North Macedonia: MKRTV confirms non participation at Eurovision 2024

by Sanjay (Sergio) Jiandani 2,458 views

MKRTV, the North Macedonian national broadcaster, has confirmed that North Macedonia will not compete at the forthcoming 2024 Eurovision Song Contest in Sweden.

Thus North Macedonia joins the list of the countries who have confirmed their non  participation at the upcoming Eurovision edition in Sweden.

The Balkan country will be absent from the competition for a second consecutive year. All is not lost as North Macedonia will be airing the three live Eurovision 2024 shows on MKRTV, thus leaving a glimmer of hope for a potential Eurovision return in 2025.

MKRTV released the following statement regarding its non participation at Eurovision 2024:

Macedonian Radio Television informs the public about its decision not to participate in the Eurovision Song Contest next year, which will be held in Malmö, Sweden.

This decision is in the best interest of the citizens, taking into account that next year, the Public Service, with all its capacities, will focus on celebrating the great jubilee, 80 years of Macedonian Radio and 60 years of Macedonian Television. The activities to mark the great jubilee will take place throughout the year 2024.

MRT will broadcast the event, the two semi-final evenings and the grand final on its services.

https://twitter.com/esc_macedonia/status/1732054855362007047

North Macedonia in Eurovision

North Macedonia debuted at the Eurovision Song Contest in 1998 and is yet to win the competition. North Macedonia attempted to debut at the 1996 Eurovision Song Contest in Oslo with Kaliopi, but didn’t make through the special premliminary audio semi-final.

The country has competed 21 times in the Eurovision Song Contest and has only qualified to the Grand Final on 9 times. North Macedonia achieved its best result in the contest  in 2019 when Tamara Todevska placed 7th in the Grand Final in Tel Aviv.

In 2019 MKRTV opted for an internal selection and selected Tamara Todevska to defend the Macedonian colours at the Eurovision Song Contest in Tel Aviv with her epic entry Proud. North Macedonia won the jury voting in Eurovision 2019 and placed 7th after the combined televoting/jury deliberation, thus achieving its best result in the competition so far.

2019 saw North Macedonia enter the TOP 10 of the Eurovision scoreboard for the very first time. Andrea represented the Balkan country at the 2022 Eurovision Song Contest with her entry ‘Circles‘.

Source: MKRTV/ ESCToday
Photo credit: EBU