Italy: RAI confirms participation in Junior Eurovision 2021

Italy: RAI confirms participation in Junior Eurovision 2021
Monday, 30 August 2021

  • The Italian national broadcaster, RAI, will eventually take part at the upcoming Junior Eurovision in Paris despite initially having stated that the country would stay out from the competition. 

    Back in July Rai Gulp (children) and for the free VOD service RAI Play, Luca Milano, had confirmed to Eurofestivales that Italy will not participate in Junior Eurovision 2021. Further on the director of Rai Ragazzi - Luca Milano was reached byEurofestivalnews and explained  the reasons behind that decision.

    Despite these initial statements RAI released a new statement according to which the country will be returning to the contest after a year of absence due to the covid-19 pandemic and ambitions to repeat Maneskin's success in the children's competition too. 

    The Italian hopeful will me unveiled in November along with the respective competing entry. RAI also confirmed that the contest will be broadcast live by Rai Gulp and Rai Play on the afternoon of Sunday 19 December

     

    Italy in Junior Eurovision

    The country mades its debut in the competition in the 2014 edition in Malta. The internally selected  Vincenzo Cantiello represented the country with the song "Tu primo grande amore" achieving to bring the trophy on home soil on the nation's first apprearance. That made Italy the second country that won with the debut entry after Croatia's victory in the first edition.

    Italy hasn't missed an edition since then apart from the 2020 one due to the covid-10 pandemic. It's next best placing came in 2016 with Flamma Boccia who came 3rd performing "Cara Mamma' (Dear Mom) . In 2018 the flag flew the duo Melissa and Marco with their entry “What is Love“, which finished in 7th place with 151 points, while in 2019 Marta Viola with "La Voce Della Terra"  at Gliwice-Silesia, Poland gave another 7th placing for the country. 

     

    News Source: RAI/ Eurovoix

    Image: EBU/THOMAS HANSES