National final season for Eurovision 2021 got off to a dramatic start with Albania’s Festivali i Këngës 59 in December. After a brief breather, the season steps up a gear tonight, Saturday 16 January.
Here are all the details you need for 2021’s first Saturday of national selections. Norway and Lithuania are the ones getting the ball rolling.
You can follow all the results on wiwibloggs (and via our Twitter: @wiwibloggs and Instagram: wiwibloggs) throughout the evening. Here’s a quick rundown of what’s happening, when it’s on and how to watch.
Saturday 16 January: Eurovision 2021 Selection Shows
Norway’s Melodi Grand Prix 2021
Semi-Final One
Time: 19:50 CET to 21:50 CET
Norway’s MGP 2021 is holding onto the format first adopted last year. This evening’s show will see performances from four artists — Beady Belle, Jorn, Blåsemafian and Stina Talling. A series of duels will reduce this number to just one finalist. They’ll join the other semi-final qualifiers, one wildcard and six pre-qualified finalists in the grand final. KEiiNO and TIX — two of the automatic qualifiers — will also showcase their entry tonight.
Click to Watch Melodi Grand Prix 2021 Semi-Final One
For additional viewing instructions, click here.
Lithuania’s Pabandom is naujo!
Heat One
Time: 20:00 CET to 21:40 CET
Over in the Baltics, Lithuania has shortened Pabandom is naujo! yet again. The once bloated national selection — it ran for 10 weeks as recently as 2017 — has been slashed to just four episodes. Tonight’s first heat will see 10 acts battle for five semi-final slots. There are several familiar names including Twosome and Milita Daikerytė.
Click to Watch Pabandom is naujo! 2021 Heat One
For additional viewing instructions, click here.
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Which show will you watch? Let us know below.
Beissoul & Einius was the interval act
Who are the interval act on the Lithuanian show?
Beissoul & Einius
Thank you
Gutted that Jorn is out at this early a stage. I pray that he gets the Wild card pass, as Stina Telling’s live vocals were weak AF!
OK keiino performance wasn’t the best..
I think vocally it was great but everything was too dark and didn’t have any wow factor.
They were holding back, it doesn’t make sense to go all out in a semifinal where nothing is at stake for them. The finale staging will be vastly different I’m sure.
The big issue for me was the lack of colours.. I mean they did already in tel Aviv black staging with green lights.. Maybe this time they should make something different to stand out even more.
Yes I agree with you the staging was too dark indeed. Hopefully they can incorporate more colors in the Finale and make the performance more vibrant. Fingers crossed!
Loved the performance of Monument. If a full audience was in the arena, it would have been electrifying!
Happy NF season!
Does anyone know if you can watch on playback or just live? I wanted to watch Norway first, but will do the other way round if can only watch Lithuania live
I don’t think you can watch the playback for the Lithuanian one immediately. Can you for the Norwegian selection?
If I’m not mistaken, the Norwegian player allows it to pause the show. I assume you can watch it later, but I’m not sure because I’ve never tried. The Lithuanian player on the other hand, doesn’t allow you to pause. So if you want to try to watch both at the same time, the way to do it is to fit the Norwegian performances when the Lithuanian show goes to a break. Or you can just watch MGP and wait LRT uploading the performances to their Youtube channel. It would be great if all national finals got broadcasted on Youtube… Read more »
An update: the Lithuanian show is on Youtube too, but unfortunately with the same issue that we can’t pause it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SaIFZ6Zfpqs&ab_channel=Lietuvosnacionalinisradijasirtelevizija
LRT’s player freezed here right during the 1st song, so I ended up watching Beady Belle live in MGP. And she was very good. I wasn’t expecting to prefer her to Stinna.
Yes, I agree I was slightly disappointed for Beady Belle because she performed and sang great. Elevate on the other hand I do like as a song but the live didn’t convince me and her second performance was even less convincing vocally :/
is there any way to watch them both?=D does anyone knows when each of them is ending, so I could watch the rest of the second one? Thanks in advance and happy NF season! <3
PIN ends 21:40 CET time. I open two windows and watch them both, muting one while there’s no singing happening.
that makes sense! don´t know why I didn´t think of that =D Thanks for your help <3
I’ll see MGP, because the songs atract me more than the Parabandom’s ones. Also, I can’t wait to watch Keiino performance. Happy Selection season!!
Happy ACTUAL selection season! I always watch both shows before more selections start and you need to get picky.
Norway is a more exciting one
Lithuania’s NF not important, since we all know The Roop are gonna win