The countdown begins. On Saturday, Slimane will perform on stage at the Malmö Arena, Sweden, for the 2024 edition of Eurovision. In front of 200 million viewers, the representative of France counts “ to give everything » to hope to achieve perhaps the first French victory since Marie Myriam’s feat in 1977 with “The Bird and the Child”. Besides, the famous singer believes in her chances! “ I want to tell you here that I love Slimane, his sublime voice and his songs. I will watch Eurovision this May 11 and I will say nothing more: I have been repeating myself for 47 years! But I still hope so. With you, Slimane » said the latest French winner to date, highlighting the beauty of the title “Mon amour”, a text of rupture that Slimane lives with the same intensity in each interpretation. “ It’s a challenge for me, that of starting almost from scratch, facing an audience who doesn’t know me, who doesn’t know my background. That’s also why I wanted to do Eurovision with this song, because I feel like it represents me. I believe it shows me as I am, with everything I have in my heart » he attests in 7 Days TV.
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The famous members of the “Big Five”
For his performance, Slimane did “ the choice of simplicity » with a refined staging, which caused a sensation during the first rehearsals. If, as in previous years, the public should have discovered it on television during the final, a change of rule will finally allow the artist to present “Mon amour” from the second semi-final this Thursday… at which France does not compete. Indeed, the French delegation is systematically qualified for the Eurovision final, unlike the other nations which must go through the semi-finals stage, by attracting national juries and viewers. For what ?
Who is guaranteed to be in the final with Slimane?
In reality, each year, six countries automatically win their ticket to the grand final of the competition, which counts “ a maximum total of 26 participants “. The official Eurovision rules provide a clear and precise explanation: “ There are six guaranteed places, namely one for the producing organization, that is to say the winning member of the previous edition (the “Host Broadcaster”), and the five members that are France, the Germany, Spain, Italy and the United Kingdom (the “Big Five”) “. But what are the “Big Five”? Contrary to a common and persistent error, these are not the five founding countries of Eurovision! When it was created in 1956, the competition was jointly organized by Germany, France, Belgium, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and Switzerland. The United Kingdom did not enter until the following year, in 1957, and Spain participated for the first time in 1961, in the sixth edition.
The members of the “Big Five” are the countries which make the greatest financial contribution to the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), the body which has always overseen the smooth running of Eurovision. The rule was implemented in 1999 and has been running ever since, even if, as the official regulations specify, nothing is set in stone. “ Subject to a decision by the EBU in consultation with the Reference Group, the number of guaranteed places for the Final may be changed depending on circumstances » it is indicated. After Loreen’s victory last year, it is Sweden which hosts this 2024 edition of the competition and obtains its slot for the final. Next to Slimanethe other qualified artists are therefore: Angelina Mango (Italy), Olly Alexander (United Kingdom), Nebulossa (Spain), Isaac (Germany) and Marcus & Martinus (Sweden).
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