BalkanVision Song Contest 14

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* Participating countries     Countries that participated in the past but not in #14
* **BalkanVision Song Contest**
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The **BalkanVision Song Contest 14** was the fourteenth edition of the BalkanVision Song Contest. The contest took place in Bucharest, Romania, following Romania's victory at the BalkanVision Song Contest 13 in Sofia, with the song "Nu Acum", performed by Ilinca. This was the 5th time that the contest was staged at the Romexpo in Bucharest. 15 countries participated in the contest. Albania, Hungary, Moldova and Transnistria returned, while Bulgaria, Cyprus, Greece, Northern Cyprus, San Marino and Ukraine withdrew.

The winner was host nation Romania with the song "Sub Apa" performed by Lidia Buble. This was Romania's sixth victory and second win in a row. This was also the first time that a country won the contest back-to-back. Republika Srpska placed 2nd for a second consecutive edition, and Serbia came 3rd.

## Location

**Bucharest**

The contest took place in Bucharest, Romania.

### Venue

**Romexpo**, also known as **Romexpo Dome** or **Romexpo Town**, is a large exhibition center and indoor arena in Bucharest, Romania. It is primarily used for exhibitions, concerts, and sporting events. The complex also hosts more than 140 other exhibits and trade shows every year. It is 303,234 square metres (3,263,980 sq ft), houses 100,000 square metres (1,100,000 sq ft) under roof, spread throughout 11 pavilions.

The main construction is very similar to the Tokyo Dome. It is close to other Bucharest landmarks, including the Bucharest World Trade Center, City Gate Towers, and House of the Free Press.

In 2018 it covered an exhibition area of 143,000 square meters. There were over 142,000 participants, including 3,500 exhibiting companies from 45 countries.

### About the host city

**Bucharest** is the capital and largest city of Romania, as well as its cultural, industrial, and financial centre. It is located in the southeast of the country, at 44°25′57″N 26°06′14″E, on the banks of the Dâmbovița River, less than 60 km (37.3 mi) north of the Danube River and the Bulgarian border.

Bucharest was first mentioned in documents in 1459. It became the capital of Romania in 1862 and is the centre of Romanian media, culture, and art. Its architecture is a mix of historical (neo-classical and Art Nouveau), interbellum (Bauhaus, and art deco), communist-era and modern. In the period between the two World Wars, the city's elegant architecture and the sophistication of its elite earned Bucharest the nickname of 'Paris of the East' (Romanian: Parisul Estului) or 'Little Paris' (Romanian: Micul Paris). Although buildings and districts in the historic city centre were heavily damaged or destroyed by war, earthquakes, and even Nicolae Ceaușescu's program of systematization, many survived and have been renovated. In recent years, the city has been experiencing an economic and cultural boom. It is one of the fastest-growing high-tech cities in Europe, according to Financial Times, CBRE, TechCrunch and others. UiPath, a global startup founded in Bucharest, has reached $7 billion in valuation. Since 2019, Bucharest hosts the largest high tech summit in Southeast Europe (Romania Blockchain Summit).

In 2016, the historical city centre was listed as 'endangered' by the World Monuments Watch. In 2017, Bucharest was the European city with the highest growth of tourists who stay overnight, according to the Mastercard Global Index of Urban Destinations. As for 2018 and 2019, Bucharest ranked as the European destination with the highest potential for development according to the same study.

According to the 2011 census, 1,883,425 inhabitants live within the city limits, a decrease from the 2002 census. Bucharest is the fifth largest city in the European Union by population within city limits, after Berlin, Madrid, Rome, and Paris.

Economically, Bucharest is the most prosperous city in Romania. The city has a number of large convention facilities, educational institutes, cultural venues, traditional 'shopping arcades' and recreational areas.

The city proper is administratively known as the 'Municipality of Bucharest' (*Municipiul București*), and has the same administrative level as that of a national county, being further subdivided into six sectors, each governed by a local mayor.

## Format

### Visual design

The theme for the edition "*Be Different*", was unveiled on the contest's Google+ community on the 24 September 2018.

### Presenter(s)

Ilinca and Irina Rimes were selected to host on the 24 September 2018.

### Running order

The running order was made by randomly splitting the participating countries into 2 halves.

## Other countries

Further information: List of countries in the BalkanVision Song Contest
Eligibility for potential participation in the BalkanVision Song Contest requires a national broadcaster with active BBU membership that will be able to broadcast the contest. The BBU had issued an invitation of participation in the contest to all active members.

### Active BBU members

The following countries participated in the 13th edition but confirmed their non-participation without offering any further explanation:

* Cyprus

* Northern Cyprus

* Ukraine