KiKA Unternehmenskommunikation, the German broadcaster for the Junior Eurovision Song Contest, has announced that Germany will participate for a third time after debuting in 2020 and then withdrawing in 2021.
With a delegation from NDR, KiKa produced the first two German entries for the young adult version of the Eurovision Song Contest. The reason for the withdrawal was a “creative break” as reported by Eurovoix, which was partially due to travel warnings issued by the German Foreign Office regarding the then host country Armenia.
KiKa has confirmed on their website that they plan to participate in the 2023 contest, sending a third young singer with the hope of winning their first Eurovision event since Lena’s “Satellite” in 2010. However, Germany’s past performances in Junior Eurovision have not been successful, with Susan Oselaff’s “Stronger with You” placing last in 2020, and Pauline Steinmüller’s “Imagine Us” coming third from last in 2021. In both years, Germany was the first country to perform and struggled to gain points from the jury and online vote.
Despite Germany’s lack of success, KiKa remains optimistic about their chances in the 2023 contest. They have not yet announced how they will choose their entry for the contest, but in the past, they used national finals. In 2020, the selection “Dein Song für Warschau” was used, while in 2021, “Junior ESC – Wer fährt nach Paris?” was used. It remains to be seen which method KiKa will use to select their 2023 entry.
Overall, KiKa’s announcement that they will participate in the 2023 Junior Eurovision Song Contest is exciting news for fans of Eurovision competitions. With Junior Eurovision becoming more competitive every year, it remains to be seen whether Germany can improve on their past performances and win. In 2022, 16 countries competed in the contest, which was won by France with the song “Oh maman!” performed by Lissandro Formica. Alongside Eurovision Young Musicians, Junior Eurovision provides a platform for young singers to showcase their talents and gain exposure on an international level.
France, Georgia, Ireland, Malta, Netherlands, and Spain have already confirmed their participation in the 21st Junior Eurovision Song Contest that is set to be held in Nice, France on November 26, 2023.
