, and the sky is shouting to you

    8 June – Difficult times are coming, and the sky is shouting to you

    Do you remember when our friends in Greece were struggling to get any success in our favourite TV show? Those times have changed, and Greece can mix it with the best of them now.

    In the 1990s, there was a brief time when they made the top 10. Today’s birthday girl, the lovely Κατερίνα ‘Καίτη’ Γαρμπή/Katerina ‘Katy’ Garbi, went to the west of Europe, donned something slightly provocative, and finished ninth in what was the biggest contest ever at the time. Her song gave us a bit of south-east European upbeatedness, which was welcome in such a noteworthy contest. Her points came from all over Europe, so there was definitely scope for more of the same. Sadly, Greece’s fortunes took a bit of a dive until 2001, and we all know what happened after that.

    Katy is 63 today.

    Χρόνια πολλά, Καίτη!

  • 14 May – Shake it up, shake it up

    14 May – Shake it up, shake it up

    Our friends in Greece were, to be fair, a country with very little success during the 20th Century. Everything changed in Copenhagen, and that win suddenly came within reach.

    As we know, Helena Paparizou eventually pulled it off, and a crop up top 10s have followed since. One of these top 10s happened to today’s birthday boy Σαρμπέλ Μιχαήλ Μαρωνίτης/Sarbel Michael Maronitis. His pedigree makes him British, Cypriot, and Lebanese as well as Greek, something that may have given him the widespread appeal to warrant a seventh place in his Grand Final. His votes came from all over Europe, proving the Greek sound was still a popular choice. Sarbel is still a big in eastern Europe and the Arab world. And if you are called Maria, Hello!

    Sarbel is 43 today.

    Χρόνια πολλά, Σαρμπέλ!

  • 12 May – Oh oh oh… oh, oh oh oh… oh

    12 May – Oh oh oh… oh, oh oh oh… oh

    For every act that makes it to the big Eurovision stage, there are many who try and fall by the wayside. Persistence can pay off, and those who keep trying sometimes – eventually – make it.

    Today’s birthday girl Ελευθερία Ελευθερίου/Eleftheria Eleftheriou (so good they almost named her twice) tried several times before she got to the contest in Baku in 2012. And not just for Greece either. But she got there in the end. It could have been a bit wobbly. An early draw in a semi-final can be no guarantee, but she made fourth place. Then onto the final. Curiously, two songs she beat in her semi-final got their own back in the Grand Final. Aren’t national tastes odd?

    Eleftheria is 35 today.

    Χρόνια πολλά, Ελευθερία!