Greece: ERT kicks off preparations for ESC 2018 with a potential national final

by Sanjay (Sergio) Jiandani 3,011 views

Greece has kicked off its project for the forthcoming 2018 Eurovision Song Contest. Preparations are in full swing in Athens in order to look for the lucky candidate who will follow Demy’s footsteps and fly the Greek flag in Lisbon come May.

ERT, the Greek national broadcaster has confirmed to ESCToday that it has started its first contacts with Greek record companies in its quest to search for the 2018 Greek entry and act. Last September, ERT confirmed to ESCToday its participation at the 2018 ESC in Lisbon.

The Greek broadcaster has approached local record companies and invited them to submit entries/candidates with a potential national final on the horizon.

Record companies have until the end of October to come up with a candidate and entry and present it to ERT. Hereafter, the broadcaster will evaluate and deliberate its plan of action in order to select its Eurovision entry and act for Lisbon depending on the number and quality of entries submitted.

Greece has gone internal for 2 consecutive years and is eyeing to hold a national final in order to select its candidate for Lisbon. ERT will be disclosing more details and information regarding its Eurovision 2018 project 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.

Who should represent Greece in 2018?

There has much speculation recently about who could represent Greece at the Eurovision Song Contest. Rumoured names include Eleni Foureira, Tamta, Kostas Martakis, Helena Paparizou, etc.

Who would you like to see represent Greece at the 2018 Eurovision Song Contest in Lisbon?