Junior Eurovision 2018 to be held on 25 November!

It was announced yesterday that the 2018 Junior Eurovision Song Contest will be held on Sunday, 25 November 2018. The contest will be held in the Minsk Arena in Minsk - the capital city of Belarus. Minsk Arena was also the host venue for the 2010 Junior Eurovision Song Contest that saw Armenia win a Eurovision event for the first time.

The slogan for this year's Junior Eurovision was also announced yesterday as #LightUp and it is expected to be used as the main social media hashtag for this year's contest, however, this is yet to be confirmed.

So far, 7 countries have confirmed they will be taking part in this year's Junior Eurovision, including last year's winning country, Russia.

The following countries will be taking part in this year's junior contest:

• Armenia - 2010 JESC winner, which announced it would select its entry this year using the new national final format Depi Mankakan Evratesil.

• Belarus - 2005 and 2007 JESC winner, who finished 5th last year with 149 points which also marked Belarus' ninth time finishing in the top 5 in JESC.

• Georgia - The most successful country ever in the Junior Eurovision, which began its national final a few weeks ago.

• Netherlands - 2009 JESC winner, which hasn't sent a song fully in Dutch since 2012 and Femke's "Tik Tak Tik".

• Poland - Poland returned the contest in 2016, after a 12-year absence. On their first two appearances in 2003 and 2004, they finished last place on both occasions.

• Portugal - Host country of the adult Eurovision this year which returned to Junior Eurovision last year with Mariana Venâncio and "YouTuber" which finished in 14th.

• Russia - Last year's winner, as well as the winner of the 2006 JESC, who will release their JESC 2018 entry on 3 June, less than a month after the adult contest.

Despite rumours that the EBU were calling on Danish broadcaster, DR, to return to the contest, they have denied all claims saying that "Now, never say never, but as long as the show is, as it is now, I'm definitely not going to compete again". Lithuania and the United Kingdom have also confirmed they have no intention in returning to the junior contest.

Kazakhstan, who sent a delegation to the 2017 contest in Tbilisi, also aimed to take part in this year's contest however on 23 December 2017, the EBU said that Channel 31 was not eligible for active EBU membership and therefore would not be able to take part in the contest in Minsk, neither would they be allowed to take part in any other Eurovision events.

Here at WORLDVISIONEWS, we aim to keep you updated on all the latest about Junior Eurovision, as well as all the latest about Eurovision when we hear about it, so stay tuned for even more news about the contest in Minsk in the upcoming months.