EBU: Host broadcaster must allow all contestants to perform live

Broadcasters hosting the Eurovision Song Contest are from now on obliged to “ensure that all the contestants are able to perform in person live on stage in the shows”. The EBU has stated this in a new set of rules, sent today to the participating broadcasters. These broadcasters are at the same time no longer allowed to send delegation members who “have any antecedents likely to prompt the Host Country’s national authorities to deny them access to the Host Country”.

The new set of rules has been publicly released by the German broadcaster ARD. alterations to the rules are the EBU’s specific answer to the actions of the Ukranian and Russian delegation during this past Eurovision season. In the lead-up to the contest, host country Ukraine made it clear that Russia’s artist Yulia Samoylova was not welcome in Kiev. Russia then withdrew from the contest. Both countries would have been at fault under the new regulations.

The EBU also added several paragraphs about the non-political nature of the competition, which was breached by the actions of both Ukraine and Russia. All participating countries will now have to comply with the non-political nature of Eurovision. Jury members as well have to explicitly promise to be impartial.