Aftermath of 2024

[Loindici]

Yes, this is a thread to discuss about the aftermath of 2024 and its probable effects on 2025.

After seeing how the 2024 contest folds out, how do you think it would affect the 2025 contest?

 

[Gitte]

While Switzerland was my favourite, I was hoping for Croatia to win because it is cheaper and it could reignite hope in eastern european countries, hopefully bringing back a couple of the balkans. But nope, the most expensive country in europe won, which can't mean good things for a contest where countries are already dropping out because they can't pay the EBU fee.

I really hope that instead, they will make the contest a tad smaller. We don't need giant flashy shows, we don't need fancy led stages, we just need a nice show with plenty of choices and everyone happy. While some people who are in it for the fireworks only will be salty, I think sizing down is very necessary for the financial health of the contest, especially if it takes place in Switzerland of all places.

I of course also hope Israel will be thrown out unless they change their approach to gaza very soon, which I don't see happening, and maybe they can drop morrocanoil as a sponsor. There are likely more than enough companies that want to be a sponsor of something watched by more than 100 000 000 people? Maybe a company from a less controversial place? Of course we don't know what morrocan oil exactly pays for behind the scenes, put a israeli main sponsor in the current political climate is simply dangerous. If Israel doesn't pull out, at least morrocanoil needs to go.

 

[soundofsilence]

Nestlé as a sponsor?

 

[Gitte]

Nestlé as a sponsor?

oh pls no, Nestlé also does F'ed up stuff. Too giant of a big multinational.

 

[SAYAY]

Did anybody else automatically get 50+ years older after these last couple of days with drama?

Anyways, just extremely happy my big favorite Switzerland won in the end and that my monarch witch did so well with juries

 

[ag89]

I hope for some changes at least:
1. Producers choice running order must go: why can't they introduce random order and then adjust the final running order by moving songs up and down max two places in order to have a nice pace of the show. EBU has been taking more and more control over everything in the show and at one point it had to break. This year was a good example of it
2. I hope EBU does more to bring back former participants, particularly from the Balkans
3. It's time to analyse ROTW vote and who benefits from it. I don't think it should go, but we already see who benefits the most
4. Recorded backing vocals must go
5. I hope they consider allowing two more persons on stage (max 8).
6. I never thought elimination of juries in the semi was a good idea, so I hope they discuss this once again although I don't think we will get juries back.

About politics I don't want to talk, it's still very fresh, but in order to keep politics at Eurovison under control the EBU should firstly see who is sponsoring them and how that affects behaviour of certain countries at Eurovison.

 

[Loindici]

I really hope that instead, they will make the contest a tad smaller. We don't need giant flashy shows, we don't need fancy led stages, we just need a nice show with plenty of choices and everyone happy. While some people who are in it for the fireworks only will be salty, I think sizing down is very necessary for the financial health of the contest, especially if it takes place in Switzerland of all places.

I second this. The flashy, MTV EMA-like format is amazing, but sure is also cost-heavy. The can probably start with a slightly smaller venue, but if it's gonna make tickets more expensive considering this is Switzerland, they can stick with a similarly sized venue but with a more affordable stage providing large options. Even something like the Sanremo stages are also welcome.

 

[Loindici]

1. Producers choice running order must go: why can't they introduce random order and then adjust the final running order by moving songs up and down max two places in order to have a nice pace of the show. EBU has been taking more and more control over everything in the show and at one point it had to break. This year was a good example of it

This. If you really want competition, go random. Don't matter if there are two similarly paced songs, a song that stands out would stand out no matter if you determine the order or go random.

 

[GermanBango]

I am a bit on the fence on this one tbh. I get what you guys are trying to say but I don’t think downsizing the contest is the right way to go. It can’t be denied that interest in Eurovision is probably bigger than ever. I am inclined to say that these 10-15k capacity venues are actually too small. Tickets are usually sold out in minutes. If possible Eurovision should be held in bigger venues. Now I am not talking about actual football stadiums but it would probably be no problem to get 20k tickets per show sold.
As for the stages: while I agree that it doesn’t always need to be the biggest LED screen I do think that the stages should be elevated and elaborate. It’s a special event only once every year and should therefore presented in such a way.
As for Switzerland: Yes it‘s expensive but Sweden is not necessarily known for being cheap either. I doubt that countries will pull out because the contest is held in an „expensive country“. If countries were financially able to stomach this year they will also be able to do so next year.

 

[Loindici]

As for the stages: while I agree that it doesn’t always need to be the biggest LED screen I do think that the stages should be elevated and elaborate. It’s a special event only once every year and should therefore presented in such a way.

I guess 2018 managed to be elevated and elaborate, even without LED. Furthermore, there are other stage techniques to implement and explore rather than just a bunch of LEDs, and I want the next contest to explore that possibility.

This is a bit more nitpicky but still divisive: I prefer the stage to be a little smaller. Not only for scaling reasons, but also to help accomodate more people into the arena.

 

[NeoTen]

After seeing how the 2024 contest folds out, how do you think it would affect the 2025 contest?

Not much. TV numbers were actually raised slightly in important markets, voting was up (Nemo got the highest total amount in % of televoting ever to counter that though), social media engagement was fantastically high. Bottom line is all that matters.
Some will argue at EBU headquarters to change the juries a little, but most will just carve it up to juries picking a neutral classic Eurovision winner to avoid threats to their door, and it was already one of the jury favourites. So EBU execs won't see any problem with the results, nothing will change.

What else...

• Less power and rock ballads, and even more dance-pop now that with AR and backing. Prob more electro-rock and metal-rock.
• We'll see much younger solo girls (~80% of winners is now under 30 and soloist) and less countries if wars are still popular on college campuses mostly purely for broadcasters to cut budget.
• Probably an increase of non-binary and intersex people even though they'll all claim they're here just to sing, but we know some are selected purely to try and copy nemo. Great and funny example was Heroes: everyone tried led screens the year after, Leds on the wall, leds in the ground, climbing on the leds, swiping the leds like a dating app. (You are the only One, 1944, Sound of Silence, J'ai Cherche.) Feel like Oprah typing this. PS: Just look at ESC '12 and 2016. Heroes really fucked up the usage of LEDs. It's almost a whole different contest.

Basically: Get ready to see a lot more non-cis people in dresses in self acceptance songs with playground equipment or objects jumping on and off them.

 

[empo21]

How I hope/wish things would go:

1. Since Kaarija was a much bigger influence on 2024's entries, I think the same will continue with Croatia and Ireland opening the doors for even quirkier entries.
2. No Martin Osterdahl, no Christer Bjorkman. Too many Swedes in the kitchen
3. Split the final running draw into 3-4 parts. We need less power given to the producers.
4. Random draw for the semis. The semis are small and the running draw has less effect. Go crazy!
5. Strongly reconsider the so called "zero-tolerance policies" and commit to them.

 

[Miloutchi]

EU accuses Eurovision bosses of handing gift to ‘enemies of Europe’ with flag ban

“I will seek explanations and clarifications,” vows European Commission VP Margaritis Schinas.

www.politico.eu

Where is my popcorn?

 

[Loindici]

Probably an increase of non-binary and intersex people even though they'll all claim they're here just to sing, but we know some are selected purely to try and copy nemo. Great and funny example was Heroes: everyone tried led screens the year after, Leds on the wall, leds in the ground, climbing on the leds, swiping the leds like a dating app. (You are the only One, 1944, Sound of Silence, J'ai Cherche.) Feel like Oprah typing this. PS: Just look at ESC '12 and 2016. Heroes really fucked up the usage of LEDs. It's almost a whole different contest.
Basically: Get ready to see a lot more non-cis people in dresses in self acceptance songs with playground equipment or objects jumping on and off them.

I got the spirit, but is it worth replicating? I can see more countries bringing even more experimental music or songs with bolder messages, though - because that's easier to do.

 

[ag89]

The reference group will have a lot to discuss in coming months:

Chairperson
Bakel Walden (SSR SRG): Switzerland

Members
Ebba Adielsson (SVT): Sweden
Rachel Ashdown (BBC): UK
Felix Bergsson (RÚV): Iceland
Ana Maria Bordas (RTVE): Spain
Carla Bugalho (RTP): Portugal
Claudio Fasulo (RAI): Italy
Simona Martorelli (RAI): Italy
Tomislav Stengl (HRT): Croatia
Alexandra Wolfslast (NDR): The Netherlands
Martin Österdahl (EBU)

 

[ag89]

I was thinking... Yes, Eurovision is a competition of broadcasters, but having in mind the number of countries participating is stagnating, maybe it wouldn't be bad to have some participate under the EBU flag or some other "flag".

For example, Kosovo really wants to participate, but they are not EBU members, some European countries have not recognized it and Serbia would probably withdraw if that happens (EBU doesn't want that).

But we have sport's events where the two participate (Serbia did not leave because of that), but Eurovision is a different thing so I see no Kosovo there under Kosovo flag.

Maybe the EBU could look at Olympic games approach where Russian (I believe) sportsmen/women participate under the flaf of "Olympic games"?

Maybe that would allow Belarusian singers to participate somehow, too?

I know this sounds pretty impossible, but I was just thinking about opportunities for non-competing countries to be present. Here I would even include countries that have no political, but rather financial issues when it comes to participation (Slovakia, Bosnia...).

Just brainstorming.

 

[Sammy]

Members

Alexandra Wolfslast (NDR): The Netherlands

Many German fans wish that was true!

 

[ag89]

I manipulated and misinformed people here

 

[GermanBango]

I manipulated and misinformed people here

Alex Wolfslast is German actually haha

 

[NeoTen]

I got the spirit, but is it worth replicating? I can see more countries bringing even more experimental music or songs with bolder messages, though - because that's easier to do.

Not in this day of split voting, where music trends cycle at much faster paces. It used to work in the 2000s ('04, 05 & '07, '08) though. It could only work in a very deep recession now. Even a successful copy will have former winners go on defamation or copycat accusations just to keep their own winners streams high.
Best is to just follow the cycle of most successful genres of the last 15 years: dance-pop - glamrock - power ballad (not counting Ukraine 2022 because.... you know). So... next year if you are one of the very few with a glamrock or electro-rock-with-some-folk-track which is the EE-version of glamrock (think Shum or Dark Side), you'll probably win.
Some people will say just "come with original stuff" like Salvador, but, that guy purely won because Bulgaria wasn't experienced in fine-tuning staging to win.