Photo: Corinne Cumming / EBU

While preparations for Eurovision 2025 are underway, the events that unfolded during this year’s edition of the contest are still on the mind of both Eurovision fans and the EBU. Following the conclusion of an independent review into May’s contest, Eurovision organisers have now unveiled three development areas they will be focusing on to address the review’s recommendations.

Despite an outstanding show on stage in Malmö, the 2024 contest was overshadowed by the disqualification of Dutch contestant, Joost Klein, and numerous complaints from various delegations regarding issues behind the scenes.

In response to the issues encountered this year, the EBU announced an independent review into the event. Led by an independent industry expert, the review collected comprehensive feedback on this year’s event from a diverse array of Eurovision Song Contest stakeholders. This included Heads of Delegation, members of the ESC Reference Group (RG), the Contest’s governing board, and the core team from EBU/ESC.

Independent review conclusions

On Monday, the EBU announced the conclusion of the independent review. Based on the findings, the EBU has pinpointed three key thematic areas for addressing recommendations in the upcoming months. These initiatives aim to fortify and safeguard future editions of the Eurovision Song Contest, ensuring they remain a unifying force for global audiences. The identified areas are: EBU Governance and Participation; Safety and Risk Management; and Audience Engagement, Fans, and Media.

Below is the press release from the EBU in full, outlining the steps already taken and what will be looked at in the coming months:

Actions already taken

To ensure we do not lose momentum, a taskforce of senior leaders across the EBU and its membership has been appointed to oversee decision making and implementation of changes in the above areas in the coming months.

The independent review also found that there was a need to bolster the leadership team of the ESC to ensure operational bandwidth to manage an event of this scale. We have created a new role of ESC Director, which will report to the EBU Deputy Director General and Media Director. This will streamline the Executive Supervisor’s responsibilities to focus on ESC production, Heads of Delegations and member relationship building, and day-to-day production issues. The ESC Director will oversee the work of the existing Executive Supervisor and a new role entitled Head of ESC Brand and Commercial.

Only six weeks since the 2024 Eurovision Song Contest, we are pleased to have taken these decisions swiftly to strengthen and sustain the event for the future.

We are committed to ensuring that the Eurovision Song Contest continues to go from strength to strength and that all stakeholders, not least participating broadcasters and the millions who enjoy the event, can be reassured of our best intentions to maintain the success of this event that brings so much joy to millions around the world.

Thematic development areas:

EBU Governance and Participation 
This area will look at: clarifying the decision-making responsibilities of the various EBU Governing Bodies as it relates to the accepted list of participants, ensuring a wide range of member opinions are heard; the remit of the governing bodies, and the responsibilities of the ESC Core Team; and the role of the Heads of Delegations and responsibilities of Participating Artists.

Safety and Risk Management 
This area will look at: improving understanding of the ESC rules across all stakeholder groups, including artists, with a focus on simplification, consolidation and improved accessibility; strengthening the existing ESC Crisis Management Protocols; and bolstering our security and cybersecurity provisions in light of increased needs.

Ensuring a general-audience show and broad engagement 
This area will look at: increased collaboration with fan groups, influencers, and media to build broader engagement based on ESC values; and ensure that the ESC continues to be an all-audience show appealing to a broad prime-time audience of all ages.

What are your thoughts on the actions taken by the EBU? Do you believe their thematic development areas for Eurovision will prove effective? Share your opinions in the comments below!

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L’oiseau
L’oiseau
3 months ago

I know that wiwibloggs collaborators do this for free and out of their good will. But please bear in mind whenever you write something and sign it it will be there forever. So if you write something of bad quality it will stay there. This piece is of very bad quality. It only copy paste what EBU wants you to repeat. What are the allegations? What is the content of the complains? What are the findings of the independent investigation?

Matrix
Matrix
3 months ago

Eurovision has become an event where everything is fake. There is no more live music, most of the vocals are on tape and spontaneity is scrupulously avoided. From the first ’till the last second all is fixed. Every smile you see on stage is rehearsed and the jokes made by the hosts are scripted. The applause comes from a tape and even the running order is manipulated. Russia or North Korea couldn’t do it better!

Milan
Milan
3 months ago
Reply to  Matrix

And if the audience dares to react, people in front of their TVs don’t get to know about it.

esc_fl
esc_fl
3 months ago

So there are no changes happening. XD

Han
Han
4 months ago

Let me guess who will be that ESC Director? The last name starts from B and he is Swedish

esc_fl
esc_fl
3 months ago
Reply to  Han

Maybe his name rhymes with Yorkman.

Euro Fan
Euro Fan
4 months ago

And yet MyHeritage would be announced as an official DNA partner which is Israeli.

Iban
Iban
4 months ago
Reply to  Euro Fan

And your computer processor technology (from where you are typing)… is also Israeli… 🙂

Anonymous91
Anonymous91
4 months ago

and we’re supposed to believe that LOL, cancel this contest for good or else

Tony
Tony
4 months ago

Eurovision Song Contest 2024 was for sure one of the worst ever. So many things were so wrong. It can only be better in 2025.

Euro Fan
Euro Fan
4 months ago
Reply to  Tony

2019 was also awful too. There were also many things went wrong in that year such as Hatari’s Palestine flag warned, Madonna’s auto tune, Maruv’s withdrawal, many diaspora votes that made some good songs non qualified.

Tony
Tony
4 months ago
Reply to  Euro Fan

Yes. Eurovision really needs to be restarted.

Darren
Darren
4 months ago

Doesnt really go far enough, but hopefully once the new governing bodies are put in place, especially the EBU Governance and Participation body, things might start to happen.

Iban
Iban
4 months ago

EBU – welcome to consider going back to basics: LIVE orchestra, REAL voices, REAL placement draws, NO “Director’s choices”, and a more economic setting (exp: Lisbon 2018), so more low budget countries can participate (Andorra, Romania, Moldova, Slovakia etc.), LESS sexualized (so it becomes again a Family show). Thanks.

Tony
Tony
4 months ago
Reply to  Iban

I 100 % agree with you.

Emma
Emma
4 months ago
Reply to  Iban

As long as “less sexualised” also includes productions deemed more acceptable as they appeal to straight people, then that’s fine. Too often thinly veiled homophobia is spread under this guise.

Euro Fan
Euro Fan
4 months ago
Reply to  Iban

2018 was one of the most normal contests along with 2021 and 2023.

Sally
Sally
4 months ago
Reply to  Iban

They could easily keep the budget under control if they did one simple thing – one stage setup for all. No fancy effects. Let the acts win or lose on the quality of their songs and performances.

Ern
Ern
4 months ago

They really need to do something about the professional juries.

You can’t have something that comes in 5th place in the televote and 4th place in its semi-final win the whole contest.

Sally
Sally
4 months ago
Reply to  Ern

The contest is supposed to pick out the best song of the year. Popular often doesn’t mean best. “Who Let The Dogs Out?” anyone? Fun song but completely devoid of any real meaning or artistry.

ANDREW BROWN
ANDREW BROWN
4 months ago
Reply to  Ern

Rim Tim Crappy whatever didn’t win, get over it loser.

Eddie H
Eddie H
4 months ago

Can we just go back to a civilised singing competition instead of which act can be the most camp, most sexually deranged, aggressive and who show their bits the most. I want to see how talented people are, not see their sexual fantasies.

Sara A.
Sara A.
4 months ago

anyway, I won’t be following ESC next yr, still too disappoined.

Leo M
Leo M
4 months ago

A lot of words there without actually saying anything

Anya
Anya
4 months ago

Not exactly a revolution, is it.

Sally
Sally
4 months ago

So, basically they decided they need to look at everything some more. . ..

BadWoolfGirl
BadWoolfGirl
4 months ago

https://sverigesradio.se/avsnitt/ebus-jean-philip-de-tendermartin-osterdahl-sitter-kvar

fortunately, it is actually conducted in English, so no need for translation.

Thanos
Thanos
4 months ago

The common denominator of almost everything bad that occured was one: Israel’s participation while they are committing a genoc1de. And their ban from the contest is the only thing that can save ESC at this point.. Anything else is just gaslighting.

Catherine
Catherine
4 months ago
Reply to  Thanos

Israel won’t be banned. And war is not genocide, grow up.

Iban
Iban
4 months ago
Reply to  Thanos

We want music back – NOT politics!! (are you (with your comment) trying sadly to keep politics here – in the wrong platform?). Please don’t!

Thanos
Thanos
4 months ago
Reply to  Iban

There’s nothing political in basic humanity. No one is allowed to whitewash crimes with the contest. And newsflash: Israel’s participation itself is political so the “no politics” stuff doesn’t apply here.

Iban
Iban
4 months ago
Reply to  Thanos

Erroneous dogma… Sorry

Raul
Raul
4 months ago
Reply to  Thanos

Congo . Ruanda . Burma . Syria . Iraq . Kurdistan Afghsnistan . Who cares isn’t it ??? It’s not a wave of fashion … and mal information …. People don’t look in facts! They got Iinformation on tik tok

Darren
Darren
4 months ago
Reply to  Raul

Congo, Rwanda, Myanmar (not Burma), Syria, Iraq etc are not active participants in Eurovision.
Meanwhile other active participants such as Russia were rightfully removed for their actions, but Israel, nope.

Darren
Darren
4 months ago
Reply to  Thanos

Very true Thanos. This is just the EBU trying to look proactive but the common denominator here is fairly obvious and until that is addressed, this means nothing

ANDREW BROWN
ANDREW BROWN
4 months ago

Well as an audience member and massive fan for 60 years here’s my contribution.

  1. bring back the random draw for running order and remove first half second half and now producers choice. This will show non bias and fairness to all competing Countries. I don’t want to hear about similar songs following each other or props. With all the gossiping sometimes of hosts these difficulties can easily now be overcome if time is limited.
Sally
Sally
4 months ago
Reply to  ANDREW BROWN

I agree in principal, and while I wouldn’t lose interest if we ended up with 7 ballads in a row, followed by 6 cookie-cutter dance bops – a lot of people would get bored and turn off, especially the casual fans and those that watch just because “that’s what you do the second Saturday in May.” The ratings will drop, advertisers and sponsors will freak out and then EBU would next year enact some ludicrous ‘solution’ to make the money people happy regardless of the damage it does to the quality of the show. etc etc

BadWoolfGirl
BadWoolfGirl
4 months ago
Reply to  ANDREW BROWN

I propose That the 20 finalist countries get sorted by quarters and that the host and the big five get randomly selected spots to build around. For example, if the six pre-qualifiers are randomly drawn to position one, six, 10, 13, 19, 22, then the rest of the countries are allocated in these quarters with The remaining positions opened: Quarter 1: 2-5, 7 Quarter 2: 8-9, 11-12, 14 Quarter 3: 15-18, 20 Quarter 4: 21, 23-26 After the allocation, the producers can organize the songs however they want, but only within the quarters and six spots already selected. I think… Read more »

Alex
Alex
4 months ago

I’m impressed. They’ve managed to master the art of saying a lot and nothing at the same time.

ANDREW BROWN
ANDREW BROWN
4 months ago
Reply to  Alex

I was thinking exactly the same!

Alex
Alex
4 months ago

A lot of words with little to zero meaning! With both Moroccanoil and Israel (99%) coming back next year I fear almost nothing will change.

Iban
Iban
4 months ago
Reply to  Alex

EBU statement is related to music – yours – clearly to politics!! (not welcome). Hence – If you stop the political agenda, you’ll fear less…..Music is what we want, NOT politics!!

Smith
Smith
4 months ago
Reply to  Iban

Translation: ” leave Israel alone … ” or “let my eurovision bubble alone … cause I don’t care about anybody but myself…”

Raul
Raul
4 months ago
Reply to  Alex

Let’s vote for Afghanistan Iran Syria Lebanon Yemen etc … all those brilliant free countries should come to Eurovision ! Yeah . No women’s aloud and not lgbt alive ! Yeah . But the main thing is to stop Israel the only ocidental country in a sea of ditactor countries that are all saints and the bullyiers are the Israelis

Darren
Darren
4 months ago
Reply to  Raul

Since when did Afghanistan, Iran, Syria, Yemen participate in Eurovision?

Darren
Darren
4 months ago
Reply to  Raul

Just because it’s “occidental in a sea of dictator countries” doesn’t justify its actions.
Its mono-state facist ideology is also not western either. With Bibi behind the wheel it’s as good as the “dictator countries” you refer to.

For someone who is Portuguese, you really simp hard for Israel

Iban
Iban
4 months ago
Reply to  Darren

And as we all know you already Darren – as Irish, you are very fervent Anti Israel… (right dear? 🙂 )

Darren
Darren
4 months ago
Reply to  Iban

Welcome back B ani

Euro Fan
Euro Fan
4 months ago
Reply to  Alex

I fear that MyHeritage will come back as an official DNA partner that is Israeli…

Iban
Iban
4 months ago
Reply to  Euro Fan

So?…. Would you prefer Quatar Airways as partner? (BTW – they LV supporting LGBTQ++ events 🙂 )