Belgium’s national final for Eurovision 2025, Eurosong, will not have open submissions for the upcoming edition of competition. After Peter van de Veire announced the return of Eurosong last month, the broadcaster revealed that there will be no public submissions for the next edition of the selection.
Looking for the total package
The confirmation of this was revealed when Belgian Pop Idol winner and Sing Again participant Joeri Fransen, revealed on social media their disappointment when asking VRT the mechanics of Eurosong 2025.
As reported by HLN.be, Joeri Fransen mentioned:
I received an answer without having sent in a single note. On what basis is the decision made, I wonder? By the way, I wanted to offer a song for another artist. This is unfair and disrespectful. That’s why I’m coming out with this
Joeri Fransen on submitting an entry for Eurosong 2025
Gerrit Kerremans, General Music Coordinator at the VRT explained the process and explaining the reasoning
We have abandoned the elimination race for ‘Eurosong’, and will no longer, organize preliminary rounds, semi-finals and a final. We have noticed that such a formula is especially interesting for novice artists who could use any exposure, but it deters many established artists because of the possible loss of face. We have also abandoned the formula whereby absolutely anyone can submit a song. In the past we received thousands of submissions and that put too many songwriters to work unnecessarily
In addition, Kerremans also mentions that VRT is taking a different approach to Eurosong 2025, but similar 2023, because the bar is very high, and are looking for artists who can perform strongly live, as well as having a lot of stage experience. VRT have contacted labels, managers and producers to ask if they want to put forward any artists.
This is not the first time that a public submission was excluded from the selection. This was also the case when the return of the selection was announced in 2022, but the reason for then was due for time constraints.
Not to be made public
In the same article, it has been revealed that the artists who were asked were to keep their participation in private and that there is a chance for artists to change their mind:
Everyone was asked not to make their candidacy or information about the competition public. In September, some artists can still decide to withdraw, for example if they have not found a suitable song. Our A&R team (Artist & Repertoire) will then also make a selection, so that some artists will be eliminated and we will be left with the intended number
Gerrit Kerremans on the artists taking part in Eurosong 2025
As for Joeri Fransen’s case Kerremans confirmed that he could still potentially come on board as a songwriter.
He is free to submit a song, which we can then deliver to one of the selected artists. Or by contacting labels yourself, which do have a selected artist under their care
Belgium’s Eurovision Journey
Belgium was one of the debutant countries at the beginning of the Eurovision Song Contest back in 1956. For the first edition, countries could submit two songs, and for Belgium that year, ‘Messieurs les noyes de la Seine’ by Fud Leclerc and ‘Le plus beau jour de ma vie’ by Mony Marc represented the nation. To this day we do not know the final results of Eurovision 1956. Belgium have taken part in 64 Eurovision Song Contests; however, they have only ever won once: in 1986 with Sandra Kim and the song ‘J’amie la vie’, scoring 176 points.
Following an impressive seventh place in 2023, Belgium chose Mustii to represent them with “Before The Party’s Over” in 2024. Mustii scored eighteen points in the second semifinal, placing thirteenth.
Are you excited to see the return of Eurosong in 2025? As always, let us know what you think by commenting below. Also, be sure to follow “That Eurovision Site” on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, Threads and Bluesky for all the latest Eurovision news!
News Source: HLN
Photo Credit: Corinne Cumming/EBU
Rory Gannon 
That Eurovision Site