Cancel your plans, order some takeaway and check your wi-fi connection — another night of Eurovision 2017 national selection shows is upon us. Tonight six countries will have us on the edge of our seats as their contestants sing-it-out for your hearts (and jury votes and televotes). Iceland stages its first semi-final, Sweden continues with its fourth and Lithuania will choose the remaining four of its eight semi-finalists. The stakes are higher in Ukraine, Moldova and Denmark, all of which will choose their act for Kyiv. Let another Super Saturday begin!
National selections schedule: 25 February 2017
Ukraine: National selection 2017 final (18:00 CET)
The host nation of the Eurovision Song Contest 2017 will finally choose their representative this Saturday under the watchful eye of its jury, which includes reigning queen Jamala (who danced with interval act Manel Navarro during last week’s show). Who will make her move tonight?
Six acts will compete for the honour of representing Ukraine in their own country this May. The winner will be decided by a combination of votes from both jury and public. If our readers are anything to go by, then TAYANNA — a former member of the girl group Hot Chocolate — has this on lock. She earned more than half of all the votes in our poll. Talk about a landslide!
She also finished in first place with the Wiwi Jury — our in-house panel of music unprofessionals…and also by a huge margin. As wiwiblogger William wrote:
Tayanna makes pain sound so beautiful. With her powerful vocals and a chorus that surges like a tsunami, she delivers an emotional tour de force — and one replete with the requisite Eurovision key change. The raw product is strong. With some tweaks and dramatic staging this could shoot to the Top 5 at ESC.
Kasia Mos, who will sing for Poland this year, and Alma, who will represent France, will both sing during tonight’s show. The French delegation has confirmed to wiwibloggs that Alma will not sing the Eurovision version of her song, as it’s not yet complete.
End time: 20:20 CET
Second part: 21:30 CET
End time: 00:20 CET
Live stream: UA:Pershy Live / Also available on YouTube
Follow our Ukraine Eurovision news here.
Moldova: O melodie pentru Europa 2017 final (18:35 CET)
The final show of Moldova’s O melodie pentru Europa takes place tonight, a day after the semi-final. Yesterday there were fourteen. Today there are eight. But only one of them will triumph and earn a ticket to Kyiv.
Eurovision 2010 act SunStroke Project are back — and it seems they’re back with a bang. In our poll conducted ahead of the semi-finals they earned 44% of the vote. They also finished in first place with the Wiwi Jury. wiwiblogger Robyn wrote:
The pop drop is proving difficult for potential Eurovision songs — just what do you do on stage during the long instrumental breaks? Sunstroke Project has discovered the solution: you send in Epic Sax Guy. It requires a bit of imagination with just the singer performing at the audition, but this should come together nicely at the semi-final.
The winner will be determined by both a professional jury panel and televote.
End time: 20:55 CET
Live stream: TRM TV1 Online / Alternative live streams available here and here.
Follow our Moldova Eurovision news here.
Denmark: Dansk Melodi Grand Prix 2017 final (20:00 CET)
Tonight ten acts will compete for the honour to represent this Nordic country in Kyiv, where they will try to bring Denmark back to the grand final following two years of boy-band-induced elimination.
The winner will be determined through two rounds of voting. The jury and televote will choose the three artists who will go through to the superfinal. The winner among those three will be determined by televote only.
The Olsen Brothers, winners of the Eurovision Song Contest 2000, will perform as the interval act.
According to our readers, living doll Sada Vidoo should win Dansk Melodi Grand Prix 2017.
End time: 22:00 CET
Live stream: DR TV1 Live
Follow our Denmark Eurovision news here.
Lithuania: Eurovizijos atranka 2017 Heat 8 (20:00 CET)
Seven weeks after this year’s Eurovizijos atranka kicked off, Lithuania will finally determine their eight semifinalists. Four were selected last week. Another four will join them this Saturday.
The future semifinalists will be decided by a combination of a public vote and a two-prong jury — which includes a Lithuanian and an international panel.
End time 21:40 CET
Live stream LRT Lituanica Live
Sweden: Melodifestivalen 2017 semifinal 4 (20:00 CET)
The last semi-final of Melodifestivalen airs tonight at 20:00 CET. The Skellefteå Kraft Arena will witness a clash of acts that include returning Melfest stars Jon Henrik Fjällgren and Wiktoria, and the Eurovision Song Contest 2012 queen Loreen.
The results will be determined solely by televote. Two acts will proceed straight to the final, while two more will get a second chance in the Andra Chansen round.
End time: 21:30 CET
Live stream: SVT Play
Follow our Sweden Eurovision news here.
Iceland: Söngvakeppnin 2017 semifinal 1 (20:45 CET)
Tonight the land of ice and fire launches the official search for their representative in Kyiv. After a disappointing result last year, when Greta Salóme shockingly failed to qualify for the grand final, Iceland will be vying to select a performer to avenge that trauma.
Six acts will compete for three spots in the final. The future three finalists will be determined entirely by televote.
According to your votes, Erna Mist Pétursdóttir should win the first semifinal of Söngvakeppnin 2017.
End time: 22:40 CET
Live stream: RÚV Live
Follow our Iceland Eurovision news here.
Which shows are you most excited about? Which shows you will skip and which will you build your evening around?
Be sure to let us know in the comments box below!
@Purple Mask Thanks <3
Please see my link to the YouTube stream for Denmark in the comments below. It is not blocked.
DR, you failed to address the general Eurofan audience tonight by not providing working streams for them. But on the good note, it will be available worldwide afterwards and on-demand.
The stream for Denmark is geo-blocked, anyone know where to watch?!
I found a Denmark YouTube stream!!!:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fC4SOV7_u6c
The Sweden stream is back up and running now. 🙂
Wait, Sweden’s streaming is broken down as well?! Wow!
Melodifestivalen stream isn’t working in canada >:
As predicted, Denmark are using country-blockers at the moment. Sigh.
Forget Moldova. It’s totally foo-barred! I don’t know what the heck is going on with their streaming but it’s coming in over bursts!!
I have found an alternative Moldova stream here, but it’s only marginally better: http://realitatealive.md/live-finala-eurovision-moldova-2017_53064.html
Here is the Ukraine YouTube link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yhdkJG8DMug&feature=youtu.be
Moldova stream is totally unwatchable.
I’m looking out for the Ukraine YouTube link but I haven’t found it yet. Not a good start.
Loreen is speaking to a global audience, she is happy with Sweden. It’s like when SVT did that refugee dance last year at Eurovision, its to encourage others to participate. Like she said, she’s making a statement and she is using people from history who made statements. Its very clever staging and I hope Sweden gets it.
the stream for ukraine doesn’t work!! someone has a solution please?
Since the last year, I find Eurovosion a sad event. Of course, I am an Eurovision fan, but when someone I love doesn’t qualify or gets a low position, it makes me sad. Okay, I listen to these songs no matter the result. But what makes me angry is the jury. Now all the pools and reviews and just everything don’t make sense anymore, because we never know what will be the jury’s taste this year. I also think it is unfair that their vote has the same importance as the televoting – after Eurovision ends, who will listen to… Read more »
I’m gonna try to stream whatever is actually working, LOL.
Loreen copies Jamala, but Jamala was at least classy not to bring people on stage to cry as deported people. Loreen is cheap. And why is she so unhappy in Sweden if is a country who welcomed her moroccan-berber family? Her act makes me think about refugee act in 2016. Loreen should be happy to live in Sweden, but she seems angry.
Sweden has better choices as Jon Henrik. What a great opportunity for somebody like him, and I’m sure he appreciates.
Loreen’s song is a killer. I already see her slaying the competition in Kiev.
LOVE IT
@Ola: Spot on. Not really a fan of what Melfest put out this year, but I’m already sold on Loreen going to Kiev.
Loreen¨s song has no chorus.
Listened to Statements and to me it’s not a song….it’s a piece of art. I love the song entirely, and the staging seems epic with it too! It will be a huge gamble if Sweden sends it to Kyiv however
Loreen does her own thing in her own way, and with a unique sound.
Which makes her ten times more interesting to listen to than the others.
That the typical Eurovision-fans vomit over this is nothing but a good sign!
To final (my taste): Loreen and Jon Henrik
Andra Chansen: Wiktoria, Alice
I don t like Loreen song , it made to be pretentious art song, but they failed to do that with song.
Loreen deserve to flop like Charlote Perelli in 2012.
Alvi
hahah, I smile on your comment. She don t deserve to go direct to final or second chane wiht that so bad song with bad lyricks, sound is weird…
That baseline in ‘Statements’…..Wow! I hope the swedes aren’t too scared to vote for something so gritty and raw! I love it
http://www.svt.se/ece-prgm/wd?widgetId=23991§ionId=29&articleId=12562159&contextSectionId=29&type=embed&position=2
Loreen 2;30
They public on melodifestivalen site snippet 2.30 of all song from 4 semi. Loreen song is not good, and for me this is her worst entry at MF.
Only have chance for win if international juries push so hard in points and other strogno contenders for win from them get points like Yohio or 50 % points less than Loreen like she did at Eurovision 2012 when juries pushed so hard her result .
They 2.30 min songs are out now. They are great! I got goosebumps with Loreen’s!
theschalker@04 – i will watch Denmark, Sweden and Iceland. who cares about Moldova or any heat in Lithuania or this stupid show in Ukraine?
Because the last 3 will be in the final hhheeeeeeee
North is over, Rome 2018
I will probably watch Sweden, Iceland and maybe Denmark.
i will watch Denmark, Sweden and Iceland. who cares about Moldova or any heat in Lithuania or this stupid show in Ukraine?
Yes cheesecake they have 30 mins between two performances and the results are announced with all judges having to explain why such marks and interval acts !! Its takes quite some time.
Are you saying that Vidbir will air at 18:00 CET but we won’t know the results until 00:20 CET?
They should be up within the hour Alex.
Does someone know when the 2:30 versions of the Melfest songs will be revealed? 🙂