France: France 2 confirms participation in ESC 2016

by Sanjay (Sergio) Jiandani 4,118 views

France 2, the French national broadcaster has confirmed to ESCToday that France will participate at the forthcoming  2016 Eurovision Song Contest in Sweden next year.

After the mediatic frenzy in France after France’s poor results at the 2015 Eurovision Song Contest and media speculation that France might withdraw from the competition, ESCToday decided to contact the French broadcaster in order to clarify the matter.

France Televisions has confirmed to ESCToday that France will indeed compete in the forthcoming 2016 Eurovision Song Contest in Sweden in the coming year. Thus it is the 2nd BIG 5 country to confirm its participation in the upcoming contest.

France is the 10th country to join the 2016 Eurovision bandwagon, thus joining Latvia, Estonia, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Germany and Beligium, all who have confirmed their presence at the 61st Eurovision Song Contest.

In 2015 France 2 took over the Eurovision baton from France 3 and opted for an internal selection in order to select its Eurovision entry and act for Vienna. Lisa Angell was given the honour to represent France with her ballad N’oubliez pas.

It is yet unclear how France 2 will select its 2016 Eurovision entry and act. More details and information regarding the 2016 French Eurovision project will be revealed in the coming months.

France is one of the founder countries of the Eurovision Song Contest, having debuted in the very first contest in 1956. The French nation has won the event 5 times: 1958, 1960, 1962, 1969, 1977. France has hosted the Eurovision the contest on 3 occasions : Cannes (1959,1961) and Paris (1978).

The preliminary dates for the 2016 Eurovision Song Contest have been set on on 10, 12 and 14 May.

Stay tuned to ESCToday for the latest news on France and the 2016 Eurovision Song Contest.