"We remain dedicated to protecting the values of a cultural competition which promotes international exchange and understanding," said the EBU.
Stefano Guidi/Getty ImagesRussia has been booted from the 2022 Eurovision Song Contest following the country’s invasion of Ukraine.
“The decision reflects concern that, in light of the unprecedented crisis in Ukraine, the inclusion of a Russian entry in this year’s Contest would bring the competition into disrepute,” the Executive Board of the European Broadcasting Union, which produces Eurovision, said in a statement issued Friday, Feb. 25. Eurovision 2022 is set to take place this May in Turin, Italy.
The EBU board said its decision was based on a recommendation made by Eurovision’s governing body, the Reference Group, rooted in “the rules of the event and the values of the EBU.” The EBU’s Television Committee also supported the decision.
“We remain dedicated to protecting the values of a cultural competition which promotes international exchange and understanding, brings audiences together, celebrates diversity through music and unites Europe on one stage,” the EBU board statement concluded.
Russia has competed in Eurovision since 1994 and has won the contest once, with Dima Bilan taking home top honors in 2008 with the song, “Believe.” As it happens, Russia’s representative at Eurovision last year, Manizha, appeared to come out against the war in Ukraine in an Instagram post shared yesterday, Feb. 24.
“I believe that [the current aggression] is against the will of our people,” Manizha (via Google Translate). “There are Ukrainians in my family too. My daughter-in-law is from Ukraine. My future husband is half Ukrainians. My close friends are Ukrainians. Russia and Ukraine are not just two countries. We are relatives. Any war between us is fratricidal.”
Other prominent Russian musicians have spoken out against the invasion as well, including the singer Valery Meladze, rock musician Zemfira Ramazanova, and popular rapper, Oxxxymiron. Oxxxymiron even canceled six sold out shows in Moscow and St. Petersburg in protest of the invasion, saying, “I know that most people in Russia are against this war, and I am confident that the more people would talk about their real attitude to it, the faster we can stop this horror.”
Smashing Pumpkins are hoping to bring their A Night of Mellon Collie and Infinite Sadness production to the Las Vegas Sphere for a one of a kind performance centered around the legendary 1995 album.
Billy Corgan is stepping away from traditional rock venues and leaning into the world of opera with his large scale A Night of Mellon Collie and Infinite Sadness tour, which transforms the band’s iconic record into a full orchestral and operatic experience.
Even though the group has not officially been invited to perform at the cutting edge venue in Las Vegas, Corgan admitted he would immediately embrace the opportunity.
Speaking with KROQ, he explained: “It’s a no-doubter for us. We just haven’t been asked yet.
“See, if the Sphere came to us and said, ‘We’d love you to do all of Mellon Collie with that production.’ Now, that makes sense to me to do something like that, to build the show around the album.
"Then you have a chance to recast the songs and the music in a different dynamic.”
The performance sees Corgan joined by acclaimed solo vocalists and complete orchestras, reshaping some of Smashing Pumpkins’ most beloved songs into expansive classical arrangements.
The project first premiered in Chicago and received overwhelming praise, with audiences and reviewers applauding the powerful reinterpretations of songs such as 1979 and Tonight, Tonight.
Corgan shared that the experience has become one of the most meaningful achievements of his artistic journey.
He said: “The success of translating Mellon Collie into operatic and classical form has been one of the most satisfying experiences of my life. Where on each of the 7 sold out nights in Chicago, we’d finish within the raucous wave of a standing ovation. So to now take it on the road, and to Europe, too says this magical dream doesn’t have to end.”
The production was developed by Corgan alongside Grammy nominated conductor James Lowe, who added: "It has been so gratifying to discover how the nuances and layers of Mellon Collie reveal themselves in fresh new ways in these symphonic, choral and operatic settings. To now have the opportunity to perform this work in Europe with world class musicians in such important venues is nothing short of thrilling."
The lineup features vocalists Ed Parks, Sydney Mancasola, Zoie Reams, Dominick Valdes Chenes and Dean Murphy. The wardrobe for the production was created by House of Gilles designers Gilles Mendel and Chloé Mendel Corgan.
The upcoming run will include several September performances throughout the UK, Belgium, France and Spain, highlighted by two special evenings at London’s Royal Festival Hall.
