HistoryData
culture2018

Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2018 — 16th annual Junior Eurovision Song Contest

January 1, 2018

Poland won its first Junior Eurovision title in 2018, with a record 20 countries competing including first-time participants Kazakhstan and Wales.

Quick Facts

Year
2018
Category
culture

Key Facts

Edition
16th Junior Eurovision Song Contest
Date
25 November 2018
Venue
Minsk-Arena, Minsk, Belarus
Participating countries
20 (record)
Winner
Poland – 'Anyone I Want to Be' by Roksana Węgiel
Debut nations
Kazakhstan and Wales

By the Numbers

16
Edition
25
Date
20
Participating countries

Location

Map of Minsk, BelarusMap of Minsk, BelarusMinsk, Belarus

Cause → Event → Consequence

Cause

Belarus was selected as the host country for the 2018 Junior Eurovision Song Contest, having previously hosted the 2010 edition at Minsk-Arena. The EBU coordinated broadcaster participation, attracting a record number of twenty countries, including first-time entrants Kazakhstan and Wales, and the returns of France, Azerbaijan, and Israel.

Event

The Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2018 took place on 25 November 2018 at Minsk-Arena in Minsk, Belarus, hosted by Evgeny Perlin, Zinaida Kupriyanovich, and Helena Meraai. Twenty competing nations performed, with the interval act featuring 2017 winner Polina Bogusevich and the collective song '#LightUp' sung by all participants.

Consequence

Poland claimed its first-ever Junior Eurovision victory with Roksana Węgiel's performance of 'Anyone I Want to Be.' France finished second in its returning year, Australia placed third for the second consecutive year, and Kazakhstan performed strongly as a debut nation, finishing sixth, while Wales finished last.

Timeline Context

Timeline around 201820182015201620172019202020212018 FIFA World Cup — 21st FIFA World Cup, held in Russia2018 Winter Olympics — 23rd edition of Winter Olympics, in Pyeongchang, South Korea2018 Asian Games — 18th edition of the Asian Games2018–19 UEFA Nations League — 2018–2019 edition of the UEFA Nations League2018 Formula One World Championship — 69th season of Formula One motor racingJanuary 2018 — month of 20182018–19 UEFA Europa League — 48th season of Europe's secondary club football tournament organised by UEFA2018 Summer Youth Olympics — 2018 edition of the Summer Youth Olympicsjunior-eurovision-song-contest-2018-16th-annual-junior-eur-2018