Following April’s announcement that Eurovision Song Contest Canada will debut in 2023, the European Broadcasting Union has confirmed that the format is also expanding into Latin America. The EBU will once again partner with Voxovation, co-producer of this year’s American Song Contest and the upcoming ESC Canada, to bring this latest edition to life.
Transatlantic partnerships
Eurovision Song Contest executive supervisor Martin Österdahl stated:
‘Following on from the launch of the American Song Contest, and with plans underway for Eurovision Song Contest Canada next year, the European Broadcasting Union is thrilled to be now working with Voxovation on bringing the excitement and magic of the Eurovision Song Contest to Latin America. The unique Eurovision format finds new fans across the globe every year and we can’t wait to expand the brand in this hugely diverse part of the world.’
Voxovation producers Peter Settman and Greg Lipstone added:
‘Fans across Latin America have consistently shown up and showed out for the Eurovision Song Contest brand, and Eurovision Song Contest Latin America is the embodiment of that fervent passion, as well as a continuation of the broad vision we, the producing team, have for Eurovision as a global brand.’
Host city and format details pending
No details have yet been released regarding the format of ESC Latin America. It remains to be seen whether it will more closely resemble the eight-week American Song Contest, the original one-night Eurovision format on which ESC Canada is to be based, or something else altogether. Fans will also be keen to learn more about the voting arrangements, entry requirements and broadcast language(s). Watch this space for further details in due course.
Production teams will now set about searching the region’s top-performing Eurovision markets to find the perfect host city for ESC Latin America. The EBU revealed that Argentina, Brazil, Chile and Mexico had some of the highest viewing figures among non-participating nations for ESC 2022, making these countries likely contenders to host.
Is this the same as Hispavisión?
Spanish EBU member broadcaster Radio Televisión Española (RTVE) announced in May that it was working on a song contest format similar to Eurovision, titled Hispavisión. This contest is set to debut in 2023 in Cartagena, Colombia, with the aim of showcasing music from Spanish-speaking countries as well as possibly Brazil and Portugal.
Hispavisión is not affiliated with the EBU. Rather, it is being produced by the Foro Iberoamericano de Servicio Público Audiovisual, a collaboration between RTVE and the Asociación de las Televisiones Educativas y Culturales Iberoamericanas.
The format for Hispavisión will be based on the old Festival OTI de la Canción, an annual singing competition held between 1972 and 2000 among active member countries of the Organización de Telecomunicaciones de Iberoamérica (OTI).
Latin American artists at the Eurovision Song Contest
Eurovision has been graced by a handful of Latin American contestants over the decades. Most recently, Jeangu Macrooy represented The Netherlands in 2021 with “Birth Of A New Age,” giving Surinamese lingua franca Sranan Tongo its first ever ESC appearance, while this year’s contest saw Cuban-Spanish singer Chanel Terrero secure a podium finish for Spain with “SloMo.”
Are you excited for Eurovision Latin America? Which artists would you like to see take part? Where would you want it to be hosted? Let us know in the comments below! Don’t forget to follow ‘That Eurovision Site’ over at Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
News Source: EBU
Image Source: EBU
