In theory, Zjerm has everything you’d expect from a classic Albanian Eurovision entry: anguished vocal lines, regional instrumentation, and a sense of slow-burning drama. In practice, it’s more of a patchwork than a tapestry.
There’s a lot of artful wailing—perfect for fans of the school of Gjakova Suffering—but it never fully coheres. Just as it’s threatening to conjure a moment of real transcendence, along comes the male “rap” section like an uninvited uncle at a wake, draining tension from the room and adding a layer of tonal confusion.
Still, there’s something authentic in its refusal to be overly manicured. With the right lighting and a few mournful glances into the middle distance, this could absolutely find its way into the final.
From Germany’s half-million-euro investment to Montenegro’s modest contribution, the bill for Europe’s glitziest musical showdown reveals a contest of haves and have-nots
Eurovision, Europe’s beloved musical extravaganza of glitter, key changes and occasional geopolitical tension, isn’t just a battle for cultural supremacy – it’s also a financial contest where not all countries compete on equal footing. While viewers see the same three-minute performances, behind the scenes lies a complex world of wildly varying participation fees that reflects Europe’s economic disparities.
The big spenders and the budget-conscious
When viewers see Abor & Tynna performing for Germany in Basel, they’re watching a performance that cost the German broadcaster nearly half a million euros just to enter. According to recent figures, Germany paid €473,000 in 2023 solely for participation rights – more than twenty times what Montenegro paid during their last participation.
Spain similarly commits substantial resources, with a 2024 participation fee of €334,432, while the BBC typically shells out around £300,000 annually for the UK’s guaranteed place in the final.
Meanwhile, at the other end of the financial spectrum, smaller nations pay far more modest amounts that nevertheless strain their broadcasting budgets.
The fees are calculated based on several factors including population size, economic status, and viewership potential. This tiered system means North Macedonia paid just €39,143 in 2022, Montenegro contributed €23,000 in 2012, and Estonia typically pays around €65,000 – a fraction of what the major players invest.
The real cost of Eurovision dreams
Yet the headline participation fee is merely the starting point. The true cost of Eurovision participation typically doubles or triples once staging, accommodation, promotional activities and travel expenses are added.
Spain’s 2024 Eurovision campaign totalled nearly €600,000, with the participation fee representing just over half the cost. Ireland’s 2024 budget reached €390,000, despite a relatively modest €101,090 participation fee. For Romania, the 2023 bill came to €400,000, including €80,000 for staging and €63,000 for their national selection show.
People see three minutes on stage, but they don’t see the months of preparation, the delegations of 20-plus people, the elaborate staging or the promotional tours. When you factor everything in, it’s a massive financial commitment for broadcasters.
The Big Five advantage
One of Eurovision’s most controversial financial aspects is the automatic qualification granted to the “Big Five” – France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and the United Kingdom. These broadcasting heavyweights bypass the semi-finals entirely, despite some of them regularly finishing near the bottom of the scoreboard.
This privilege comes at a premium. As the contest’s largest financial contributors, these nations collectively shoulder much of Eurovision’s financial burden. When Italy returned to the contest in 2011 after a 14-year absence, they immediately joined this elite group, reflecting their financial contribution rather than their recent track record.
It’s essentially a pay-to-play arrangement. The European Broadcasting Union would struggle to finance the contest without these major contributors, so they’re guaranteed a place in the final to ensure their continued investment.
When costs become prohibitive
The rising tide of Eurovision expenses has recently forced several smaller broadcasters to withdraw from the competition entirely. Bulgaria, Montenegro and North Macedonia all sat out the 2023 contest, citing ‘costs’.
Moldova 1’s Director, Corneliu Durnescu, and Moldova’s Head of Delegation, Daniela Crudu specifically mentioned “significant costs of registration fees” and “lack of interest from sponsors” when announcing their withdrawal.
Appendix Fotografi
The European Broadcasting Union has acknowledged that the contest was “not financially sustainable” in its current form. Eurovision Executive Supervisor Martin Osterdahl noted in 2023 that the departure of Russia, once a major financial contributor, further strained the Eurovision economy, forcing remaining participants to shoulder a greater burden. The overall cost of production is no longer met by participation fees alone, forcing organisers to seek ever more commercial partnerships.
The host with the most (expenses)
For the BBC, Eurovision costs escalate dramatically when hosting responsibilities fall to the UK, as they did in 2023 when Liverpool hosted on behalf of Ukraine. The broadcaster’s contribution reportedly reached between £8-17 million, with additional funding from the UK government (£10 million) and local authorities (£4 million).
However, the economic return often justifies this investment. Liverpool saw a £54.8 million boost to its local economy during Eurovision week – more than double initial projections. Liverpool One shopping complex alone reported an additional £19.9 million in revenue.
Other hosts have spent considerably more: Baku splashed €65.1 million in 2012, while Kyiv invested €37 million in 2017.
Value for money?
Despite the costs, many broadcasters still consider Eurovision a bargain in television terms. The Netherlands calculated that their €500,000 investment in 2016 equated to approximately €62,000 per hour of broadcast content – only slightly higher than their average television production costs.
Spain performed a similar calculation in 2015, finding that one minute of Eurovision broadcast cost €791, compared to €21,600 per minute for European Championship football matches with comparable viewership.
When you consider that Eurovision delivers roughly eight hours of prime-time television content that consistently attracts large audiences, the cost-per-viewer calculation actually works out quite favourably for broadcasters.
For the BBC, with its £5 billion overall budget, the annual Eurovision commitment of around £1.1-1.3 million (when not hosting) represents a relatively modest investment for a cultural institution watched by millions.
A contest of equals?
As Eurovision approaches its 70th anniversary, questions about financial fairness continue to simmer beneath the surface of the competition. While the sliding scale of fees attempts to create proportional contributions, the growing number of withdrawals suggests the current model may be reaching its limits.
Eurovision has always been a balancing act between inclusivity and financial reality. The challenge now is ensuring that Europe’s premier musical contest doesn’t simply become a playground for wealthy broadcasters while pricing out the cultural diversity that smaller nations bring.
As viewers prepare for another spectacular show this May, those three-minute performances represent not just artistic ambitions but financial commitments that vary dramatically across the continent – a reminder that in Eurovision, as in Europe itself, equality remains an aspiration rather than a reality.
After the Twitter machine deciding to send several messages saying “u ok hun?” to the caucuses region over the last few weeks, it seems that GPB have finally answered the call of Eurovision… by sneaking out their song on a Friday afternoon (UK time) – I mean, do they not know I was in a meeting at that time? – moreover didn’t my manager know that Georgia were releasing a Eurovision song?
Anyway, after my indignation calmed down somewhat, it appears that Mariam Shengelia has been selected to represent Georgia in May. She has, as seems a pre-requisite nowadays, sung in an X-Factor clone and also on The Voice Georgia. She’s also sorta had experience in the Eurovision before, as well, being a back-up singer for the contest that never was in 2020.
Apparently she’s been working towards this contest her entire life…. we’ll see if she still says that in May!
First one to announce – one of the last to put a song out – these continental types!
Here’s his song, entitled Shhhhh!
Here’s your original article.
So, the starting pistol on the 2025 Eurovision Song Contest was fired on Sunday, with September 1 marking the first day that songs can be publicly performed.
34 hours later, CyBC set the world on fire by announcing that an actual Cypriot would represent them for the first time since 2017. Theo Evan (the stage name of Evangelos Thodorou), a man of undetermined age (well the internet and Wikipedia haven’t said what it is, I’m sure his mother knows), and who was born in Nicosia, but went to the US to study at the Berklee College of Music in Boston, think Fame, but edgier!
Seven singles later, and acting in the hit HBO series Euphoria (Jesus wept) CyBC and, presumably, Panik Records, came knocking and persuaded him to sing in Basel.
Want to hear some of his music? – of course you do!
Granted, he’s got a bit of gayface going on but I don’t think many gays Eurovision fans would kick him out of bed for leaving crumbs. I fully suspect that his song might be “the kind of thing that Cyprus always sends” — just a male version, so I can’t wait for that (!)
Portugal has chosen its next Eurovision representative! The indie pop/rock band NAPA, from Madeira, were crowned the winners of Festival da Canção 2025 last night and will represent Portugal at the Eurovision Song Contest 2025 in Basel, Switzerland, this May. Their winning song,“Deslocado”, secured them the title.
The song is a heartfelt tribute to their Madeiran roots and the experience of feeling “displaced” when living on the Portuguese mainland. This theme resonated far beyond Portugal, as emigrants around the world identified with the lyrics, using the track as the soundtrack for their social media posts.
Austria has unveiled its entry for the Eurovision Song Contest 2025 in Basel, Switzerland. JJ will represent the country with his song “Wasted Love”.
The press release insists “Wasted Love” is a unique and emotionally charged composition that blends pop-opera with techno elements. The song, co-written by JJ himself alongside Thomas Turner and Teodora Špirić (known as Teya from Austria’s 2023 Eurovision entry), explores the theme of unrequited love.
JJ describes the song as a reflection of his personal experience:
“There is a special kind of heartbreak when you have so much love to give, but no place where it can arrive. It feels like floating on the sea on a fragile paper boat. Clinging to every glimmer of hope, just to watch it dissolve under you.”
Who’s he then?
JJ, whose real name is Johannes Pietsch, was born in Vienna in 2001. He grew up in Dubai before returning to Vienna in 2016. The 24-year-old artist has already made a name for himself in the world of classical music, currently performing at the Vienna State Opera. JJ’s vocal range as a countertenor, reaching soprano heights, sets him apart in the competition (so far).
The official music video for “Wasted Love” was directed by Marek Vesely and showcases the emotional intensity of the song. Filmed in various locations, including a pine forest near Wiener Neustadt, the Stadttheater Baden, and the “I Dive Diving School” in Vienna, the video features dramatic underwater scenes and choreographed performances.
Switzerland has selected Zoë Më to represent the host country at the Eurovision Song Contest 2025 in Basel. The 24-year-old singer-songwriter from Fribourg was chosen through an internal selection process by Swiss broadcaster SRG SSR13.
Who’s she then?
Born Zoë Alina Kressler on October 6, 2000, in Basel, Zoë Më spent her early years in Germany before moving to Fribourg, Switzerland, at the age of nine. And that’s probably why she’s at home performing in both German and French.
Zoë began writing her own songs at the age of ten, developing a distinctive “poetry-pop” style that blends pop music with chanson influences. She’s done the regular TV Talent Show circuit chalking up wins at “SRF 3 Best Talent” in the German-speaking region and “RTS Artiste Radar” in the French-speaking region in 2024.
Where would I know her from?
Chances are unless you watched the above shows, she’s a fairly new name to you, but she released her self-produced debut album “MOMOKO” in 2020. Zoë went on to perform at prestigious events such as the Montreux Jazz Festival and Luzern Live.
Born in Basel, the host city for the 2025 contest, she describes this opportunity as a “full circle moment”. The song she will perform at Eurovision is set to be revealed on March 10, 2025, at 10:00 CET.
As the representative of the host country, Zoë will automatically qualify for the grand final alongside the Big 5 countries. She will also have the opportunity to perform in a non-competitive slot during the first semi-final.
The European Broadcasting Union (EBU) has stirred up quite the debate by demanding that Malta’s Eurovision entry, Kant by Miriana Conte, change its title. The issue? The Maltese word kant (which means “singing”) apparently sounds a bit too similar to a well-known English swear word. The decision, made just six days before the submission deadline, has thrown a wrench into Conte’s plans, forcing her to make last-minute changes to the song’s lyrics and music video.
Last minute
The timing of the EBU’s call has raised a lot of eyebrows. Some fans think it’s a case of cultural censorship, while others argue it’s about keeping things family-friendly on TV. Reports suggest the BBC was behind the complaint, worried about how the word might come across to English-speaking audiences. Malta’s national broadcaster, PBS, isn’t happy either and is planning to appeal the decision. But with the deadline looming, they might have no choice but to go along with it.
Conte, clearly frustrated, called the decision “shocking and disappointing” but promised the show would go on. She even quipped, “the show will go on—Diva NOT down.” Her song’s title, Kant, was meant to celebrate the Maltese language, which hasn’t been used in the country’s Eurovision entries much since 1971. In fact, it’s only the fourth time Malta has picked a song in Maltese, making this whole situation even more of a sore spot.
Cantus
The word kant comes from the Latin cantus, meaning “song” or “chant,” and has no rude meaning in Maltese. In Conte’s lyrics, the phrase “serving kant” was a play on words, blending the literal meaning of “singing” with a nod to drag culture, where a similar-sounding English word has been reclaimed as a term of empowerment. Maltese fans saw it as a metaphor for amazing vocals, but the EBU was more concerned about how English speakers might hear it, especially with strict broadcasting rules in the UK.
This isn’t the first time Eurovision has run into trouble over language. Finland’s Cha Cha Cha in 2023 raised some eyebrows for its raunchy dance moves, and Latvia’s Eat Your Salad in 2022 got creative with audience chants to dodge a ban on certain lyrics. Even Sweden had to clean up its lyrics in 2017, swapping out a swear word for something more broadcast-friendly. What makes Malta’s case different is that it’s about a non-English word, which has sparked a bigger debate about multilingualism at Eurovision.
Rethink the system
A lot of people are now questioning the EBU’s decision-making process. Approving Kant initially and then backtracking weeks later looks pretty sloppy. Many think the EBU needs a better system for reviewing lyrics before national selections happen, to avoid these last-minute dramas.
For Malta, this whole mess feels like a setback for bringing Maltese back into the spotlight at Eurovision. It also raises bigger questions about whether Eurovision is really the celebration of different languages and cultures it claims to be—or if it’s becoming too focused on keeping things safe for English-speaking audiences.
As the deadline approaches, all eyes are on Malta to see how they’ll handle this unexpected twist. Whether or not Conte’s song makes it to the stage with its original title, one thing’s for sure: this controversy won’t be forgotten anytime soon.
The Eurovision Song Contest has long been a stage for music, spectacle, and occasionally, controversy. Israel’s choice for Eurovision 2025, Yuval Raphael, embodies all three in a performance that promises to be both powerful and politically charged. The 24-year-old singer will perform New Day Will Rise, a multilingual song featuring verses from the Song of Songs in Hebrew, English, and French. However, it is Raphael’s personal story of survival that has catapulted her into the spotlight.
A survivor’s song
Yuval Raphael is a survivor of the brutal attack on the Nova music festival on October 7, 2023, where Hamas militants killed 360 young partygoers and took 40 hostage. Raphael’s escape involved hiding under dead bodies in a bomb shelter for eight hours. Her story of survival, shared during her winning stint on Israeli talent show HaKokhav HaBa (The Next Star), adds emotional weight to her Eurovision entry. “Music is one of the strongest ingredients in my healing process,” Raphael told viewers as she dedicated a rendition of ABBA’s Dancing Queen to “all the angels” who lost their lives at the festival.
Her victory on the talent show secured her place at Eurovision in Basel, Switzerland, in May. Fluent in English, French, and Hebrew, Raphael’s language skills are woven into the lyrics of New Day Will Rise, a song that aims to convey hope and resilience amid grief.
Lyrics and controversy
The selection of Israel’s entry has not been without controversy. Last year, Israel faced disqualification threats due to the politically sensitive lyrics of October Rain by Eden Golan, which was later reworked as Hurricane to avoid explicit references to the October 7 attacks. Lyrics such as “They were all good children, each one of them” and references to fallen IDF soldiers were deemed too politically charged for Eurovision’s rules on non-political content.
In contrast, New Day Will Rise has been pre-approved by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU). The inclusion of verses from the Song of Songs adds a biblical dimension, potentially reframing the narrative from political commentary to a message of spiritual endurance and survival.
A divided stage
The inclusion of Israel in Eurovision 2025 has reignited debates, particularly given the ongoing war in Gaza, which has claimed over 48,000 Palestinian lives since October 7, 2023. Calls for Israel’s exclusion echo the 2022 ban on Russian broadcasters following the invasion of Ukraine. However, the EBU has maintained its stance that Eurovision is a “non-political music event,” emphasising that Kan, the Israeli public broadcaster, meets all competition rules.
“The relationship between Kan and the Israeli Government is fundamentally different to the relationship that existed between Russian broadcasters and the State,” stated the EBU. They pointed out that the Israeli government had, in recent years, threatened to close down Kan, highlighting a more complex and less direct state influence.
The power of storytelling
Raphael’s participation transcends her song’s lyrics. Her testimony before the United Nations Human Rights Council, recounting the horrors of the October 7 attack, has positioned her as not only a musician but a witness to tragedy. This dual role complicates the EBU’s insistence on a non-political Eurovision, as Raphael’s personal story inevitably resonates with political undertones.
Looking forward
As the countdown to Eurovision 2025 continues, Israel’s entry encapsulates the challenge of maintaining Eurovision’s apolitical ethos amidst the unavoidable realities of modern conflict. Whether New Day Will Rise will be seen as a heartfelt appeal for peace or a subtle political statement remains to be seen. What is certain, however, is that Yuval Raphael’s performance will command attention far beyond the usual Eurovision audience.
After two semifinals, last night Croatia selected its song for the 2025 Eurovision Song Contest.
The final featured the 16 qualifiers. The winner, “Poison Cake” performed by Marko Bošnjak, was decided by a combination of votes from a professional jury and the Croatian public via televoting.
Bošnjak won the jury vote and placed fourth with the televote. Ogenj finished second, winning the televote, while Magazin placed third.
In theory, Zjerm has everything you’d expect from a classic Albanian Eurovision entry: anguished vocal lines, regional instrumentation, and a sense of slow-burning drama. In practice, it’s more of a patchwork than a tapestry.
