It’s party time! Eurovision preview season is about to kick off, with events scheduled for Amsterdam, London, Moscow and Tel Aviv. But the fun begins in Latvia this Saturday, 2 April. OGAE Latvia are hosting the third annual Eurovision PreParty Riga. Past editions have attracted Alexander Rybak and Conchita Wurst, and the 2016 event is equally star-studded.
Eurovision PreParty Riga 2016 Line-up
Ten acts have been confirmed so far.
- Belarus: Ivan with “Help You Fly”
- Bosnia & Herzegovina: Dalal & Deen feat. Ana Rucner and Jala with “Ljubav Je”
- Bulgaria: Poli Genova with “If Love Was A Crime”
- Estonia: Jüri Pootsmann with “Play”
- Israel: Hovi Star with “Made of Stars”
- Latvia: Justs with “Heartbeat”
- Malta: Ira Losco with “Walk On Water”
- Serbia: Sanja Vucic ZAA with “Goodbye (Shelter)”
- Spain: Barei with “Say Yay!”
- Switzerland: Rykka with “The Last Of Our Kind”
There will also be performances from Eurovision 1984 winners Herreys and Eurovision and Melodifestivalen cover band Schlagerfeber.
Denise and Padraig from wiwibloggs will be on location. If you have any questions for the acts, be sure to let us know in the comments section below and we’ll do our best to get you some answers!
Tickets: €12 plus booking fee. Buy online or at the door.
More information: Official website and Facebook.
Israel: How well do you think you will be able to do compared to your country last year? (By the way, I love the song! I’m addicted to it)
Ivan: First of all thank you for reposting my banner I made for you on Instagram, I would like to ask you where did your inspiration for singing come from? and how much you feel you have progressed in your years as a singer?
Malta:Which song do you like more:”Chamelleon” or ”Walk on water”?
Bulgaria:Are you happy for returning in Eurovision Song Contest 2016?
To Ira:How it feels like to be in ESC again?
To Ivan:How does your girlfriend feel about you performing naked at ESC this year?
To Jüri:How does it feel like to win Eesti Laul?
To Juri: You have my favorite song of ESC 2016. What is the feeling when someone tells you they will vote for you? Expected, since everyone gets some votes, or still exciting? To Ira: What was in Chameleon that made you doubt it’s success even after defeating a rather strong competition in national finals? To Poli: Is the message of your song specifically directed towards a certain problem (gay love or love between classes) or is it meant to be understood more universally? To Ivan: How did you connect wolves with the song mostly about flying? To Barei: Is it… Read more »
To Ivan: you are going to perform your song naked and with the real wolves on stage, but people say that it’s officially against the Eurovision rules. Although in one of the latest interviews you mentioned that you asked a permission from Sweden to approve your plans, but at that time had no response from Swedish representatives. So any news yet? Are you going to stick with your plan and perform naked or now you have to change your staging? To Justs: For you I have two questions. First is – will we have an official music video for “Heartbeat”?… Read more »
JUSTS: Will you make a music video for song “heartbeat” ?
Sanja Vu?i? (Serbia): What was your reaction when you found out that your Eurovision song “Goodbye” was written by Ivana Peters?
Serbia: Would you like to participate again in the next years at ESC? If yes, single or with a band? (how it was in 2013 Moje 3)
Hovi, Israel: Why, every year, the video for ESC song is filmed in Tel Aviv and not in Jerusalem (who is the capital and the big city of Israel)?
Rykka – A lot of people are commenting on the fact that the last Canadian to enter the competition ended up winning the whole thing, and are trying to compare you to Celine Dion and expect you to achieve a similar result. Does this knowledge add a lot of extra pressure onto you, and if so, how do you deal with this?
To Barei (Spain): RTVE is a big and a rich television? Why do you travel to all the parties who takes place before Eurovision?
For Ira Losco : How it feels when you live on an island ? You feel lonely ? You don’t have neighbours !! It is a fear about tsunami ? Or is it a patience island ?
Ivan, Belarus: Do you want to be a girl? Or, why do you like the long hair? Is your hair natural?
Juri (Estonia) : Did you listen the song? What song do you like to put on PLAY after the Grand Final will finish?
Poli from Bulgaria: What is the mean of bulgarian lyrics? They sound very strange ”OOO, aim in luta, aim in luta”
Question for all the participants: Do you know – who won in the year when you was born? (artist, song or country)
Hovi: What would you do if Israel won’t qualify in the Final after Top 10 last year??
Bulgaria: Poli i love your it’s favorite to win this year. I want to ask do you relate anything with your song and how it was to work on the song? Malta: Why you did you change your song? Latvia:How it was to work with Aminata and how do feel about the song and u relate? Ps you are one of favorite Spain:I love your it always makes me happy and sing yay! i want are u going to sing in english or spanish? And What are your plans for the staging can you give us a clue? Bosnia &… Read more »
Justs & Juri: What do you think? It is a good choice that the last representative – Aminata (Latvia) and Stig Rasta (Estonia) returned with this songs – ”Heartbeat” and ”Play”? The people from the baltic countries have their only favourites? For example – the style of Aminata? Or the return after 4 years of Donny Montell? (Lithuania)
Bosnia & Herzegovina – Who sponsorised this year Bosnia at ESC? Deen, have you payed something? Have you helped the television with some money, contribution for this participation in Stockholm?
Juri – Have you already visited Riga?
Please suggest that the Baltic Boys get together and record a new song at ESC, just like the girls did last year (remember with Armenia, Greece, Estonia and Albania?)
As for Hovi Star (Israel), i wonder if he ever considered auditioning for American Idol or The Voice USA?
Have fun in Riga. D x
Belarus-do you not feel uncomfortable nude on stage
Herreys: How do you think #Melfest and Eurovision have changed since you guys won the ESC
Ask the Baltic Boys about the Powerpuff Girl video that is going around Youtube?
Barei: do you watch Eurovision every year? What’s your favourite ESC country (country which has got the best songs)?
Sanja, had you been into the situation being shown in “Goodbye (Shelter)”? You actually sang it well that I almost believed you faced such situation yourself once.
To Barei, I find “Say Yay!” a a very uplifting song! If you won’t mind it, had you undergone some bad circumstances in your life that made you write this song?
For all – What do you think of Lady Gaga?
ALso for all: Where do you think you’ll place?
For Hovi (Isarel): Why did you change the song? And also, do you think you can beat 9th place (where Golden Boy got)? For Barei: When Ruth sang her some with some english she got 10th, do you think you can score higher than her since your song is all in english? and also, How have you delt with the critics saying your a bad choice for spain just because you sing in english For Donny: Many people think you well get Lithuania’s highest placing at eurovision ever this year, what’s your reaction to this and do you think you… Read more »
For Malta, Why they change their chosen song from national final, becuse they read that they don t have any change for good placement with song.
Vote for Nina.
Question for Ira – What to you think will be different in your ESC participation this year than from your ESC participation in 2002?
Question for the Bosnian entry – As Bosnia and Herzegovina is one of the few countries not singing in English this year, how are you planning to convey the message of your song to all of those who do not understand Bosnian?
Israel: What advice has Dana International or Mei Finegold given you
Bosnia/Bulgaria: How have you prepared for changes in the contest as a whole since you last participated
For Jüri:
What kind of music (genres/artists) you like?
Your stage design in the Eesti Laul final was very simple but strong. Are you planning to keep that or you’re gonna change it?
What made you decide to compete in Eesti Laul after you won Eesti Otsib Superstaari?
What are you planning to do after Eurovision is over?
For the Baltic Boys:
Have seen the memes of the Baltic Boys and what do you think about them?
Have you considered making a band?
What is your favorite song from the other Baltic Boys?
Bulgaria – Is there a central message to this song.
Israel- Do you believe your experience of performing in the Israeli version of the idol competition will stand to you at eurovision 2016.
Switzerland-As a Canadian citizen do you find a large difference between the music in Canada and in Europe
Malta-Do you find that there has been a massive rise in standard since the 2002 contest.
To Justs (Latvia) – Someone said that there will be new version of “Heartbeat”… is that true???
Justs: How does it feel with only you on stage when you perform “Heartbeat”?
Rykka: Do you feel pressure knowing Switzerland came dead last last year?
Ira: How did you feel when you were told your song was being changed?
B&H: How did it feel performing in that castle place?
Estonia – how is your song different from others? Barrei-mention your favourites of this year
@Never forget: The other participants were under the same treatment, there was no song change because it was Ira, the rules stipulated that beforehand.
Guys, remember be nice, it is so unfair that you are rough with these singers. Remember they read these comments.
Barei: do you wear a beret?
Jüri, Justs and Donny: if you could sing one of the other two Baltic entries for Eurovision instead of your own, which one would you pick?
Ira: so, is walking on water the 7th wonder?
Hovi Star: have you met aliens among those stars?
Ivan: what would your song talk about with a comma in it (either Help, you fly! or Help you, fly?)
Malta: what made you want to change your song to chameleon.
Bulgaria: do you have more confidence this year then you did in 2011
@eurounida the answer for your question to Justs is, Aminata first wrote the song and then offered it to Justs. They didn’t knew each other that well, she remembered him from a conpetition called Ghetto Factor.
Belarus:Do you think, this song can suprise the big favorites? B&H: What’s the meen of the song for you? Bulgaria: So Poli, the esc fans love your song, can you explane the diference from to 2011 until now? Estonia: Who’s inspire you to have deep voise? Israel: Who give the idea to change the genre of the song, was yourself’s or public crittics? Latvia: Do you chose Aminata to be your song writter and composer? Malta: Do you preffer to go with this song or Chameon? Serbia: Do you think you was jazz singer? Spain: Who your opinion about Portugal… Read more »
Ivan & Hovi: How do you keep your hair so stylish?
To Ira from Malta , is change the song is correctly to other participants in contest.
Bulgaria: Poli, do you wear hair extensions?
Hovi: Where is your dream vacation? Is that place full of stars?
Poli: Where did you get inspiration for the song “If Love Was A Crime”?
Juri: Who is the person who influenced you a lot, to be so cool like this?
Justs: Do you like video games? Because many people said you’re a bit alike with Pewdiepie so….
Ira: Will you really walk on water in Stockholm?
Jüri and Justs, will you two make a boyband with Donny Montell called “Baltic Boys”?