CyBC, the Cypriot national broadcaster held a special press conference today in order to present the 2015 Cypriot Eurovision national selection project.

The 2015 Cypriot national selection process will consist of 10 televised shows. Earlier today CyBC revealed the names of the 60 hopefuls that will compete at the forthcoming 2015 Cypriot Eurovision national final. The broadcaster has also revealed the format of the national selection process: 60 acts will be presented in the 7 televised auditions.  The 60 acts will then be shortlisted to 20 acts who will proceed to the next 2 televised shows- The Eurochallenge Phase. Finally the top 6 acts will compete in the grand final for the golden ticket to Vienna.

The Cypriot broadcaster has confirmed to ESCToday that a total of 9 televised auditions will be aired leading up to the 2015 Cypriot Eurovision national final which is scheduled to be held on 1 February in Nicosia. Hence the 2015 Cypriot Eurovision national selection will consist of 10 televised shows (9 televised auditions and 1 grand final). The 2015 Cypriot entry will be selected via a 50/50 jury-televoting deliberation.

The Cyprus 2015 National Selection Format.

• 7 Televised Auditions- Presentation of 60 acts
  2 Eurochallenge Televised Shows- 20 acts
  1 Grand National Final- 6 acts

The televised auditions will kick off on 7 December. Former Cypriot Eurovision representatives Alex Panayi (Cyprus 1995, 2000), Despina Olympiou (Cyprus 2013), Elena Patroklou (Cyprus 1991) will be on the special jury pannel who will be responsible to select the acts competing in the national final, and will be joined by Tasos Tryfonos in their quest to deliberate the acts.

Cyprus will be back in the Eurovision Song Contest in 2015 after a year’s absence from the event in 2014. Cyprus decided to withdraw from the competition this year due to financial reasons.

Cyprus debuted at the Eurovision Song Contest in 1981 with Island’s Monika and is yet to win Europe’s favourite television show. The Mediterranean island’s best placing at the contest has been a 5th placing in 1982, 1997, and 2004.

The last time Cyprus competed in the competion was in 2013 when Despina Olympiou represented Cyprus at the 2013 Eurovision Song Contest with her entry An me thimase, failing to qualify to the final.

Stay tuned to ESCToday.com for the latest information on Cyprus, the 2015 Cypriot Eurovision national selection and the 2015 Eurovision Song Contest!