Barbara Pravi has confirmed that she filmed her live on tape (backup) performance for Eurovision 2021 yesterday.
France is the latest nation to complete the filming of their live on tape performance for the Eurovision Song Contest 2021 in Rotterdam. Barbara filmed her performance of “Voilà” at the France Televisions studios yesterday, posting this image from the recording on Twitter:
To date the following countries have publicly confirmed that their backup performance has been filmed:
- Austria – Vienna, Austria
- Belgium – Brussels, Belgium
- Czech Republic – Czech Republic, Brno
- Denmark – Copenhagen, Denmark
- Estonia – Tallinn, Estonia
- Germany – Vilnius, Lithuania
- Lithuania – Vilnius, Lithuania
- North Macedonia – Belgrade, Serbia
- Norway – Oslo, Norway
- Portugal – Lisbon, Portugal
- Serbia – Belgrade, Serbia
- Spain – Madrid, Spain
- Sweden – Stockholm, Sweden
- Switzerland – Zurich, Switzerland
This year all 40 acts will need to film a backup performance as part of the many contingency measures the EBU has put in place to ensure the song contest can happen in May no matter what.
Each act can rehearse for as long as they wish for their backup tape performance. However, only three attempts over the course of one hour are given for the filming of the performance which is monitored by the EBU. The participating country can choose which is the three performances is to be used.
Video recordings from all cameras, as well as all audio recordings from mics, are sent immediately to the EBU so that they cannot be tampered with. Each act is filmed as if this was a live show, meaning the performance is one continuous take. The EBU has explained that the backup performance does not need to resemble the live performance in May. All backup performances must be filmed by the 25th of March.
Barbara Pravi will be representing France with the song “Voilà”, after she won the French national selection last January. As a member of the Big 5, France is already qualified for the Grand Final on May 22. Furthermore, the French audience will be able to vote in the second semifinal, along with Spain and the United Kingdom.
Image Source: FTV / Joel Sagat
France was one of seven countries to participate in the first Eurovision Song Contest in 1956. Since then they have participated in every contest aside from 1974 and 1982. Their withdrawal in 1974 was caused by the death of President Georges Pompidou, while 1982’s withdrawal was a result of TF1 declining to enter the contest. France has won the contest on five occasions, the most recent being in 1977 when Marie Myriam performed “L’oiseau et l’enfant”. France’s best result of the 2000s came in 2001 when Natasha St-Pier finished 4th in Copenhagen, Denmark.
