Who will have the spirit of the night for San Marino?

11 acts are in the running to represent San Marino in the 2018 Eurovision Song Contest, the final will take place on 3rd March.

Contributors: Paul Jordan

Posted 24 January, 2018, 18:00

San Marino is holding a national selection for the 2018 Eurovision Song Contest. The format will feature three shows and the final will be broadcast from... Bratislava!

Over 250 entries from 60 countries around the world were submitted to San Marino's national selection for Eurovision 2018. The first show will take place on 9th February with the second the following week on 16th February. The final, to be held on 3rd March, will be broadcast live from Bratislava. In total 11 acts are in the running to represent San Marino in Lisbon:
Camilla North (Norway)
Emma Sandstrom (Finland)
Franklin Calleja (Malta)
Giovanni Montalbano (Italy)
Irol (San Marino)
Jennifer Besky (Germany)
Jessika (Malta)
Judah Gavra (Israel)
Sara de Blue (Austria)
Sebastian Schmidt (Germany)
Tinashe Makura (Zimbabwe)
The format for 2018
In preparation for the shows, candidates attended a songwriting camp, at which each of them developed two songs, with the help of a team of experienced songwriters and producers. Candidates were allowed to contribute ideas to both their own songs and the songs of other participants. 
In the first two shows, the candidates will perform acoustic versions of their songs, and the judges will provide feedback. At the end of the second show, the judges will pick one song for each candidate, of which the candidates will perform a fully produced version in the final. The live performances from the first two shows will be released as an album and as digital downloads on 19th February 2018. 
The winner will be chosen by a combination of jury and online voting. The online vote will open on 23rd February 2018 and extend through to the end of the final on 3rd March. Visit the website for more information about the national selection. 
San Marino at the Eurovision Song Contest
San Marino's first Eurovision participation was in 2008. Since then, the country has made it to the Grand Final only once, in 2014, when Valentina Monetta took to the stage for third consecutive time with the song Maybe (Forse). Last year Valentina teamed up with Jimmie Wilson to perform Spirit Of The Night in Kyiv.
For more information about San Marino's Eurovision journey visit the website of San Marino Radio and Television.