Tonight, the Czech Republic hosted the first live edition of ESCZ. Five acts performed in the hopes of winning the ticket to Liverpool to Eurovision 2023, and the voting is now open!
The acts competing in ESCZ are:
| Running Order | Artist | Song |
| 1 | Maella | “Flood“ |
| 2 | Pam Rabbit | “ghosting“ |
| 3 | Markéta Irglová | “Happy“ |
| 4 | Vesna | “My Sister’s Crown“ |
| 5 | RODAN | “Introvert Party Club“ |
ESCZ was hosted by actor and singer Adam Mišík. He was accompanied by Rob Lilley and James Rowe, hosts of the EuroTrip podcast, who hosted the Green Room for the contest. We Are Domi, last year’s Czech representatives, also appeared as guests on the show.
The winning act will be decided by a public vote. The vote is weighted by location, with the international audience vote counting for 70% of the result, and the Czech vote counting for 30%. Votes can be cast through the official Eurovision app, with the support of the official Eurovision partner DIGAME.
The voting window will last a week, ending on Monday 6th February, when the winner will be announced.
Czech Republic’s Eurovision Journey
Czechia made their debut in the Eurovision Song Contest in 2007, with Kabát’s “Malá dama”. However, their debut entry finished last in a 28-song semi-final, scoring only 1 point. Afterwards, this kicked off three consecutive non-qualifications, with their best result coming in 2008, finishing in second-last place. Having withdrawn in 2009 due to poor results, Czechia returned to the Contest in 2015. In 2016, Czechia qualified for the first time with Gabriela Gunciková’s “I Stand”.
In 2022, We Are Domi represented Czechia with their song “Lights Off”. Performing in the second semi-final in Turin, the band qualified for the final – and finished in 22nd place in a field of 25 with 38 points.
What do you think of this year’s ESCZ? Which of the shortlisted artists would you like to see represent Czech Republic in Liverpool? As always, let us know what you think by commenting below. Also, be sure to follow “That Eurovision Site” on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Tiktok as we look ahead to Eurovision 2023!
News Source: ČT
Photo Credit: Maella; EVROPA 2; Markéta Irglová; Zara Wildmoons; RODAN
