Selectia Nationala 2018 to include five semifinals and a grand final in six different Romanian cities

“Eurovision unites Romania” is the banner and yes, Romania is going big with their national selection Selectia Nationala 2018. The selection will consist of 6 shows in total, in six different cities across the country. Not unlike the famous Melodifestivalen, Sweden’s national selection.

Selectia Nationala 2018

As reported earlier, Romania will be present in Eurovision Song Contest 2018 in Lisbon.
According to the national broadcaster TVR, the submission period for Selectia Nationala 2018 kicks-off in mid-November and will run until the middle of December. A committee will then evaluate the submitted entries and select those who will compete in the semifinals.
The semifinals will be held in five different cities across the country, while the final is expected to take place in February in Bucharest.
However, we don’t know the cities that will host the semi-finals yet.

“Eurovision unites Romania”

TVR’s board of directors approved the timetable for the work, as well as the team for the Eurovision 2018 project. The head of the mission will be Iuliana Marciuc.
TVR officials explained that the aim with the expanded national selection process across the country, is to celebrate the 100^th anniversary of the country’s biggest expansion, when the regions of Bessarabia, Bukovina and Transylvania united into the Kingdom of Romania after the first Balkan wars and the First World War.
TVR will participate in celebrations with various anniversary programs, wishing to bring citizens close to the various events they will organize, with Eurovision being among them.

Mihai Traistariu to make a comeback?

Romanian representative from 2006, Mihai Traistariu seems ready to return to Selectia Nationala 2018, being the first possible contestant openly expressing interest.
Through an announcement published in his personal Facebook account, Mihai has already received some songs and continues his search for composers from all over the world.
In detail, the publication on Facebook reads:
“I am pleased to announce that I have already received the first 7 songs for Eurovision 2018 … In December we will pick together the best song. I really want to try again to bring Romania to the top position. So I’m looking forward to suggestions from composers from all over the world!”

 

Romania in the Eurovision Song Contest

This will mark Romania’s 19^th entry in the competition, six of which entered the top 10. Romania has never failed to qualify to the final since the introduction of the semi-finals in 2004.
However, the country has yet to win Eurovision Song Contest having best achieved a 3^rd place twice, in 2005 with Luminita Anghel and “Let Me Try” and in 2010 with Ovi & Paula with their fiery “Playing with Fire”.
After the success of Ilinca feat. Alex Florea’s “Yodel It” which placed 7^th at the Grand Final of Eurovision 2017 in Kyiv earlier this year, Romania is eager to continue in the same path of success and to do things early for the next Eurovision project.
Below you can have a look at “Yodel It” by of Ilinca feat. Alex Florea, Romania’s entry from 2017.

Which cities do you hope to see hosting the events? Are you happy that Mihai Traistariu want to represent his country again ?
Tell us what you think in the comments section below and on all social media platforms at @ESCXTRA.