In a press conference offered this Wednesday by France Télévisions, the organizers of Junior Eurovision 2023 have announced more details of the children's festival in its XXI edition. There is already a day and time for this appointment: next Sunday, November 26 at 16:00 p.m., RTVE reported in a statement.

Last year, more than 33 million viewers watched the Junior Eurovision broadcast. A total of 16 countries are participating in 2023: Albania, Armenia, Georgia, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Malta, Netherlands, North Macedonia, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Ukraine, United Kingdom and Estonia. For the latter it will be his first time at the children's festival.

The "heroes" of the future

The Director of Entertainment of France TV and Head of the French Delegation, Alexandra Redde, recalled that one of the objectives of the event is to contribute to discovering young talent throughout the continent: "more than ever, the richness of our culture is an extraordinary force to continue uniting Europe". Junior Eurovision, he said, is an event that deserves all the attention because it brings together the new generations of Europeans. "They are the ones who will have the solutions of the future, the ones who will innovate and build the world," he said.

This idea connects with the festival's motto, Heroes. A word that, according to Redde, makes more sense than ever: "It will give wings to those young people who need it, it will transmit good energies to the children who are still growing and forming and it will encourage them to have confidence". The scenography will also be related to this theme, with a screen shaped like wings to evoke "the desire to fly, to create, to imagine".

The presenters

Olivier Minne and Laury Thilleman will host the event on stage. Minne already presented Junior Eurovision in Paris two years ago and France TV's own Delegation describes this presenter and actor as "the most English of the French". For her part, Thillerman was Miss France in 2011 and has become an iconic face of France TV in recent years presenting musical events such as the Victoires de la Musique and La Fête de la Musique.

In addition, tiktoker Ophenya will be the digital ambassador on social networks throughout the gala. With more than six million followers, it has become a reference for the new generation of young people. He will also accompany the representatives of the different countries in the green room, the room where the artists and delegations are located.

Finally, the voices in France of this Junior Eurovision will be those of journalist Stéphane Bern and singer Carla Lazzari. Both will be the commentators in this edition.

Sandra Valero, representative of Spain

Loviu will be the song that 12-year-old Sandra Valero will defend on the Junior Eurovision stage in Nice. On October 3, RTVE will publish the song and will announce the news of the Spanish candidacy in a press conference that can be followed by RTVE Play.

The French candidate

France TV has also presented the representative of France who will try to follow in the wake of Lissandro in Armenia almost a year ago and will compete to win the mini crystal microphone again. It will be Zoé Clauzure, a 13-year-old artist known for her versions of songs, her collaborations with other French artists and for being a semifinalist in La Voz Kids at only 9 years old.

Zoé will perform the song Cur. It is a song that the French delegation defines as "colorful pop disco" and that, they say, represents victory: "Zoé sings to all the children who have been victims of bullying in France and around the world. It is the victory of sensitive people against envious and harassers. Cur is a luminous hymn that brings people together and gives them hope."

  • Eurovision
  • RTVE