The EBU announced that Belarusian Member BTRC will host the 16th Junior Eurovision Song Contest (JESC) in Minsk in 2018.

To ensure the longevity of the Contest and allow more time to prepare the event, the JESC Steering Group decided to remove a clause in the rules that gave the winning broadcaster first refusal to host. Earlier this year EBU Members were given the opportunity to apply to host JESC 2018 and BTRC's application was judged to be the best.

It will be the second time that the Contest will take place in Minsk, following BTRC’s hosting in the Belarusian capital in 2010.

Belarus has taken part in every Junior Eurovision Song Contest since the competition was created in 2003. The country has a very successful record, winning in both 2005 with Ksenia Sitnik and 2007 with Alexey Zhigalkovich.

Jon Ola Sand, the EBU’s Head of Live Events said: “The rule change to allow a host for next year’s competition to be chosen earlier not only gives the host broadcaster longer to prepare what is a huge production but also protects the future of the Junior Eurovision Song Contest.

"We are therefore delighted to announce, before we gather in Tbilisi for the 2017 competition, that BTRC will be the host broadcaster of the 2018 Junior Eurovision Song Contest. BTRC’s application to host was extremely strong, and we have full confidence that they will put the same enthusiasm into the preparations of next year’s event.”