Estonia will take part in Junior Eurovision for the first time. The European Broadcasting Union (EBU) has confirmed that the Baltic country will take part in the 21st edition of the children’s contest, which will take place on 26 November in Nice (France).
Until now, Estonia (ERR) has been the only Baltic country that has never participated in Junior Eurovision. However, over the years, the public broadcaster has been interested in following the progress of the competition. Moreover, in some editions, they came very close to stepping on the Junior Eurovision stage.
In 2015, Vladislav Yakovlev confirmed that they were negotiating with all Baltic channels to be part of the contest. However, ERR officials reported that the country’s participation could not take place because they did not have enough budget. This was the argument most often used when announcing their refusal to participate in the children’s festival.
Three years later, ERR’s editor-in-chief Marje Jurtšenko confirmed that they had no plans for Junior Eurovision due to the channel’s limited “financial capabilities” . “We do not see this possibility arising in the near future,” she added.
During this time, the public broadcaster had always put forward the argument of “financial constraints” as the reason why they had not taken the step to be part of Junior Eurovision. However, the broadcaster has never ruled out their presence in future editions of the contest. Every year, ERR studies whether it is possible to take part in Junior Eurovision. And, finally, this year has been the chosen moment to take part in the festival for the first time in its history.
For the moment, the selection method of their proposal for Junior Eurovision 2023 is unknown. Further details will be made available by broadcaster ERR in the coming weeks.
With Estonia joining the competition,the official entry list for the new edition of the European contest is now 16 countries, maintaining last year’s level of participation.
JUNIOR EUROVISION 2023
The Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2023 will take place on Sunday 26 November under the theme “Heroes” and is expected to have many new features. France is preparing to host the 21st edition of the children’s contest in the coastal city of Nice. On this occasion, the Palais Nikaïa has been chosen as the venue. Young artists from all over Europe will shine in a festival that returns to the month of November, after two editions held during the Christmas festivities.
As the main novelty of this year’s edition, the logo of the event incorporates the mythical Eurovision heart, just like in the Eurovision Song Contest. Since the generic logo was introduced, this is the first time in the history of the children’s contest that the flag of the host country has been included. Thus, in Nice 2023, the French flag flies inside the heart, which is already a globally recognised icon. The slogan and the official theme art of the 21st edition is made up of colourful and powerful elements.
French television is counting on the great experience of Paris 2021 and will spare no effort and resources to offer us a high-level event that lives up to the format. The aim is to make this 21st edition of the festival “unique and unrepeatable”. Once again, France Télévisions aims to organise Junior Eurovision at the highest level.
France will once again host the competition which will have at its heart a celebration of music, friendship and diversity, where Europe’s young talents will take centre stage.
With two victories to its name, the French country will host the 21st edition of a children’s festival that year after year consolidates itself among young audiences and acquires greater potential and popularity to give visibility to new talents in the world of music.
In 2022, in Yerevan, the capital of Armenia, the Karen Demirchyan Complex hosted the competition for the second time in its history, as it did in 2011. There, France was the winner with the young singer Lissandro and his song “Oh Maman! With her charisma and energy in abundance, she managed to win the coveted crystal microphone thanks to 203 points from the national juries and the viewers via online voting.