OMSC 33

Online Music Song Contest 33, often referred to as OMSC 33, was the thirty-third edition of Online Music Song Contest, held in Isfahan, after Iran won the previous edition of the contest.

The Pre-Qualification Round of OMSC 33 occured on the 6ᵗʰ November 2022, the Semi-Finals on the 13ᵗʰ November 2022 while the Final occured on the 20ᵗʰ November 2022. Fifty countries participated in the thirty-third contest, under the slogan “A Perfect World!”.

Location
After it’s victory in the previous edition, the broadcaster IRIB chose to host the contest in Isfahan, the third largest city in Iran, after Tehran and Mashhad. It has a population of over 2,220,000 inhabitants and it is located on the plain of the Zayandeh Rud (Fertile River) and the foothills of the Zagros mountain range. The nearest mountain is Mount Soffeh, just south of the city.

Human habitation of the Isfahan region can be traced back to the Palaeolithic period. First under Median, then under Parthian rule, a commercial entrepôt began to show signs of more sedentary urbanism, steadily growing into a noteworthy regional center that benefited from the exceptionally fertile soil on the banks of the Zayandehrud River, in a region called Aspandana or Ispandana.

The next empire to rule Persia, the Sassanids, presided over massive changes in their realm, instituting sweeping agricultural reforms and reviving Iranian culture and the Zoroastrian religion. Isfahan's political importance declined during this period but its military role increased. Its strategic location made it an ideal candidate to house a standing army, which would be ready to march against Constantinople at any moment.

When the Arabs captured Isfahan in 642, they made it the capital of al-Jibal province, an area that covered much of ancient Media. Isfahan grew prosperous under the Persian Buyid dynasty, which rose to power and ruled much of Iran when the temporal authority of the Abbasid caliphs waned in the 10ᵗʰ century. After the fall of the Seljuqs, Isfahan temporarily declined and was eclipsed by other Iranian cities, such as Tabriz and Qazvin. Isfahan regained its importance during the Safavid period and the city's golden age began in 1598 when the Safavid ruler Abbas I of Persia made it his capital and rebuilt it into one of the largest and most beautiful cities in the 17ᵗʰ-century world. The city's prosperity lasted until it was sacked by Afghan invaders in 1722. Thereafter, Isfahan experienced a decline in importance.

In the early years of the 19ᵗʰ century, efforts were made to preserve some of Isfahan's archeologically important buildings. In the 20ᵗʰ century, Isfahan was resettled by many people from southern Iran: especially at the start of the century, and in the 1980s, following the Iran–Iraq War.

Nowadays, Isfahan exerts a strong cultural influence over Iran and is known for its production of fine carpets, textiles, steel, handicrafts, and traditional foods, including sweets. Isfahan is noted for its production of the Isfahan rug, a type of Persian rug typically made of merino wool and silk. There are nuclear experimental reactors as well as uranium conversion facilities (UCF) for producing nuclear fuel in the environs of the city. There is a major oil refinery and a large air-force base outside the city. Isfahan is also attracting international investment: it hosted the International Physics Olympiad in 2007 and in 2020, the Iran-Qatar Joint Economic Commission met in the city.

Participants
Fifty countries participated in the thirty-third edition of the contest: fifteen European countries (Albania, Belarus, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Norway, Poland, Sweden, Ukraine), fifteen Asian countries (Abkhazia, Azerbaijan, East Timor, Iran, Israel, Japan, Lebanon, Macao, Malaysia, Maldives, Mongolia, North Korea, Palestine, Philippines, South Korea), ten American countries (Argentina, Canada, Cuba, Ecuador, Grenada, Nicaragua, Peru, Puerto Rico, Turks and Caicos Islands, United States of America), four Oceanian countries (Australia, Christmas Island, Palau, Vanuatu) and six African countries (Algeria, Burundi, Gambia, Morocco, Réunion, Seychelles).

In this edition Burundi, East Timor and the Seychelles participated for the first time.

Other Countries
• Belize – On the 24ᵗʰ October 2022, the Belizean broadcaster Great Belize Television (GBT) announced that they were planning a debut in OMSC 33, after sending their own delegation to León to supervise and evaluate a future participation in the competition. Despite rumours about ?? being a possible representative, on the 28ᵗʰ October 2022 it was confirmed that Belize would not debut in this edition of the contest.

• Saint Lucia – On the 23ʳᵈ October 2022, Saint Lucia's broadcaster Daher Broadcasting System (DBS) announced that they were planning a debut in OMSC 33. However, it was later confirmed on the 25ᵗʰ October 2022 that the insular nation would not debut in this edition of the contest.