Hungary's hungry for Eurovision: National selection for 2018 kicks off

'A Dal 2018', the Hungarian national selection for the Eurovision Song Contest, is under way and will comprise of six televised shows.

Contributors: Paul Jordan

Posted 16 January, 2018, 16:46

'A Dal 2018', the Hungarian national selection for the Eurovision Song Contest, is under way. The 2018 edition will comprise of three selection rounds, two semi-finals and a final on 24th February. The winner will represent Hungary in Lisbon.

The first selection show of A Dal 2018 will take place on Saturday 20th January and be followed by two more selections (27th January and 3rd February). The two semi-finals will take place on 10th and 17th February with the final on 24th February. 
Ten acts will perform during the first selection show of A Dal 2018: 
Ceasefire X - Satellites
Fourtissimo - Kisnyuszi a kalapban    
Király Viktor - Budapest Girl   
Knoll Gabi - Nobody To Die For   
Leander Kills - Nem szól harang    
LivingRoom - Kirakat élet    
Noémo - Levegőt!   
Patikadomb - Jó szelet!   
Süle Zsolt - Zöld a május   
Vastag Tamás - Ne hagyj reményt  
A Dal 2018 kicks off on Saturday, 20 January at 20.30 CET on MTVA’s Duna channel. The show will be hosted by Kriszta Rátonyi and Gábor Alfréd Fehérvári, also known as Freddie, who represented Hungary in the 2016 Eurovision Song Contest.
Meet the jury
The seventh edition of A Dal will feature four jury members: 
 © MTVA
Károly Frenreisz: Kossuth Award winner musician, founder of LGT and Skorpió, eager to discover new compositions by the up-and-coming artists and songwriters
Miklós Both: Fonogram and Budai Award winning composer and folk music expert, reprising his role in the jury
Judit Schell: Jászai Award winning actress with an Artist Excellency Award, a familiar face for both theatre-goers and movie buffs in Hungary
Misi Mező: Guitarist/singer of the band Magna Cum Laude, believes that the unity of voice, music and lyrics is key for a solid performance.  
As in previous years, the audience will take up the role of the fifth jury member; songs can be rated and voted for using the A Dal app. Users will also be able to keep track of the jury and audience votes. Exclusive content will also be available on the official website of A Dal 2018.    
After the show, a follow up programme, A Dal Kulissza, will be broadcast featuring artists and jury members with exclusive insights into A Dal 2018. It will be hosted by Orsolya Pflum and Bence Forró.