Could Silvester Belt be Lithuania’s key to victory?
Lithuania have never won Eurovision before, but their entry, Silvester Belt, will be hoping to change that as he represents the nation in this year’s contest.
The country has previously been represented by Monika Liu, The Roop and Jurij Veklenko, but none have managed to take home the crown.
Could it be different for Silvester Belt?
Who is Lithuania’s Eurovision 2024 entry Silvester Belt?
Age: 26
Instagram: @silvesterbelt
X/Twitter: @SilvestrasBelte
Silvestras Beltė has been singing ever since he was a child, and has been singing professionally since 2017, tapping into the pop, electronic and rave genres.
In 2017, he competed in and later won a Lithuanian reality TV series, Aš – superhitas (I Am a Superhit), and since then has released multiple singles including Enough 4 U, Ar dar matai and Pi-Pa-Po.
He is Lithuania’s first ever LBGTQ+ artist to take part in the competition.
How old is Silvester Belt?
Silvester Belt is 26 years old, having been born in November 1997.
What nationality is Silvester Belt?
The singer is Lithuanian and was born in Kaunas.
What is Lithuania’s Eurovision song called?
Silvester Belt has entered the competition with original song Luktelk, which is about “being stuck in limbo between two stages of barely existing and feeling alive”.
You can listen to the full song below.
What has Silvester Belt said about representing Lithuania at Eurovision 2024?
The singer admitted he never believed taking part in Eurovision would be something that would happen to him.
He told EurovisionWorld: “I saw Eurovision as a dream far away, like something that just wouldn’t happen to me. I mean, it’s a dream for so many artists.”
Where did Lithuania come in the 2023 Eurovision Song Contest?
Lithuania finished in 11th place at Eurovision 2023.
When is Eurovision 2024?
The first of the Eurovision 2024 semi-finals took place on Tuesday 7th May at 8pm, with the second show set to air on Thursday 9th May at 8pm.
The Grand Final will take place on Saturday 11th May at 8pm, taking place at Malmö Arena in Sweden.
The Eurovision Song Contest has faced significant criticism over its decision to allow Israel to compete in this year’s competition in light of the current situation in Gaza and the Middle East, with some fans and members of the music industry calling for a boycott of the ceremony.
Noel Curran – director general of the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), which organises Eurovision – has said in a statement: “We understand the concerns and deeply held views around the current conflict in the Middle East. We can’t fail to be moved by the profound suffering of all those caught up in this terrible war.
“However, the Eurovision Song Contest is a non-political music event and a competition between public service broadcasters who are members of the EBU. It is not a contest between governments.
“As a member-led organisation, our governing bodies – the Eurovision Song Contest Reference Group and the Executive Board – did review the participants list for the 2024 Contest and agreed that the Israeli public broadcaster KAN met all the competition rules for this year and can participate as it has for the past 50 years.”
The artists taking part in this year’s contest have also faced backlash for not pulling out of the ceremony, including the UK’s act Olly Alexander, who signed a joint statement alongside other entrants explaining they “do not feel comfortable being silent”.
“It is important to us to stand in solidarity with the oppressed and communicate our heartfelt wish for peace, an immediate and lasting ceasefire, and the safe return of all hostages,” the statement read. “We stand united against all forms of hate, including anti-Semitism and Islamophobia.
“We firmly believe in the unifying power of music, enabling people to transcend differences and foster meaningful conversations and connections. We feel that it is our duty to create and uphold this space, with a strong hope that it will inspire greater compassion and empathy.”
The Eurovision 2024 live final will air on BBC One and BBC iPlayer on Saturday 11th May at 8pm.