S4C confirms Wales will not compete in the 2022 Junior Eurovision Song Contest
Welsh broadcaster S4C has confirmed on its Twitter account that Wales will not be returning to the Junior Eurovision Song Contest this year.
The reasons for this decision were not provided, but Wales did not take part in 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
The broadcaster also confirmed that it will not participate in the Eurovision Young Musicians 2022 in Montpellier, France this July.
@S4C, good day! Will you debut at Eurovision Young Musicians 2022 and return to Junior Eurovision this year?
— Лаура Ибраева (@laurochka8) February 4, 2022
Wales debuted in the competition in 2018, in Minsk, Belarus. Welsh singer Manw Lili Robin took to the stage to sing “Perta” after being selected through the Chwilio am Seren (Searching for a Star) programme which was broadcast on S4C.
Wales also participated in the Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2019, which was held in Gliwice, Poland. Erin Mai performed “Calon yn Curo” after being selected through Chwilio am Seren to represent her country.
In January there was speculation that Wales might be blocked from entering the Junior Eurovision by the UK’s planned return to the competition.
According to Eurovision IN, the BBC plans to return to Junior Eurovision in 2023, 20 years after the first competition was held, when the UK did take part.
Rumours
The UK has not competed since 2005, which has enabled Wales to enter.
However, if the UK were to return, it is understood that it would be given priority by competition bosses, blocking Wales from entering.
Junior Eurovision Executive Supervisor Martin Österdahl sparked rumours about the UK returning to the singing competition in December last year, during a press conference.
He told France TV and the EBU that the BBC was “close to joining” the contest.
Although Wales has not competed in Eurovision Song Contest itself yet, it has twice participated in Eurovision Choir, taking second place in 2017.
The Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2022 will take place in Armenia, which won the 2021 contest in Paris. This is the second time Armenia has won the contest, the first being in 2010.
To date, Armenia, Bulgaria, Georgia, Netherlands, Poland and Spain have confirmed participation or expressed their interest.
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When I was an advisor at the EU Committee of the Regions we discussed a real Competition of genuine nations across the whole of Europe.
Cymru , Flanders , Catalyna, Gwlad y Basg, Galatia , Sardinia ,Yr Alban , Kernow, Brittany, Corsica etc etc .
The irony is. Britain has never been a country, but we find it’s Wales who are forced out of this competition replaced by this Mickey Mouse entity that doesn’t even represent us an ongoing travesty.
And with that news can guarantee nil poi when little Britain enters Eurovision.
Amser am Annibyniaeth!
.
Wales should compete as a country the UK is finished Wales 🏴 Scotland 🏴 and Ireland 🇮🇪 got to be independent it’s time for a new wales 🏴