Following calls for organisational change in the fallout of Eurovision 2024 in Malmö, the European Broadcasting Union created a new role: Director of the Eurovision Song Contest. And today they’ve confirmed that their search is over and revealed that Martin Green — Executive Producer of Eurovision 2023 in Liverpool — will take the reins from November.
Liverpool was by almost all accounts a huge success — creatively, financially, and organisationally. The contest had to be delivered on behalf of Ukraine and on a condensed timeline, showcasing Martin’s strategic skills and efficiency.
The statement from the EBU, which you can read below, does not mention or include comment from Martin Österdahl, the Executive Supervisor of the Eurovision Song Contest. You’ll remember he faced intense criticism — including from officials at participating state broadcasters — during and after Malmö.
Martin Green joins Eurovision Song Contest in new Director role (PRESS RELEASE)
“With the tremendous growth of the Eurovision Song Contest as an event and brand, the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) has appointed broadcast events leader Martin Green in a new role as Director overseeing the world’s biggest entertainment show.
Green’s track record as an executive producer of major events includes the ceremonies of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, Hull UK City of Culture 2017, the Birmingham Commonwealth Games 2022 and the BAFTA-winning Eurovision Song Contest (ESC) in Liverpool in 2023 on behalf of Ukraine.
“Martin’s experience, strategic thinking and creative energy will be invaluable to the song contest as we get set for the 2025 event and evolve into the future,” said Jean Philip De Tender, the EBU’s Director of Media and Deputy Director-General.
“The creation of this senior role and Martin’s appointment reflect how we’re building on the history and the strengths of a unique platform that celebrates the power of music to bring people together. ”
Green, who was made CBE in the 2017 UK Queen’s New Year Honours List, is currently Vice President of global live events at the entertainment company TAIT. He will start as Director of the ESC in November.
Launched in 1956 as a live broadcasting experiment with seven nations competing, the ESC now attracts contestants from dozens of countries across the EBU membership, a TV audience in the hundreds of millions and global online reach in the billions.
“The Eurovision Song Contest captures the imaginations of people across generations, countries and cultures. It remains a beacon of joy, artistry and diversity – and a testament to the inclusive power of public service broadcasting,” said Green.
“Being asked to lead the event is a dream come true and I look forward to working with everyone involved to take the project and the brand into an exciting future.”
The 69th edition of the Eurovision Song Contest will be held in Basel, Switzerland on 13-17 May 2025. The list of participating broadcasters will be announced by the end of this year.”
Martin Green fills new EBU new role
In July, in an interview with Swedish Radio, EBU Media Director, Jean Philip De Tender, confirmed that Martin Österdahl would stay on as Executive Supervisor. The tasks of the Executive Supervisor will be spread out to more roles, including the new ESC Director.
The ESC Director’s responsibility will be of a more strategic manner, with the Executive Supervisor focusing solely on the production of Eurovision and more hands-on matters during the contest.
Commenting on the controversial events surrounding this year’s contest and what the EBU’s investigation led by an independent expert concluded, De Tender noted:
”When the Eurovision Song Contest started almost 70 years ago, our agreements with the artists were on one page, today they are on hundreds of pages. We need to be clearer and really work to ensure that everyone participating in the event understands what they are getting into.
“The new updated rules do not change anything regarding Israel’s participation, as the rule is still that as long as the broadcasting TV company can demonstrate that they are an independent public service company, they are allowed to participate.
“Eurovision must continue to be a non-political event in the same spirit as the Olympic Games.”
The problem is to ban the child murders from the Contest. Changing ppl with the same disgusting hypocritical anti-human double standard biased pro-sionazi strategy is actually NO CHANGE
Thank you Martin Green for accepting the invitation to lead the ESC. The contest is honoured. Now it is time to look at De Tender’s statement… I like the comparison to 70 years ago, because it is important now more than ever that we remember how the contest started in the first place, and what it took to get it off the ground. However, there are three issues that I don’t see being addressed yet. Some broadcasting TV companies have never really been able to demonstrate full independence from the state (BBC, truly independent? How about state-owned Rai?), so this… Read more »
Give the EBU a few years to catch on. They said the same thing about Russia in 2014.
Russia attacked another country. Banning Israel would be like banning Ukraine. An absolute nonsense and it’s not gonna happen, no matter how much you antisemites cry.
Israel clearly couldnt read the room. No one wanted them there in Malmo after the delegation occupied the contest and terrorized the other contestants. If they dared speak out, they would be silenced with allegations of anti semitism. Thank goodness they locked away Eden and her adams apple in that bed bug infested hotel room.
Two captains on one ship is never a good idea.
Guessing it will be a quiet couple days on Wiwi now than Sinwar is dead, sorry for your loss guys.
AM YISRAEL CHAI
I know a place you could stick your CHAI
Still no article regarding changes in Eesti Laul this year? What happened to this website
YLE also threw hints on their UMK25 roster several weeks ago and still no news about it here, idk what’s wrong but I hope they can sort it out
Still no word about Montesong and their contestants. Why that wiwiblogs?
You hate Montenegro for some reason?
I don’t think they have anything against them, they’ve been underreporting everything lately
Either they are very busy with their own lives, or there’s less people working for wiwibloggs. It’s not the only Eurovision news site online.
True, I didn’t mean my comment in a bad light. Wiwibloggs is still my favorite ESC-related site by far anyways 🙂
It was actually directed towards duxx, not you. Some people can be very entitled
Will he be sitting on the erm Green Room?
Nice to have a room named after you 😀
And a city after you!
LOL!
Does that mean that Martin Green will be in the EBU booth during the live shows? Will he announce something like, “take it away”, or, “you’re good to go”?
Or “juries, let us have our winner”
The contest is NOT a beacon of artistry and diversity if live music is excluded. Sorry, Mr Green.
Jonas, always focussing on the positives – you’ll have to put up with the likes of me from now on, Mr Green. Good luck!
i don’t care about live music
everything the EBU do is good, i am 110% Pro EBU
Yeah please bring live music back. Please.
Seeing as he is a Commander of the British Empire, I feel it appropriate to mention the Chagos Islands. This is not a good look.
I am only half-serious. Still, if he wants to wear that badge of “honour”, then I shall hold him to it.
Ah the last holdouts. So will Chagos be Mauritius or the Maldives? 🙂
Where is article about Montesong participants
All i care about is that Gen•cide state getting kicked out
Why is the forthcoming edition called 69th! It should be the 70th. The 65th was cancelled due to Covid. Even the Olympics acknowledge the editions cancelled due to War.
Huh… very strange. I agree. Probably a bad PR person who only started recently.
The Olympic Games are not really labelled as “editions”, but rather games taking place near the end of olympiads. Regardless of what happens in the world, and the games don’t take place, an olympiad is still observed every four years since 1896, hence why 1916, 1940, 1944 and 2020 are still acknowledged traditionally even though no games took place in these years respectively (Tokyo games delayed to 2021).
Think its sad they are not acknowledging the artists of the 65th addition as a separate entity particularly those who did not come back in 2021.
Just purchased a “Rotterdam 2020” t-shirt, half-price from Eurovision shop
Wonder if it will become worth something in future years as the missing year memorabilia!
Possibly!
Doubt it
I saw someone asked why something is the 69. It sucks… that no-one saw the funny side of that.
I have no opinion regarding this gentleman, but I don’t think the EBU has understood what sort of changes we advocated for, for a whole year now.
EBU saw us beefing with one Martin so they gave us a second Martin to deal with.
I always wished no EasyJet to be allowed as a sponsor by supporting Israel despite the airline is British
What does this have to do with what I said?
So next year double trouble.
Cancel Eurovision 2025 already
LOL, what nonsense!!!
With that state still participating, I doubt we will have less drama in 2025 than this year.
At least, I hope more countries will participate and the Netherlands won’t withdraw.
Just a cancellation needed for Eurovision 2025
You are so delusional! LOL
Also, expecting to be no EasyJet to be there in the future
If he was recently announced, please dump Royal Caribbean, Bailey’s and EasyJet as sponsors
no, we need those sponsors, and we need even more international sponsor deals tbh to make the contest cheaper for poorer nations
Yet, they would be controversial as I said, removing them and changing the other controversial international sponsors, as EasyJet and Royal Caribbean visibly support Israel at Eurovision and the new ones will support Israel too, so I strongly disagree.
Unless his first reform is to kick Israel out of the contest we don’t care
If it’s not banned, several countries start withdrawing and Martin Green would cancel the event
yk that 33 countries are already in and it seems like there will be no withdrawing countries this year, right?
Bet he’s going to replace Martin during the shows to prevent being booed.
I’m not sure if that will work out. He’s still representing a failing organization.