Dray – Page 2 – euro-vision.blog

Claude for the Netherlands

Claude is the Dutch entry for the Eurovision Song Contest. The 21-year-old singer will go to Basel, Switzerland, in May next year in the hope of beating the participants from the other 37 countries. The song he will sing will be announced at a later date.

The Dutch singer, who is originally from Congo-Kinshasa, previously expressed his wish to go to the Song Contest. “I feel incredibly honoured that I will be able to represent the Netherlands at the Eurovision Song Contest next year and I still can’t believe it,” he says. “I’m really looking forward to it and can’t wait to let Europe hear the song.”

In recent years, Claude has scored hits with songs such as Ladada (Mon dernier mot) and Vas-y (Ga Maar). The singer usually sings in a mix of Dutch and French. It is not yet known whether his Song Contest entry will also be bilingual. Claude will tell more about his participation in Eva tonight and will also speak to NU.nl later.

The selection committee chose Claude’s entry from 331 entries. The committee wrote in an initial response that his song is “a meaningful, connecting and hit-sensitive song, with international appeal that can effortlessly conquer the hearts of young and old Eurovision viewers”.

In September, Claude was still seen in the AVROTROS program Beste Zangers. Shortly afterwards, he released his debut album Parler Français.

For a long time, it was uncertain whether the Netherlands would even participate in the Eurovision Song Contest. Joost Klein, this year’s entry, was disqualified in May after an incident behind the scenes in which a camerawoman felt intimidated by the artist. AVROTROS filed an objection, but to no avail.

After the edition in Malmö, complaints about the working atmosphere behind the scenes came from various countries. The European Broadcasting Union (EBU) announced several changes in response. For example, fewer rehearsals will be filmed and a safe space will be created behind the scenes for artists where cameras are not allowed.

The Eurovision Song Contest will take place in Switzerland in 2025, after Nemo won this year with the song The Code. Source: nu.nl

Thirty-eight Participants

Next year, 38 countries will participate in the Eurovision Song Contest in Basel. This was announced by the organizing European Broadcasting Union (EBU) on Thursday. This is one more than the last edition, thanks to the return of Montenegro.

The music event will take place in the St. Jakobshalle and is organized by the Swiss broadcaster SRG SSR. Switzerland organizes the song contest because Nemo won in Malmö this year with the song The Code.

Of the 38 countries, 32, including the Netherlands, are allowed to participate in the semi-finals on 13 and 15 May. The draw for the semi-finals is on 28 January. The so-called ‘Big Five’ – France, Germany, Italy, the United Kingdom and Spain – and host country Switzerland are already assured of a place in the final, which will take place on 17 May.

All participating broadcasters will announce their artist and song in the coming months. All songs must be submitted by mid-March.

Earlier this month, Montenegrin rock band NeonoeN withdrew from the Eurovision Song Contest. The group had performed the submitted song CLICKBAIT during a performance in 2023, while entries cannot have been released or performed publicly before 1 September 2024. Source: nu.nl

A Safer Eurovision

The Eurovision Song Contest will look different in 2025 to guarantee the safety of participants. For example, cameras will be banned in more places and rehearsals will take place behind closed doors more often. The organization of the music festival announced this on Tuesday.

This year, the organizer European Broadcasting Union (EBU) received complaints from participants in the Eurovision Song Contest. They allegedly did not always feel safe behind the scenes. Several countries threatened to take measures if the organization did not take action.

In response to these signals, the EBU has now decided to introduce a code of conduct. Everyone who works on the event must sign these rules. This includes artists and their supervisors, but also people behind the scenes and journalists, for example.

In addition, there will also be places in the artist rooms where filming is absolutely prohibited. This was not the case in previous editions.

This year, an incident took place behind the scenes in the artist room in which Joost Klein allegedly got into an argument with a camerawoman. The Netherlands was disqualified because of that incident and the Swedish police investigated. Ultimately, Klein was not prosecuted.

After the incident with Klein, AVROTROS considered skipping the Eurovision Song Contest next year. In a response, the broadcaster stated that it was satisfied with the announced measures. “We see that the EBU has listened to our comments. We will continue to monitor whether the changes and renewed agreements that have been made are being complied with and enforced.”

The organization has also chosen to hold rehearsals behind closed doors. This already happened during the first rehearsals, but artists will be given even more space to rehearse their song without journalists present.

It is not clear whether this will have consequences for the collaboration with TikTok. The Eurovision Song Contest always shares the first images of rehearsals on that platform. It is also not known whether journalists will still be able to attend rehearsals.

Furthermore, a producer will be appointed who will be specifically responsible for the mental health of artists and employees. This producer will be held responsible for a safe and respectful environment.

The Eurovision Song Contest will take place in Basel in 2025, after Nemo won on behalf of Switzerland this year. It is not yet known which artist will participate on behalf of the Netherlands. However, registrations have now closed. Source: nu.nl

First Eurovion 2025 Riot

The first song for the 2025 Eurovision Song Contest has not yet been chosen, and there is already talk of a possible disqualification. Montenegro chose the band NeonoeN last week, but its song Clickbait may not meet the requirements.

The band won the national final Montesong, but footage has surfaced of a performance from 2023 in which NeonoeN already plays the song. The Eurovision Song Contest regulations state that participating songs may not have been released or performed publicly before 1 September 2024.

The footage of the performance may jeopardize NeonoeN’s participation. The band itself responded to the situation via social media. NeonoeN wrote, among other things, that the song had not been released before and therefore would not have had an advantage in the national final. “Whatever the decision about our victory, we will respect it.”

Broadcaster RTCG also shared a statement via social media on Monday. It states, among other things, that a decision about a possible disqualification will be taken in consultation with the organizing EBU. “There will be no hasty decisions.” It is not yet known when the EBU will make a decision on the song.

The Eurovision Song Contest will take place in Basel next year, after the victory of the Swiss Nemo earlier this year. In the Netherlands, the selection committee is currently considering 331 entries. Who will represent our country will be announced at a later date. Source: nu.nl

Ding-a-Dong 50

The fiftieth anniversary of the song Ding-a-Dong will be celebrated in May 2025 with a special musical. Singer Getty Kaspers is among those working on the show. Her band at the time, Teach-In, won the Eurovision Song Contest in 1975 with Ding-a-Dong.

According to producer Hoftheater Studios, the play is “an ode to the Eurovision Song Contest and the iconic winning song”.

In the musical, a presenter launches a new television format in order to find the perfect Dutch Eurovision candidate. But the road to success turns out to be much more difficult than expected. Kaspers plays the chairman of the jury for the program.

Nurlaila Karim and Thomas Cammaert can also be seen in Dingedong – The Eurovision Musical. Cornald Maas can be heard as the voice-over.

Kaspers went into the studio for the show to record a new version of the song. The singer will release this new version in March. The show will also feature other songs that have represented the Netherlands over the past decades.

The premiere of Dingedong – The Eurovision Musical is on Saturday 10 May 2025. The show will be performed six times in the ‘Theater aan het Spui’ in The Hague. Source: nu.nl

Basel Residents Vote Positive

The residents of the Swiss city of Basel have voted by a large majority in favor of public funding for the Eurovision Song Contest in 2025, the AFP news agency reports. The amount involved is almost 40 million euros.

A partial count has shown that more than 66 percent of voters are in favor of using tax money to organize the event. Without that money, activities surrounding the international event would be drastically scaled back.

Switzerland went to the polls on Sunday to vote in a number of referendums. These were about, among other things, highways, housing and therefore the Eurovision Song Contest.

Referendums play an important role in politics in Switzerland. By collecting a certain number of signatures, citizens can request a referendum on bills or important issues, such as in this case the public funding of the Eurovision Song Contest. The result of such a referendum is binding.

The Christian-conservative political party EDU called for a referendum on the Song Contest, because it would be a “terrible propaganda event”. The party believes, among other things, that artists display “occult and satanic messages”.

The EDU is a relatively small party, but the larger party SVP is also critical of the event. The party called the song festival a “big theater with little content and embarrassing self-promoters.”

The Eurovision Song Contest 2025 will take place in May. Last month it was announced that the Netherlands will be participating in the Song Festival again next year. It is not yet known who will represent the Netherlands. Source: nu.nl

Three Hundred and Thirty One

The Dutch selection committee for the Eurovision Song Contest has received 331 entries for the 2025 edition. “A huge and fantastic number considering the short period that registration was open,” AVROTROS announced on Saturday.

The number ensures diversity: the entries include songs in Dutch, English and other languages, ranging from ballads to uptempo and rock songs.

Registration for the Song Contest opened later than usual this year. For a long time it was unclear whether the Netherlands would participate in the edition in Basel, Switzerland, due to the controversy surrounding the disqualification of Joost Klein.

The Europapa singer declined to participate in the upcoming edition and “needs more time to recover”. “I am grateful for all the love and support I have received. But I am still devastated by what happened this year,” Klein said earlier.

The selection committee will consider the entries in the coming weeks and then determine which artist will represent the Netherlands in Basel. While the number of 331 is an impressive result, it is lower than last year’s record number of over 600 entries. Source: nu.nl

Anouk Again

Anouk has sent a song to the Eurovision Song Contest selection committee. The singer said this on Thursday evening during the broadcast of RTL Boulevard.

Anouk says that she was approached by the selection committee for possible participation in the Song Contest. “After that, I immediately sent in a song”, says Anouk.

She has not heard anything from the committee yet. “They can never do that, because they do not want to favor people. I think that there are enough people who could and would possibly go”, emphasizes the singer. “As a songwriter, I also think that the best song should win. I also understand when people say: she has already been.”

Anouk already participated in the Song Contest in 2013 with the song Birds. She came ninth in the final in Malmö, Sweden. She was the first Dutch participant in nine years to reach the final.

The song with which the artist has now registered is a “fairly hard song and not a depressive ballad”. “They’re not birds falling off the roof,” she says, referring to her previous entry.

Anouk also said during the broadcast that she had submitted a song for this year’s edition together with rapper Latifah. But the selection committee chose the song Europapa by Joost Klein. “What I don’t think is nice is that you don’t just send an email saying: unfortunately, you didn’t get it.” Source: nu.nl.

Dutch Participation

The Netherlands will participate in the Eurovision Song Contest 2025 in Switzerland, AVROTROS reported on Wednesday. Joost Klein was asked to participate again, but he declined the offer.

AVROTROS says it has had months of discussions and consultations with the European Broadcasting Union, the organization behind the Song Contest. AVROTROS now has sufficient guarantees “that structural changes will be implemented at the music festival”.

Joost Klein was offered the opportunity to participate again, the broadcaster says, but he ultimately chose to decline the offer. “Registration for new songs for 2025 is now open.”

Klein himself has also responded. “My team and I had everything ready, but it just doesn’t feel right. I am grateful for all the love from all over the world, but I still haven’t recovered from this year. I need to give myself more time to heal.”

AVROTROS previously expressed doubts about participating in 2025, partly because of the disqualification of Joost Klein and the unpleasant atmosphere behind the scenes. The broadcaster still believes that the disqualification of the Dutch participant in Malmö was unnecessary and disproportionate. Klein is the first artist to be excluded from participating while the Eurovision Song Contest was already underway.

The singer is said to have made a threatening gesture towards a camerawoman. The Swedish judiciary decided to stop the investigation into the incident at the beginning of August. The judiciary could not establish that Klein had made his “threatening gesture” with the intention of causing the camerawoman “serious fear”.

The original deadline for registration was 15 September. The EBU had granted AVROTROS an extension until 1 November. Source: nu.nl

Safe Space

Participants in the Eurovision Song Contest will be given so-called “safe spaces” to withdraw. This was reported by the chairman of the supervisory board of the Song Contest to the Swiss newspaper SonntagsBlick. The Song Contest will take place in Basel in May next year.

After criticism of the organization of the last edition in the Swedish Malmö, the European Broadcasting Union, the organizer of the Song Contest, commissioned an independent investigation. This resulted in serious recommendations to improve the event. Many countries, including the Netherlands, filed complaints because of “an unsafe atmosphere” behind the scenes. The organization is now trying to tackle this with safe spaces.

According to chairman Bakel Walden, “a few things” from the previous edition may not take place again. For example, communication will be improved and the event must remain as neutral as possible. “We cannot solve the many wars and conflicts in the world during the Song Contest,” says Walden. With this he refers to the controversy surrounding Israel’s participation.

Walden expects participants to behave “honestly and respectfully” during the Song Contest. It is not yet clear whether the Netherlands will participate in the upcoming edition. AVROTROS has not yet made a decision after Joost Klein was disqualified during the previous edition. Source: nu.nl

Respite

AVROTROS will be given extra time to decide on participation in the Eurovision Song Contest next year. The European Broadcasting Union (EBU) has granted the broadcaster an extension until 1 November, an AVROTROS spokesperson confirmed to ANP.

AVROTROS has been in talks with the EBU for several weeks about the Netherlands’ participation in the Eurovision Song Contest. The broadcaster has previously expressed doubts, partly because of the disqualification of Joost Klein and the unpleasant atmosphere behind the scenes.

The broadcaster still believes that the disqualification of the Dutch participant in Malmö was unnecessary and disproportionate. Klein is the first artist to be excluded from participation while the Song Contest was already underway.

The singer is said to have made a threatening gesture towards a camerawoman. The Swedish judiciary decided to discontinue the investigation into the incident in early August. The judiciary could not establish that Klein had made his “threatening gesture” with the intention of causing the camerawoman “serious fear”.

“The talks are constructive, but still ongoing,” says the spokesperson for AVROTROS about the talks between the broadcaster and the EBU. “To give this constructive dialogue a chance to succeed, AVROTROS has requested a postponement for the decision on participation. The EBU has granted this postponement until 1 November, for which we are grateful.”

The EBU says it is pleased with the talks. “And we sincerely hope that AVROTROS will participate in Basel in May,” says a spokesperson.

The original deadline for registration was 15 September. Countries can then withdraw for a period free of charge. Source: nu.nl

Basel It Is

The Eurovision Song Contest will be held in Basel next year. The Swiss city is allowed to organize the event because Switzerland won the Song Contest earlier this year thanks to artist Nemo and the song The Code.

The Song Contest will be held in the St. Jakobshalle, which has a capacity of over twelve thousand visitors.

The battle for the organization of the Song Contest was between Basel and Geneva until the last moment. The European Broadcasting Union (EBU) has thoroughly tested the proposals of the two cities against set criteria. For example, a location with a capacity of at least ten thousand visitors must be available. The city must also offer enough hotel rooms and be easily accessible. Zurich and a collaboration between Bern and Bielle were previously eliminated.

The Eurovision Song Contest is organized each year by the country that won the previous year. Switzerland received the most points in May of this year with the song and performance of Nemo. The artist won in Malmö, after the Swedish Loreen had emerged as the winner a year earlier.

The Song Contest in Malmö did not go without a hitch this year. Dutch participant Joost Klein was disqualified just before the final due to an incident with a camerawoman. Earlier this month it was announced that he will not be prosecuted for this. Broadcaster AVROTROS wants to meet with the EBU again to discuss the disqualification.

AVROTROS, the broadcaster responsible for the Eurovision Song Contest in the Netherlands, has not yet committed to participating in the 2025 edition. Broadcasters from several countries complained about the unpleasant atmosphere behind the scenes at the event. AVROTROS says it only wants to participate if the EBU changes this.

The 2025 Eurovision Song Contest will be held on 13, 15 and 17 May. The exact dates have yet to be announced. It was recently announced that Montenegro will return after a two-year absence. Source: nu.nl

Letter to the Editor

According to the EBU, the Public Prosecution Service’s decision to dismiss the case does not detract from the fact that, according to the EBU, Klein acted in violation of EBU rules. His disqualification was therefore justified according to the EBU. Unfortunately, it does not state which rule was violated that justifies such a draconian punishment as disqualification.

Continuing to maintain the publicly stated view that Joost Klein committed a disqualifying act is without a doubt a defamatory accusation. After all, anyone who deliberately attacks someone’s honour or good name by accusing them of a certain act with the apparent aim of publicising it commits the criminal offence of defamation. AvroTros could therefore file a complaint of defamation against the EBU.

All the more so now that the consequences of the disqualification have also manifested themselves in the Netherlands and the Netherlands can therefore be regarded as the place where the crime of defamation was committed.

Gerard Spong, Amsterdam.

The above concerns a letter to the editor of de Volkskrant, from the Dutch lawyer Gerard Spong, in which he indicates that the statement of the EBU, without reason for the disqualification, is libel and that an official complaint can be filed against this. I wonder if AVROTOS or Joost Klein will take action on this. Personally, I would consider this a strong action. 😊

Montenegro Returns

Montenegro will participate in the Eurovision Song Contest again next year. The country has been absent for two years, but will be back in 2025. The Montenegrin broadcaster RTCG opened registration for the national preliminary round on Thursday.

Montenegro first participated in the Song Contest in 2007. Since then, the country has appeared in the semi-finals twelve times, reaching the final only twice. Montenegro’s best result dates back to 2015, when Knez finished thirteenth with the song Adio.

During the last participation in Turin in 2022, singer Vladana failed to reach the final. In 2023 and 2024, Montenegro withdrew from participation because the costs were too high.

Before Montenegro became independent, the country participated as part of Yugoslavia and later Serbia and Montenegro.

It is not yet known exactly how many countries will participate in the Song Contest next year and whether the Netherlands will be among them. After Joost Klein was disqualified during the previous edition, AVROTROS stated that his next participation is not yet certain. The broadcaster wants to see changes at the Eurovision Song Contest organizer EBU.

AVROTROS will soon enter into discussions with the EBU about the disqualification. Earlier this week, the Swedish judiciary decided not to prosecute Klein for the incident for which he was disqualified. Source: nu.nl.

EBU stands by disqualification

The European Broadcasting Union (EBU) still fully supports the decision to disqualify Joost Klein from the Eurovision Song Contest in Malmö. The Swedish authorities decided on Monday to discontinue the investigation into the artist.

EBU boss Jean Philip De Tender states in the statement that the Swedish authorities’ investigation was about whether a criminal offence had been committed and not “whether Mr Klein behaved inappropriately and violated the rules of the Eurovision Song Contest”.

According to De Tender, the Swedish authorities’ decision not to prosecute Klein therefore has “no influence” on the decision to disqualify the singer. The EBU therefore continues to support the decision.

The Dutch entry for the Eurovision Song Contest was disqualified in May after an incident behind the scenes of the event. The singer allegedly made a threatening gesture towards a camerawoman.

On Monday it was announced that the Swedish authorities had decided to discontinue the investigation into the incident with Klein due to a lack of evidence. According to the investigators, it cannot be proven that Klein’s action “led to serious fear” or that he “had such intentions”.

Klein’s manager said that the singer is “incredibly happy and relieved” that the investigation into the alleged violent incident has been stopped. “We, as a team, are incredibly happy and relieved that this uncertain period has now come to an end. Finally we can say it out loud: there was never a reason for this case.”

AVROTROS wants to have a meeting with the EBU in the short term, in which Klein’s “unjustified disqualification” will be central.

Joost not Prosecuted

The investigation into the incident involving Joost Klein at the Eurovision Song Contest has been discontinued. The Swedish Public Prosecution Service reported on Monday that there was a lack of evidence. This means that Klein will not be prosecuted.

The Swedish Public Prosecution Service writes that the investigation into a 26-year-old man who allegedly threatened a camerawoman has been closed. The investigation shows that Klein made a movement in which he hit her camera.

According to the public prosecutor, the incident happened quickly and the stories of Klein, the camerawoman and witnesses differ. Therefore, it is not possible to determine what exactly happened.

“Today, the investigation is closed because it cannot be proven that the act caused real fear and that this was the man’s intention,” writes prosecutor Fredrik Jönsson. Dutch witnesses were also heard for the case. Last month it was announced that the Dutch Public Prosecution Service had reported this to the Swedish Public Prosecution Service.

AVROTROS writes in a response that it finds Klein’s disqualification “unnecessary and disproportionate from the start”. “That is now also the case. We are still very disappointed that the Europapa adventure of Joost Klein and the whole of the Netherlands was brutally ended in this way. The next step is to have a meeting with the EBU management about this matter in the short term.”

In May, Klein was disqualified from the Eurovision Song Contest because of the incident, thus making Eurovision Song Contest history: never before had a country been disqualified while the event was already underway.

The singer qualified for the final on behalf of the Netherlands with the song Europapa. On the day of the final, it became clear that Klein was not welcome on the Eurovision stage that evening. The decision led to anger at AVROTROS.

AVROTROS has expressed its doubts about participating in next year’s Eurovision Song Contest, if the organiser European Broadcasting Union (EBU) does not implement changes to its policy. Several delegations complained this year about an unpleasant atmosphere behind the scenes at the Eurovision Song Contest.

Klein himself has not yet shared his side of the story in the media. Since the Eurovision Song Contest, he has hinted several times that he wants to participate again in 2025. For example, during his performance at Pinkpop, he shouted “2025, why not?” and posted “Eurovision 2025” on his Instagram account.

Adjustments 2025

The Eurovision Song Contest (EBU) organisation is making a number of organisational adjustments in the run-up to the next edition. The changes follow the results of an independent investigation into the last edition in May in Malmö, Sweden.

Among other things, a new director will be appointed, who will oversee the work of the show’s current executive supervisor, Martin Österdahl. The organisation announced this in a press release on Monday.

In addition to appointing the new director, the EBU will also focus on clarifying the rules for delegations, working more with fan clubs and influencers and strengthening security measures.

Several participants, including Swiss winner Nemo and Irish Bambie Thug, were critical after the Song Contest in Sweden. The atmosphere behind the scenes was said to have been “very intense”. The EBU was also criticised for the disqualification of Dutch participant Joost Klein after an incident with a camerawoman. In addition, the Israeli entry reported bullying behind the scenes.

AVROTROS says it is pleased that serious recommendations are being made. “It seems that the EBU wants to make serious work of structural changes,” says a spokesperson for the broadcaster. “We will closely monitor whether words are converted into actions in the coming period and will consider our participation in 2025 on that basis.”

No(r)Way

Norway, like the Netherlands, is waiting for the time being to confirm its participation in the next Eurovision Song Contest. Stig Karlsen, head of the Norwegian delegation, first wants to hear what improvements the organiser of the Song Contest wants to implement.

Karlsen told the newspaper Aftenposten that Norway intends to participate again in 2025, but that changes are needed. “We have not yet confirmed our participation,” he said. According to the Norwegians, the outcome of the ongoing investigation into the last edition of the Song Contest is important. “We cannot go into another year with so many conflicts and protests,” Karlsen said.

The Norwegian broadcaster NRK has asked the organiser of the Song Contest, the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), to consider the participation of countries that are in the middle of an armed conflict, such as Israel. “Perhaps such countries that cause noise should temporarily step aside,” Karlsen suggested.

On Thursday, AVROTROS and the NPO announced that the Netherlands will only participate next year if the EBU implements or promises a number of changes. Earlier this week, the European broadcasting association announced an independent investigation into various complaints about an unsafe atmosphere during the event in Malmö.

The last edition of the Eurovision Song Contest in Malmö, Sweden, was an eventful one. For example, some people did not agree that Israel was allowed to participate despite the war in Gaza, which led to demonstrations in Malmö.

Some delegations did not always feel safe or noticed a tense atmosphere. Several countries filed complaints with the EBU and artists, including the Norwegian band Gate, also considered withdrawing.

Doubts

Only when AVROTROS is confident that the Song Contest will be structurally adjusted to “put the artists and their musical message central again”, will the broadcaster consider participating for future Eurovisions.

Earlier this week, the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) announced that it had commissioned an independent investigation into its own organisation.

The EBU did this after complaints about an unsafe atmosphere at the last edition of the Eurovision Song Contest. The Song Contest delegations will be questioned (anonymously) for this investigation.

AVROTROS, like other participating broadcasters, has been asked to cooperate in an investigation by the EBU. The broadcaster has decided to cooperate “with the necessary reservations”.

“AVROTROS believes that a broader, in-depth and truly independent investigation is needed to address structural problems.”

According to the broadcaster, not only the working methods of the organisation and the EBU in Malmö should be investigated by “a recognised and independent research agency”.

AVROTROS also wants an investigation into “the independent role and mandate of the committee of delegated participating countries, the rules, procedures and appeal options for complaints and the increased pressure on the artists and delegations in the run-up to and during the Song Festival”.

The broadcaster still believes that the disqualification of Dutch participant Joost Klein was unnecessary and disproportionate. Klein is the first artist to be excluded from participation while the Song Festival was already underway.

The singer is said to have made a threatening gesture towards a camerawoman. The Justice Department is currently investigating the incident.

The NPO (Dutch Public Broadcasting) agrees with the criticism of the broadcaster. “We support the conditions that AVROTROS sets for a possible subsequent participation”, a spokesperson said. Source: nu.nl

Independent

The European Broadcasting Union (EBU) has ordered an independent investigation into its own organisation, following complaints about an unsafe atmosphere at the last edition of the Eurovision Song Contest in Sweden. Sources reported this to RTL Boulevard and AD.

The independent investigation would consist of (anonymously) questioning participating Eurovision delegations.

The Netherlands made an official report of an unsafe atmosphere in the Malmö Arena. AVROTROS confirmed to NU.nl that there was an unsafe atmosphere in the so-called delegation bubble in particular.

The Netherlands was not the only one to speak out: artists from Lithuania, Switzerland, Portugal, Ireland and Norway, among others, were critical of the atmosphere behind the scenes, which was described as tense. Norway’s entry, the band Gate, told the Norwegian newspaper Aftenposten that they had considered withdrawing until shortly before the final.

The EBU previously responded to the angry reactions in an official statement. The organisation mainly blamed the participating countries themselves. “We find it very unfortunate that some delegations did not adhere to the rules during the event and during broadcasts. We have spoken to various delegations about incidents that have come to our attention. The EBU will continue to talk to the chairs of the delegations and will conduct an evaluation of this Song Festival”, the statement read. Now the organization is having itself investigated after all.

Joost Klein is the first artist in the history of the Song Festival to be excluded from participation while the festival was already underway. The artist is said to have made a threatening gesture towards a camerawoman. The Justice Department is currently investigating the incident.

AVROTROS, the broadcaster that covers the Song Festival for the Netherlands, has announced that it will respond to the investigation at a later date.