Following Australia’s surprise participation at Eurovision 2015, the list of countries who aspire to participate is now longer than one of Rona Nishliu’s dreadlocks. China sent a delegation to Vienna to explore the possibilties, and at least one politician in Kosovo has already claimed his country will be there soon (the European Broadcasting Union denies it).
Today Portal, a Faroese news publication, has revealed that the Faroe Islands has previously declared its formal interest in participating too. The paper reports that in 2010 the tiny archipeligo, situated north of Scotland, and halfway between Iceland and Norway, filed an application for membership with the EBU — a prerequisite to participating.
They were turned away because the Faroe Islands isn’t fully independent. Officially it’s a self-governing country within the realm of Denmark. While it has control over most domestic matters, Denmark retains control over matters like currency, policing, justice, and foreign policy.
But hopes of joining the EBU and singing at Eurovision aren’t dead yet, according to Bjørn Kalsø, the Faroese Minister of Education.
The justification so far has been that the countries have to be acknowledged by the United Nations as independent in order to participate. But there is no doubt that we could easily overstep those barriers, if we’re absolutely determined to reach this goal.
We suspect the songs on his iPhone include Ace Wilder’s “Riot” and Pertti Kurikan Nimipäivät’s “Aina mun pitää”. This man is a rebel!
Kalsø fully supports the national broadcaster’s application to the EBU, but says his opinion isn’t the most important.
It is not the Ministry of Education that is the sole decision-maker in this matter. The EBU is a union of European broadcasters, just as the name states. So it is completely up to Kringvarpið, our local national broadcaster, to renew the application regularly, and show the EBU that the Faroe Islands are an equal match to other countries when it comes to participation in the Eurovision Song Contest.
Um, what’s their music like?
Cast your stereotypes aside: Music on the islands does not consist of blowing on oversized seashells or mimicking the sound of the many sheep on the islands. The islands are packed with talent and have loads of potential representatives, should they one day be allowed to participate. Here’s the duet Byrta, and their song “Minnist tú”, which translates as “Do you remember?” This slays. And there’s more where this came from. Just Google Eivør, Anna Katrin Egilstrøð, Lena, Høgni Reistrup, Høgni Lisberg, HEIÐRIK, Guðrið Hansdóttir and Brandur Enni.
They also love a good festival. In mid-July the progressive G! Festival takes place in the small village of Sydrugota. Five concert stages spread out over the beaches, many adjacent to Finnish saunas and hot pools. Yes, these are people we can party with!
What are your thoughts about the possible future participation of the Faroe Islands? Let us know below.
To answer Phoenix question. Yes Faroe Islands is a part of the danish realm together with Greenland. But to say that the Faroe Islands are Denmark is maby taking it to far. Being Danish I can only speak on the behalf of the farose people I have meet through the years, and Faroe Islands is a proud nation with their own language which is not very similuar to danish and their own culture and traditions. I would love to see the Faroe Islands in the Eurovision Song Contest all though I know that it is not possible as long as… Read more »
I savour, cause I found exactly what I used to be taking a look for.
You have ended my four day lengthy hunt!
God Bless you man. Have a great day. Bye
Awesome, but just to be clear, the Faroe Islands are a part of Denmark, so if there is actually one Faroean artist that represents their country in Eurovision, they are recognized as representing Denmark.
I want as many songs as possible. Can they afford it?
oh my god yes yes yes yes yes!!!!!!
I adore Faroese music (Eivor, Orka, Frostfelt are my favorites from the area)
They would put on such a good show
much better than Australia or China participating
Byrta is my absolute favorite!! So great!
@Elainovision: Not against Tórshavn participating? Why are all wiwibloggers obsessed with interchanging the name of the country with that of the capital city?
MARIO,necesitamos TU alegria en Wiwibloggs.
@ NO…I repeat…
The rules & the game have changed now..
Feroe Islands would not be really biased voting Denmark & Iceland with many points even if the songs/liveperformances especially were not great or good enough..
And im positive..
Sorry guys but im just not convinced that this phenomenon would really occur..
@ Timselvision
I propose to ban YOU from WiWiBloggs..
Im tired of a user like you really..
GET UP OFF MY BOY MARIO!
F. Islands would DEFINITELY throw points behind Iceland, Denmark, and Sweden. Wouldn’t be full out blown voting but the scandi love will be there. (8 pts goes to Sweden!)
Can someone just block both Marios? Getting a bit tired of him to be honest.
On-topic: I would like this, but it would raise many questions, so does a possible participation from Kosovo.
@ mario
Not prejudiced towards iceland or Denmark.
There language is like icelandic they have been ruled for decades by Denmark.
Iceland were ruled by Denmark until 1944 and look at their pattern of top marks since 1986 Denmark has always done extremely well.
There would a bloc within a Nordic bloc most definitely
@ Well i do not think that Faroe Islands would be really prejudized 4 either Iceland or Denmark…They would vote just fairly…
This situation that there was real bloc voting with fake points of friendship-brotherhood-diaspora is getting over now as we have witnessed especially this year in Vienna..
Kosovo is at least recognized as an independent state by more than one hundred countries. The Faroes islands by… nobody. Personally, I think that their participation could diversify Eurovision. Still, it would be a very dangerous precedent. In the aftermath, the EBU could face a lot of applications from e.g. Catalonia, Scotland, Wales, Northern Cyprus, Greenland, Silesia. Of course, the political map has still been changing since the first edition. Thirty years ago there were no such independent countries like Slovenia, Montenegro, Latvia, Georgia etc. Thus, in the future these mentioned above regions may be states.
I would be happy if they participated. But they would give 10 points to Iceland every year and together with Denmark they would be Turkey&Azerbaijan of the North.
@ Hannes
We have already discussed how many times this matter about FYR..
We do not hate them of course & have something personal against them..
The issue is only political..
This troll simply spread lies about me…Ignore him and do not believe anything from him…
@Mario I Am Summer ~ My Summer Vision of Gay Love ~ Summer Lovers Your gay? wuuuuut would have never guessed that :P. but seriously, why do many of you greeks hate macedonians? Becuse of a name? really? or what?
Omg Conchita. ????????????
@ blah blah blah…
Your words even as trollish really do not make sense..
Unfortunately i will not take back all these precious seconds of my life that i wasted reading your dumb nonsense about me..
I say ‘give them a chance’! It’s more fun with more people they say and I think Faroe islands should be given a chance to compete. I would love to hear what they got!
12 points to either Iceland or Denmark if Faeroes compete. Though ruled by Denmark they have much more in common with their icelandic brethren. Language etc. So iceland would be perhaps more likely to benefit.
I don’t see a problem in them competing. As stated earlier they are in UEFA just like Andorra. Andorran technically is not fully independent either with the president of France and a Spanish bishop as head of the country. So WHY not the Faeroes
@ Well nice try…NOT…
Oh you are such a troll..
I hope that the admins will ban you from the site..
@ WTF
Oh yes…Yeah technically we can still claim the 3rd play off spot but that almost impossible to happen with such weak our team is..
I do not even see us finishing 4th..
The only success that i predict 4 us is to manage surpassing Faroe Islands and not finish on the last place of the board ranking in our group..
Really pity that we will not be present 4 our first time in 12 years in Final Euro Championship after 3 consecutive qualifications in 2004/2008/2012..
All good things comes to an end..
Brilliant. I think that the Faroe Islands should be allowed take part in Eurovision. Even though they are still a part of Denmark. But they still have control over their own affairs. So I say yes.
Why not? It’d be great.
I listen somebody who says ” Why not Gibraltar, Isle of man pr something like that?” Well, simply because they haven’t expressed yet their hope to join us. If they did, I don’t know, anyway it would be awesome, actually!
with love, from Italy
Will not happen. They’re not independent from Denmark, even though they enjoy some regional competencies. If they can participate, then the same can be said for similar regions like Scotland, Catalonia, Flanders, Wallonia, Corsica, Wales, etc., etc. And that will of course not happen.
Some tiny countries with no international exposure just want to use the contest as a way to promote themselves (hum, Azerbaijan…). This is the only thing the Faroe want.
If the Faroes, then why not Greenland too? And the Jersey, Guernsey, the Isle of Man? Gibraltar? The Åland Islands?
And all the British and French territories: Bermuda, Anguilla, Montserrat, the Caymen Islands, St Helena, the Falkland Islands, French Polynesia, Saint Pierre and Miquelon, Wallis and Futuna, Saint Martin, New Caledonia?
I’m not against Tórshavn’s participation, but the line needs to be drawn somewhere otherwise you could be seeing entries from Nuuk, Douglas, St Helier, Hamilton, Pape’ete…
The contest being hosted in Sweden, Denmark would want to up their game at Eurovision, having won the contest both times this millennium when it was hosted in Sweden. So if we allow the Faroe Islands to participate, that’s just going to up Denmark’s chances.
But they’re belong to Denmark.They are already participate to the Eurovision Song Contest as Denmark.I know only that Faroe Islands are Denmark.If I’m wrong just answer me.
Unless they became independent then I say no. Because then EVERY semi or fully autonomous region would want in and we would have way too many participants. Although as citizens under Denmark they could still participate via Dansk Melodi Grand Prix for the time being.
I think it’d be nice to maybe have subnational autonomous regions at Eurovision or at least have more people from these regions reach the Eurovision stage I’d say more minority languages as well, there is a faoerse singer that made an icelandic version of Sweden’s 1996 song, called Dansaðu vindur
OMG Faroe Islands would be so glam <3 Imagine them hosting it <3
“Music on the islands does not consist of blowing on oversized seashells or mimicking the sound of the many sheep on the islands.”
I don’t think I’ve ever been more disappointed by a single sentence. 🙁
They could send Eivør as an interval act. She’s their best singer.
Although the Faroe Islands are cultural separate from Denmark with a separate ethnicity and language. But it would be like the UK taking part as England, Scotland, Wales, N. Ireland, Isle of Man, Guernsey, Jersey, Sark, Alderney, Gibraltar, Falkland Islands, Sandwich Islands, St George’s Islands and any other autonomous regions. And now with Britain’s new city regions why don’t Manchester take part as well. I know that’s a bit far, but I feel only sovereign states should take part.
@Mario: Hahaha, yeah, half of the qualifying games for Euro 2016 have been played and Greece hasn’t won a match, not even at home against Faroe… I guess you could still get the play-off place if you somehow turn it around…
They’re already in UEFA, so why not…
Omg yas! Keep them coming in! Would be very fun, weird but fun.
so, another 12 points for sweden, norway or denmark? why doesn’t greenland join too, then we would have a guaranteed quota of 90% nordic winners in the next contests…
Another hopeless San Marino.
I’d love for the Faroe Islands to participate. They’re European and definitely have an interesting culture of their own, so why not? That song on the article is also very good and I’d love to see them represent the Faroe Islands if they do participate soon.
Well Conchita will continue to be on the news of WiWiBloggs… It doesn’t matter that she won last year & we have a new winner.. She still remains really popular…She just released her debut album last month.. She is going to release her brand new single *FireStorm* on 18 June so she will be on the news.. And whats the deal here really?? WiWiBloggs covers news of anyone singer and the ones that had participated in Vision ages ago.. So why not Conchita to that she still remains very hot name..? I even prefer to see more news about her… Read more »
12 points to Denmark!!!
I liked these songs of this faroese singer that i heard <3
The music was ethereal & serene…Like indie electronic pop..
Now i remembered that song from a norwegian singer <3
*Girl Like You* by Bertine Zetlitz
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g5sylRs8WWg
Hope Wiwibloggs can left last years winner now and instead promote this years winner in same way
The Kingdom of Denmark consists of the mainland Denmark, Faroe Islands and Greenland. Faroe Islands are just an autonomous region and not an independent state.
Why not…They even have more population than San Marino that is already participating in our Vision.. Faroe Islands have 50.000 residents when San Marino has 32.000 4 the record,this small country beat my country’s Greece national team in football and made a record with beating a country that is so high on rankings.. But our national team is not so good…We had just only our great moments & we were very lucky as well 4 all of our success since 2004.. In our bad day even a weak national team of a small country like Faroe Islands can beat us…And… Read more »
They have magical music.
Enough of Conchita, his year is OVER. And he is not whatsoever the most symbolic ESC winner. San Marino has always been an independent country, same as Monaco. Faroe Islands is not. Is like getting Aland Island, Holland, Catalunya or Canary Islands to participate.