No Plans for Return of Eurovision Choir or Eurovision Young Dancers

The European Broadcasting Union has confirmed that it currently has no plans to revive Eurovision Choir or Eurovision Young Dancers.

Eurofestivales reports that the EBU has no plans to bring back two Eurovision contests. Eurovision Choir was last held in 2019, while Eurovision Young Dancers last took place in 2017. The two competitions were both cultural contests, which saw a limited number of broadcasters compete in each edition during their histories.

Eurovision Young Dancers was the third Eurovision contest to be created by the EBU, while Eurovision Choir was first held in 2017 and is the newest Eurovision competition.

Eurovision Choir

Eurovision Choir was last held in 2019 and was cancelled in 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The European Broadcasting Union had attempted to bring the contest back in 2023, when LTV of Latvia was hoping to host the competition. Wales had already selected Côrdydd to perform at Eurovision Choir 2023 in Latvia while Belgium, Latvia, Lithuania and Slovenia had all confirmed their participation.

Eurovision Choir was first held in 2017 and was the newest of the Eurovision branded contests the EBU had organised. The contest saw its winner selected by a three member jury.

The following broadcasters have participated in the contest since its first edition in 2017:

• 🇦🇹 Austria (ORF) – 2017
• 🇧🇪 Belgium (RTBF) – 2017, 2019
• 🇩🇰 Denmark (DR) – 2017, 2019
• 🇪🇪 Estonia (ERR) – 2017
• 🇩🇪 Germany (WDR) – 2017, 2019
• 🇭🇺 Hungary (MTVA) – 2017
• 🇱🇻 Latvia (LTV) – 2017, 2019
• 🇳🇴 Norway (NRK) – 2019
• 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 Scotland (BBC Alba) – 2019
• 🇸🇮 Slovenia (RTVSLO) – 2017, 2019
• 🇸🇪 Sweden (SVT) – 2019
• 🇨🇭 Switzerland  (RTS) – 2019
• 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 Wales  (S4C) – 2017, 2019

The contest was also broadcast by:

• 🇦🇱 Albania (RTSH) – 2017
• 🇦🇺 Australia (SBS) – 2017
• 🇫🇷 France (Arte) – 2017
• 🇫🇷 France (France Télévisions) – 2019
• 🇷🇸 Serbia (RTS) – 2017
• 🇺🇦 Ukraine (UR) – 2017

Eurovision Young Dancers

First held in 1985, a total of 37 countries have competed at least once in the contest, including Canada in 1987. The competition was open to young dancers who are aged between 16 and 21 years old. Each country was represented by either a solo dancer or a couple, who performed a routine of their choosing for the jury. The jury selected two acts to go through to the final round, which is a 90 second dance off. Each dancer was given 45 seconds to perform and impress the judges. At the end of the performances, the judges selected the winner.

The following broadcasters participated in the competition:

• 🇦🇱 Albania (RTSH) – 2015
• 🇦🇲 Armenia (AMPTV) – 2003 & 2013
• 🇦🇹 Austria (ORF) – 1987 to 1989, 1993 to 1995, 2001
• 🇧🇾 Belarus (BTRC) – 2013
• 🇧🇪 Belgium (RTBF, VRT) – 1985 to 2005
• 🇧🇬 Bulgaria (BNT) – 1991
• 🇨🇦 Canada (CBC) – 1987 to 1989
• 🇭🇷 Croatia (HRT) – 2011
• 🇨🇾 Cyprus (CyBC) – 1989 to 2005
• 🇨🇿 Czech Republic (ČT) – 1999 to 2005, 2013 to 2017
• 🇩🇰 Denmark (DR) – 1985 to 1993
• 🇪🇪 Estonia (ERR) – 1993, 1997, 2001 to 2003
• 🇫🇮 Finland (Yle) – 1985 to 2005
• 🇫🇷 France (France Télévisions) – 1985 to 1995, 1999
• 🇩🇪 Germany (ZDF, WDR) – 1985 to 2001, 2011 to 2017
• 🇬🇷 Greece (ERT) – 1993 to 2011
• 🇭🇺 Hungary (MTVA) – 1995 to 1999
• 🇮🇪 Ireland (RTÉ) – 2001
• 🇮🇹 Italy (RAI) – 1985 to 1991
• 🇽🇰 Kosovo (RTK) – 2011
• 🇱🇻 Latvia (LTV) – 1997 to 2005
• 🇲🇹 Malta (PBS) – 2015 to 2017
• 🇳🇱 Netherlands (NOS, NTR) – 1985 to 1991, 1999 to 2015
• 🇳🇴 Norway (NRK) – 1985 to 1995, 2001 to 2017
• 🇵🇱 Poland (TVP) – 1993 to 2017
• 🇵🇹 Portugal (RTP) – 1989 to 1991, 2011, 2017
• 🇷🇴 Romania (TVR) – 2003 to 2005
• 🇷🇺 Russia (RTR) – 1995
• 🇸🇰 Slovakia (STV) – 1997, 2015
• 🇸🇮 Slovenia (RTVSLO) – 1993 to 2017
• 🇪🇸 Spain (TVE) – 1985 to 1999
• 🇸🇪 Sweden (SVT) – 1985 to 2017
• 🇨🇭 Switzerland (SRG SSR) – 1985 to 1995, 1999 to 2003
• 🇺🇦 Ukraine (NTU) – 2001 to 2003, 2013
• 🇬🇧 United Kingdom (BBC) – 1985 to 1989, 1999 to 2005
• Yugoslavia (JRT) – 1987 to 1991

The contest was also broadcast by:

• 🇮🇸 Iceland (RÚV) – 2003
• 🇯🇴 Jordan (JRTV) – 1989
• 🇵🇷 Puerto Rico – 2003
• Serbia & Montenegro (UJRT) – 2003

Image source: EBU | Source: Eurofestivales