Thunder and lightning it’s getting exciting! Eurovision fever is catching up in the majestic city of Athens as ERT is working round the clock in its quest to find its Eurovision act and entry for Eurovision 2018.

The Greek broadcaster sent out an invite to national record companies in order to submit a proposal with potential candidates for the 2018 Greek Eurovision national final. The key requirement is that the song has to be entirely in Greek with Greek ethno-influence and sound.

The deadline for record companies concluded today and ERT has confirmed to ESCToday that it has received a total of 16 entries from 13 different local record companies for the national final (3 record companies have submitted 2 entries).

Now, a special committee will evaluate all submitted entries and whittle them down to a yet to be determined number of songs which will fight for the golden ticket to Lisbon at the 2018 Greek Eurovision national final.

The record companies

• FeelGood Records
• Final Touch
• Heaven Music
• Kathreftis
• Minos Emi
• Panik Entertainment Group E.P
• Poly Music
• Records On Top
• Satellite Records
• EEMusic Production
• Spider Music
• Vinilio Music
• Spicy Music

Some of the candidates who have submitted an entry to the Greeek broadcaster:

• Areti Ketimé
• Stereo Soul
• Panayiotis Tsakalakos
• Vasiliki Stefanou
• Xristina Salti
• Dimitris Kiklis
• Yiannis Moraitis
• Chorostalites
• Duo Fina

Some of the record companies have decided not to make their proposals public, hence submitting their respective entries in a closed envelope. We will know the official list of competing candidates at the 2018 Greek Eurovision national final after the special jury has made its deliberation.

The Greek broadcaster is expected to disclose the names of the lucky hopefuls by late November.

ERT’s plan or Eurovision 2018

Greece is planning to hold a national final in order to select its Eurovision entry act during the last week of February. The exact date and venue is yet to be determined and confirmed. More information and details regarding the 2018 Greek Eurovision project will be released in due course.

Greece in Eurovision

Greece debuted at the Eurovision Song Contest in 1974 with Marinella and has won the event in 2005 with Helena Paparizou‘s My number one, thus bringing the contest for the very first time on Greek soil in 2006.

The country has been one of the most successful countries in the competition in recent years, having not missed a single Grand Final with the exception of 2016 when it didn’t qualify to the Grand Final in Stockholm.

In 2017, Demy was selected internally to represent Greece at the 2017 Eurovision Song Contest in Kyiv. She made he nation proud with her entry This is love. Despite an extraordinary performance she placed 19th in the Grand Final.

The 2018 Eurovision Song Contest is scheduled to be held on 8, 10 and 12 May at the Altice Arena in Lisbon, Portugal.