The Mayor of Vilnius has promised to organise an open-air Discoteque when next safe to do should The Roop win the 2021 Eurovision Song Contest.
Vilnius the capital of Lithuania and the hometown of the countries 2021 Eurovision representatives The Roop, has promised to organise an open-air discotheque should the group win this year’s contest. The Roop are currently among the favourites to win this year’s Eurovision with their song “Discoteque”.
Since its release, “Discoteque” has gone on to break streaming records and won the Lithuanian national selection by a record margin. To show their support and build on the excitement the local mayor plans to organise an “open discotheque” if The Roop win and as soon as it is safe to do so.
The event would take place outside in the UNESCO-listed Old Town of Vilnius. The outdoor nature of the event will ensure maximum safety due to the lower transmission risk of coronavirus in outdoor settings, while the UNESCO heritage backdrop will make for a truly unique experience. Last summer the city embraced outdoor life, with many businesses setting up outside to continue operating safely. It is this spirit that has inspired the city to plan the open Discoteque.
“There’s not a single person who can’t dance. Dancing is innate; it’s a tool that can also heal scars.” – Vaidotas Valiukevičius lead singer of The Roop
The city hopes this event can bring a sense of normalcy and fun in unprecedented times. With a core message of the group’s new song being about self-expression through the medium of dance, the event will allow residents of Vilnius to repeat The Roop many dance moves.
Last year following Lithuania’s rise as bookies favorites to win Eurovision 2020 both the cities of Vilnius and Kaunas started to even assess the potential to host next year’s contest. However, although the opportunity never arose due to the cancellation of last year’s contest, the city of Vilnius did host a number of countries for the filming of their backup performances. At a local arena, a stage that is reported to be of a similar size and scale to that of the stage in Rotterdam was created. So far it is known this stage was used by both The Roop and Jendrik from Germany to film their respective backup performances.
Who are The Roop?
The Roop was formed in 2014 in Vilnius and is made up of Vaidotas Valiukevičius, Robertas Baranauskas and Mantas Banišauskas. The group describes their music as a cross between pop-rock and indie. The Roop have released two albums; “To Whom It May Concern” (2015) and “Ghosts” (2017). In 2018, The Roop took part in the Lithuanian national selection for the first time and finished third in the final with “Yes, I Do”. In 2020, they entered Pabandom iš naujo! 2020 with the song “On Fire”. The Roop would then go on to win their semi-final and then the final of Pabandom iš naujo with a record number of votes from the public.
Despite not being able to perform at Eurovision in 2020, they still went on to be one of the most-streamed Lithuanian artists of that year thanks to their hit Eurovision 2020 song “On Fire”. “On Fire” was streamed 6 million times on Spotify and its official music video on YouTube was watched over 9 million times.
In late January, The Roop released their song “Discoteque” which they would be entering Pabandom iš naujo 2021 with. “Discoteque” would go on to win Pabandom iš naujo 2021. Since the release of their 2021 Eurovision entry “Discoteque” the song has gone on to break local records for views on youtube and streams on Spotify. The Roop are due to perform in the first half of the first semi-final on May 18th.
Image Source: govilnius/The Roop | Source: govilnius
Lithuania in the Eurovision Song Contest
Lithuania debuted in the Eurovision Song Contest in 1994, however on their debut they finished in last place with nul points. Lithuania didn’t return to the contest until 1999 when Aiste finished 20th with the song “Strazdas”. Lithuania’s best result came in 2006 when LT United performed “We Are The Winners”; they finished 6th in the final with a total of 162 points. Lithuania’s only other top 10 finish came in 2016 when Donny Montell performed “I’ve Been Waiting For This Night” in Stockholm, he received 12 points from the public in Ireland, Norway & United Kingdom.
