There’s a little uncertainty around Junior Eurovision 2020 and now it appears host broadcaster TVP is even considering what might happen if the contest doesn’t go ahead. The broadcaster has announced that the winner of Poland‘s JESC national final will get to perform at the Opole Song Festival in 2021 if this year’s Junior Eurovision is cancelled.
As reported by the Polish Eurovision news site Dziennik Eurowizyjny, the broadcaster confirmed the news in a presentation of their upcoming autumn schedule. Notably, there was nothing said about TVP’s plans for Junior Eurovision 2020. This was a big contrast with last year, when the hosts of JESC 2019 were presented at the broadcaster’s event.
But TVP did make one announcement regarding the Polish act for Junior Eurovision 2020. Poland will again use a junior version of the national final contest Szansa na sukces to select its act for JESC. But in the event that Junior Eurovision doesn’t go ahead, the winner of Szansa na sukces will have a chance to perform at the National Festival of Polish Song in Opole.
The festival — which has been running since 1963 — is a celebration of contemporary Polish song and songwriters. It’s an important event on the Polish music calendar. In recent years Eurovision stars Michał Szpak and Tulia have taken home major prizes from the contest.
The JESC edition of Szansa na sukces 2020 is due to begin on 6 September. On the judges’ panel will be Poland’s Junior Eurovision 2019 winner Viki Gabor, Eurovision 1994 queen Edyta Górniak and music composer Piotr Rubik.
A year of pandemic withdrawals
It hasn’t been smooth sailing in the lead-up to Junior Eurovision 2020.
With four countries — Ireland, North Macedonia, Australia and Wales — withdrawing from Junior Eurovision 2020 due to Covid-19 concerns, the question remains whether other countries will have to make the same decision regarding their participation in Eurovision 2021.
Earlier in August, a spokesperson from the Portuguese delegation told Eurovision media, “if there is a competition, RTP will be present”. The wording of the statement implied that in the face of the Covid-19 pandemic, Junior Eurovision 2020 still isn’t a done deal.
Portugal’s “confirmation” leaves 13 countries that have provisionally confirmed their intention to participate in the contest. This includes Germany, which will be making its debut. Fans are still waiting on the 2019 participants Albania, Armenia and Italy to confirm their participation for 2020.
It is important to note that the four withdrawing nations have only confirmed their non-participation at Junior Eurovision 2020, not total withdrawal from all future editions of the contest.
Junior Eurovision 2020 is scheduled to take place in Warsaw, Poland on 29 November. If it does go ahead as intended, we can expect a show unlike any that’s gone before. The show is due to take place in a television studio rather than an arena. The production should also act as a testing ground for both the EBU and participating broadcasters on how to best organise Eurovision itself in 2021.
They should work and take example fromt he VMA’s last night. Even without audience the production value was insane,
Bro come on just when Germany decided to participate in JESC.
Tbh as it seems the ebu is more preparing for eurovision 2021 than junior eurovision 2020 (and I can understand why because eurovision must return stronger and better than ever after the cancellation). Actually it’s the end of August we still don’t know yet the participants list and the venue while in a non corona year we know them in mid july, and as well the pandemic already ruins the contest because 4 countries (could be even more if Albania, Armenia or Italy are going to withdraw) have already because of it and as well belarus might withdraw as well… Read more »
Between 2009 and 2013, 1 constest had 14 entries, 2 contests had 13 entries, and 2 had 12 entries. The contest is totally doable few little entries. 2020 is an unpredictable year. We already know it is going to be held in a television venue in Warsaw. Despite not everything going correctly, we still can’t lose hope. There has to be one thing in the Eurovision world this year that is good.
Am I the only one that talks about the fact that if jesc 2020 gets cancelled this year so the winner of sanzsa na success will perform in a festival next year so it means that he will not be selected internally for jesc 2021 and a new sanza na success will determine the act for the contest. It gives bigger chances that alicja might be not reconfirmed for Rotterdam 2021 and will have to win sands na success once again to represent poland in eurovision
As with others, this whole “if this contest doesn’t go ahead…” negativity does get me down. Precautions are all well and good but at some point, we have to find solutions instead of shutting down and giving up.
JESC is a much smaller event and there’s only 13 delegations to consider so if they can’t get this up and running, there really is little hope for ESC 2021.
Well this doesn’t bode well if uncertainty is coming from the host broadcaster
My daily routine, for the past few weeks, has been to check online three times a day (i.e., in the morning, noon, and night) whether a final JESC participation list has been published, thereby validating that the contest is moving forward. Whilst I am obviously aware of the current pandemic, I just wish the EBU would put JESC fans out of our misery, and confirm unequivocally whether or not JESC is happening this year, rather than getting our hopes up, only to crash them thereafter. Prolonging this decision, and letting national finals continue, is just going to result in more… Read more »
I totally agree with you. I was so happy when EBU announced during Shine a Light that JESC would be held in November, and I thought they would use Junior Eurovision as a test on how they could organize the adult contest in May. But all this silence from the EBU makes me worried. No full list of participating countries yet, and while we do know the contest will take place in a studio in Warsaw, the EBU is yet to announce the exact venue. I just hope for some announcement as soon as possible.
Waiting for Albania, Armenia, and Italy to save the day…
And will Junior Eurovision be back in 2021?
Vaccine should be available next year so JESC 2021 is safe.
I think if junior eurovision is gonna be cancelled these 3 countries will not save it.
And if the contest is gonna go ahead, their withdrawel will not affect.
You say the same thing on every post! It’s not going to magically will them to participate!
I beg of you becca, it’s enough now. You are being so incredibly annoying. Just chill for a sec
Stop just stop you are getting quite annoying so just stop you are acting like a 10 year old
To finish we will know very very soon if Jesc 2020 will be or not because the Ebu have to give enough time to the broadcaster to get organized and to create a novel contest in case the outcome is positive.
And I keep hoping that the Ebu will be able to adapt the contest whatever is the pandemic situation, they had 6 months until now to work on it and for it, that’s what we are all waiting from them. Fingers crossed.
The reassuring thing is that in their two envisaged scenarios for the Esc there is a scenario under Covid so I think, rather I hope they have worked for the Jesc the same way.
I can understand unfortunately the uncertainty of the broadcaster, they are dependant of the decision of the Ebu to let the contest happen or not, all the eyes are turned and will be turned towards the Ebu the following weeks. The pandemic situation is so variable and changes so quickly. Wait and see. We will know if it will happen certainly very soon. I thought seeing all national finals and moreover the national final of the host countries happened that Jesc 2020 was something almost certain but now it feels more uncertain. I hope it will happen because it would… Read more »