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Roundup: Dates and names for 2011 known so far
Cyprus
Already in December 2009, it was announced that the Cpyriot entrant in the Eurovision Song Contest 2011 will be chosen through a new talent search. The final of Performance will be held next Friday, 10th September. Nine performers have qualified:
- Marios Charalambous
- Costa Ioannides
- Christos Milordos
- Daphne Seisou
- Nicole Nikolaidou
- Louis Panagiotou
- Annita Skoutela
- Stella Stylianou
- Malvina Charalambidi
Belgium
The Belgian national selection will kick off on 1st October with an online qualifying round. RTBF and Akamusic will launch a website, where music artists can upload their songs. All entries have to be written in English or French by Belgian songwriters. Until 31st December, page visitors can give financial support in order to make the professional production of their respective favourite song possible. All songs that gahered at least 20,000 € will qualify for the second stage of the national selection, where the eventual winner will be chosen by a jury and members of the public. All people who donated money to songs other than the winning one will be reimbursed.
Switzerland
The first Swiss national final since 2004 will be held on 11th December with ten acts competing. Before the final, there will be an online qualifying round in November. Seven songs will be chosen by internet voting and a jury while another three radio wildcards will be given out. The eventual winner will be chosen by televoting.
Greece
Once again, a national final will be held to select the Greek entrant for Eurovision. The contestants will be revealed in December.
Norway
NRK decided to stick to the national final format used in previous years. The five shows of MGP 2011 will most likely be held on 15th, 22nd and 29th January as well as 5th and 12th February. Songs can be submitted until 15th September. The qualifiers are expected to be announced shortly after the deadline.
Denmark
Dansk Melodi Grand Prix 2011 will be held in February. Songs can be submitted until 27th September.
Ukraine
35 acts have qualified through a casting process in Ukraine. They will be reduced to 15 finalists in December. The national final will be held on 27th February.
Netherlands
3Js have been confirmed to represent the Netherlands in Germany. Their song will be chosen during a national final out of five submissions by a jury and televoting.
Germany
2010 Eurovision Song Contest winner Lena Meyer-Landrut has announced that she wants to represent Germany again on homeground. Although this statement has been reported on the official German website, a confirmation by the broadcaster is still being awaited. The song would most likely be chosen in a national final.
Sweden
Changes have been announced for Swedish Melodifestivalen when it comes to the selection of the songs. However, the frame is expected to remain with four semi finals, a second chance round and a final in between February and March.
Related polls
- Norway: Vote for your favourite song in the final of Melodi Grand Prix
- Azerbaijan: Vote for your favourite act in the final of Milli Seçim Turu
- Hungary: Vote for your favourite act in the final of A Dal
- Iceland: Vote for your favourite song in the final of Songvakeppni Sjonvarpsins
- Malta: Vote for your favourite act in the final of Malta Eurovision Song Contest 2012
- Hungary: Vote for your favourite act in the second semifinal of A Dal
- Norway: Vote for your favourite song in the third semifinal of Melodi Grand Prix
- Sweden: Vote for your favourite act in the first semifinal of Melodifestivalen
- Malta: Vote for your favourite act in the semifinal of Malta Eurovision Song Contest 2012
- Bulgaria: Vote for your favourite act in the Bulgarian national final 2012
- Latvia: Vote for your favourite act in the final of Eirodziesma 2012
- Belarus: Vote for your favourite act in the final of EuroFest 2012
Go directly to the reactions
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Recent news about The Netherlands
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what do you think?
Croatia
Slovenia
Bulgaria
Romania
Bosnia & Herzegovina
Lithuania
Belarus
Portugal
I would love to see a diferent country winning Eurovision this year....one that has never won or didn´t win for far too many years, maybe one of this:
Spain
Cyprus
Iceland
Malta
Switzerland
or Belgium...or France, why not??
what do you think?
@ Daniel S [61660]
I do understand your concerns -
but if it were as simple as that - Rusisa would've won not just once but 13 times =
Although even once make the whole europe so sucked out
When it comes to the Cypriot singers, I only liked 2 out of the 5 there are videos on YouTube of - Marios and Stella. Hopefully they will get nice songs.
And what about Austria? I thought they had some rules/vague dates ready too? And weren't Finland having some online voting round too? And of course you should have mentioned Albania, even if we know they normally have FiK in December, but it should have been on this list too.
It sounds a bit silly that the public has to finance the Belgian songs...
Daniel S
What a smart you are !
Before the songs are even chosen - I predict 10 top finishes for Turkey, Greece, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Ukraine and Russia
The public has to finance the Belgian entry??? Is this a joke?
Bur what about finland?
@berk ak , i m more realistic from you 
39 last year countries plus: Austria, Montenegro, Hungary , i thing that counries will return in esc 2011, Austria already return and Liechtenstein will be in ESC 2011 for sure beacuse Germany as big 4 and host countrey will push EBU to accept soon that microstate aplication for full membership ti EBU, and maybe Andorra or / and San Marino. So personal i thing participation countries will be 43 or 44 
Italy, Monaco, Czech Repuplic, Luxembourg, Morocco and Lebanon NO WAY ! If we have a suprice return i expect Czech Repuplic ( and that beacuse is Germany neighboor) to be that suprice but the others NO ! And especially Italy, only if Merkel sleep with Berlusconi Italy will return looooooooooooool
39 from last year plus
Austria,Italy, Luxembourg, Andorra, San Marino, Monaco.Morocco,Lebanon a record of 47
Marko
Hopefully in preselection of junior ESC both main candates are quite good and corruption can't change here something!!! Realy hope they will go someday to main ESC!!! Both of them did well on junior NEW WAVE CONTEST and I have a feeling that they will win in Minsk. Have a look what proffesional artists they are:
Vladimir Arzumanyan- little Dima Bilan 
http://www.youtube.c(...)FXLUonzBiOQ&NR=1
http://www.youtube.c(...)&feature=related
Razmik and friends - childish rock band :
http://www.youtube.c(...)&feature=related
http://www.youtube.c(...)&feature=related
Hope that our contestant of ESC will be as artistic as they are!!!
Good luck 2 GREECE 
Tamta
Eve Adamu
Matisse,
would B GREAT!
If Italy returned in Munich 83, why not again in Germany 2011. San Remo is having a serious crisis, perhaps RAI thinks is the time finish this onanist period for Italian music.
@Mario Mir
molt bé! m'agrada molt...
How to make a new record of participation:
- None of the 39 countries that took part in Oslo should withdraw.
- Apart of the return of Austria, we'd need FOUR other countries returning/debuting.
Point 1: I think it could happen, but since 2006 we'd had at least one withdrawal per year, despite the different circumstances. If all 39 countries repeat, it will be the first time to do so since 2005. My bigger doubts are about Slovakia and Poland.
Point 2: I can't see four new additions apart of the Austrian (we could be very happy simply for it). I'm a bit sceptical about the new Hungarian TV and even more about Liechtenstein. Montenegro could return, but the rest are quite unlikely by the moment. Andorra needs a sponsor, and I doubt they'll find it.
Avat
And what? You are not sattisfied with my compliments?
I can do better of course, but I need vice versa too!
Avat
You know actually what is problem in our countries and similar ones!? Corruption is everywhere, thus it's in those so called NFs! One can pay to jury and have victory easily! Thos eNFs are full of scandals and it's bad, Skopje Fest is so known for that, every year scandal and I can bet that jury is corrupted in that festival every single year! 
It's definitely not the case in those Scandinavian countries and that's where the experiance and justice in NFs is hidden actually!
@ Ramon Ramos
I think it's very difficult to reach 44 countries for the next edition. However, we all love it.
@ paul cl
I know, but mixing ESC with sports is quite nonsense, because rules are very different. A simply note: Scotland or Wales have their own national teams because they are FIFA foundators and even they're in the Board that decide the rules of the game. That's the reason of that "privilege". The same goes for the rugby, but never told that UK compete together in cycling, basketball, athletics, swimming or gymnastics, like the other countries did.
Some countries seem to be in a hurry. Choose wisely and good luck!
P.S.: the more participants, the merrier.
I believe 2011 will be a new participation record. Germany is the largest music market in Europe, this fact might be like a magnet for musicians and broadcasters.
@Mario m
you are right, but as you know, Catalonia bases the argument on sports teams, like English/Scottish federation, which has a long history, to apply that to ESC is a big step in my opinion..en fin, sóc anglès/català/espanyol, y , m'agrada tot/me gusta todo//I like everything that would help Spain win ESC one day.., but in the current format...no way! pcl x adéu !
@ Avat Armenia
The answer is so easy. If EBU allows Catalonia, Scotland or Wales to take part in ESC, they might allow to participate to the other 16 Spanish communities, the 16 German Länder, Chechnya, Aland, Abkhazia, the isle of Man, the city of Odessa or every county of England with local TV, and so we could have 500 contestants and ESC is now on the limit in which is logistically possible to don't be a total mess.
EBU rules states that only ITU countries could be represented and sinceresly I highly highly doubt that rule could be ever modified.
By the way, and answering also to paul cl, Catalan nationalists think (and always said) that ESC is pure sh*t, so there's no real interest in any way.
@Avat Armenia
your aunt is from Catalunya! great but you are right, that is the argument that we have here in Catalonia, sport teams v ESC, and they push the argument from the Catalan representatives from ESC which are:
1974: Peret (founder of "Catalan rumbo", now a priest in Barcelona, to expand his religious philosophy, through song
2003: Beth, well from "Operación Truinfo", hated that song, never wanted to represent "Spain", now works for Catalan TV
1989: Nina: sang for Spain to enhance her career after a period on a pathetic Spanish TV show (123), then became famous for OT, now political activist for CiU (Catalan political party)
and other Catalans: Sergi(o) Dalma, the rest from Andalucia/Madrid/Pais Vasco! pcl x
paul cl
My point was that any country may have own format of choosing song!!! In Armenia NF are comdained to be a farce or cat-fight !!!!
What about catalonian way of thinking and points of view I know it quite well, my ount's husband is catalonian and his point was that if Scotish and Walse's teams can take part in football championships why Catalonia can't take part in ESC with own contestant??
I simply hope for reaching the 40 (or more) countries again.
@avat armenia
well from your comments/mine too (Catalonia etc) don't you think it would be great to have an ESC jury /ESC country voting, based purely on national televoting/jury voting and never on national interests? but how can that happen? it will never be the case, you have mentioned it yourself..like I'm in Spain and vote for what I like and Romania gets 12 pts whatever, so I'm pissed off to vote, same for many countries...
so why/where should I send my sms? armenia? just because its "Armenia"? just want u to understand my point of view
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