Doina Gradea, TVR’s Director General: „TVR’s team has already started the preparations for the contest in Lisbon, so that Romania’s representatives would benefit of all the necessary resources for a proper participation”.

There are only two days more till the Eurovision Romania semi-final in Craiova, and the preparations for the show are almost ready. Before the start for the rehearsals for the third show of the National Selection, the organisers have had a press conference in the Big Hall of Craiova City Hall.

The ones who took part at this press conference were Doina Gradea – TVR Acting Director General, Mihail Genoiu – Craiova city Mayour, Alexandru Boureanu – manager of the National Theatre „Marin Sorescu”, Anca Dindirică – TVR Craiova director, Diana Dumitrescu, Cezar Ouatu – the hosts of the show and Alina Şerban – show host, Green Room and the moderator of the conference.

Doina Gradea, TVR’s Acting Directorul General, has underlined the fact that supporting the artists who will compete for Eurovision is essential: „ We must all contribute in promoting our artists at the international contest.  TVR’ team has already started the preparations for the competition in Lisbon, so that Romania’s representatives would benefit of all the necessary resources for a proper participation”.

About the atmosphere from Craiova, TVR’s Acting Director General has declared that the public here is fantastic and that she wants TVR to organise events in Craiova in the future: „If we were to organise an international final here, even the newly constructed stadium would be too small” , has added TVR’s Director General of TVR at the press conference.

„The Eurovision Romania Final that we have hosted three years ago, was highly appreciated and I hope the Sunday show will be a success. The support of the local people is wonderful and we can feel it at every single event organized here, and I am glad that Eurovision is one of them”, has declared Mihail Genoiu, the Mayor of Craiova city.

„Craiova has the capacity to support a Eurovision show. Here, the culture feels like home, and in the Centenary Year, the local institution have gathered their strengths in order to organise this event”, has declared  Alexandru Boureanu, the manager of the National Theatre  „Marin Sorescu” in Craiova.

Diana Dumitrescu, the actress hosting, together with Cezar Ouatu the semi-finals and the Final of Eurovision 2018, has confessed that it is her first time in Craiova, and the shootings for the show have offered her the possibility to visit the town „Even if we are at our third show of the National Selection, the emotions are the same every single time”, has the star confessed.

For Cezar Ouatu, Eurovision represents a series in which he played several roles and continues, this year with the host role and also the friend role, a friend of the competitors. „There is nothing more important than representing your own country and I want, in the Centenary Year, to be more united and to support our artists on the stage in Lisbon in a more energetic manner”  has Cezar declared.

Anca Dindirică, TVR Craiova director, has talked about the experience of a Eurovision show in Craiova: „I am glad we organise a semi-final in Craiova and also I am happy because Mrs Doina Gradea – TVR’s Acting Director General – is a supporter of TVR’s regional studios. We are Eurovision veterans, after organising three ago, the Final of the contest”.

„I am glad to be here again, after the 2015 experience, when I hosted the final together with Andrei Boroşovici, my colleague from TVR Timişoara.

It is indeed a special event, and I remember I had the biggest emotions from my entire career, in the moment I climbed the stage.” has Alina Şerban confessed. TVR Craiova star will come back as a host at Eurovision Romania in the show organised this Sunday.

The Eurovision Romania semi-final from Craiova, as well as all the other shows of the National Selection, will be broadcast live on TVR 1, TVR HD, TVR International and TVR Moldova, as well as on TVR+, on Sunday, February 4th, from 21.00 hrs.

The next shows will be organised in Turda Salt mines, on February 11th, and in Sighişora city, on February 18th, and on February 25th, in Bucharest, we will watch the Big Final of the National Selection at Polyvalent Hall.

Every Saturday, a day before the shows, TVR 1 will broadcast starting from 22.00 hrs, „Eurovision Backstage 2018 “, a series of live programmes which includes details about the last preparations, warm impressions and photos from rehearsals and from the press conferences organised  before the events. The competitors of each semi-final will offer special moments, performing different songs, others than the ones they have already registered in the contest.