Today marks the onset of the 21st Junior Eurovision Song Contest, commencing at 4:00 PM CET in the French city of Nice. A thrilling showdown awaits with 16 musical heroes battling it out for the coveted title.
Kicking off Junior Eurovision 2023 is a video featuring last year’s champion, Lissandro, unveiling his secret superpowers, setting the stage for an electrifying event in Nice, France. Lissandro opens this year’s common song, “Heroes“, welcoming us to a captivating journey. Sandra Valero leads the charge, delivering the song in two segments amidst the traditional flag parade, introducing the participating countries’ representatives.
The Show’s Mechanics: Junior Eurovision 2023 Unfolded
The competition brings together 16 nations aiming to captivate hearts and secure the top spot. Participating countries include Albania, Germany, Armenia, Spain, Estonia, France, Georgia, Ireland, Italy, North Macedonia, Malta, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, the United Kingdom, and Ukraine.
The performances kick off at approximately 4:12 PM CET, with Spain’s representative Sandra Valero taking the stage to enchant us with “Loviu.” Each act will be introduced by a visual segment portraying individuals facing challenges, with this year’s participants using their superhero abilities to aid in resolving the predicaments. For Spain, the visual segment will feature a tennis player struggling with the ball, empowered by Sandra Valero to become an expert player.
Intermittently, Ophenya engages participants from the Green Room in brief intervals. The first interaction occurs after the fourth performance, Ireland’s act, as the digital ambassador engages with Spain’s representative Sandra Valero, discussing her feelings about performing on Junior Eurovision’s stage and her musical hero. Subsequent breaks follow after the seventh performance (Estonia) and the eleventh (Portugal) before France takes the stage as the host.
After enjoying all 16 performances, around 5:32 PM CET, voting opens on the free online platform for approximately 20 minutes. Viewers worldwide can cast their votes, supporting their country and two additional countries, mitigating votes for their own candidate. Remember not to use VPN to ensure votes aren’t disregarded, and avoid mass voting from the same IP address.
Two recap summaries, each dedicating 15 seconds to every song, precede special appearances. Following the first summary, last year’s winner, Lissandro, bids farewell to his Eurovision reign, reenacting his winning song “Oh Maman!” in a vibrant homage to the movie ‘Grease,’ driving onto the stage in a car.
After the second summary, French representative from Eurovision 2016, Amir, graces the stage, serenading the audience with an alternate version of his Eurovision entry “J’ai cherché.” He surprises by singing a part of the song in Spanish, accompanied by a child-themed stage setup. Additionally, he presents his latest single released in collaboration with Jason Derulo, “Il y a.”
Around 5:53 PM CET, the online voting platform closes, initiating the vote count process. During this time, presenter Laury Thilleman joins famous pianist Van Toan, renowned for his 9 million TikTok followers and previous appearance at the opening ceremony. Van Toan, with his majestic Made in Japan piano reflecting his Japanese roots, performs renditions of popular tunes like Coldplay’s “Viva la vida,” Ricchi e Poveri’s “Sará perché ti amo,” and Mariah Carey’s Christmas classic “All I Want For Christmas Is You,” as requested by Laury.
Children, as bearers of messages of hope and peace, signify a promising future. Amidst challenging times worldwide, Junior Eurovision aims to convey a message of peace in collaboration with the ‘Non Violence Foundation,’ celebrating 30 years of global actions. The stage comes alive with a rendition of Michael Jackson and Lionel Richie’s anthem “We Are the World,” featuring former French Junior Eurovision representatives like Angélina, Enzo, and past winners Valentina and Lissandro. All participants of Junior Eurovision 2023 join in, wearing shirts bearing the word “Peace” in English.
After this intermission performance, around 6:00 PM CET, executive supervisor Martin Österdah confirms vote reception. Subsequently, the jury’s scores, totaling 928 points, display from 1 to 10, with spokespeople announcing the 12-point votes from the stage. Memorable reunions with past participants like Gaia Gambuzza (Malta 2022), Zlata Dziunka (Ukraine 2022), Mariam Bigvava (Georgia 2022), Enzo (France 2021), and Luna (Netherlands 2022) take place during this segment.
Following the jury’s scores, it’s time to unveil the total points from the public online voting, another 928 points in total. Public voting results start around 6:12 PM CET, culminating in the grand reveal of the Junior Eurovision 2023 winner of the mini crystal microphone.