OMSC 31

Online Music Song Contest 31, often referred to as OMSC 31, was the thirty-first edition of Online Music Song Contest, held in Lahore, after Pakistan won the previous edition of the contest.

The Pre-Qualification Round of OMSC 31 occured on the 11ᵗʰ September 2022, the Semi-Finals on the 18ᵗʰ September 2022 while the Final occured on the 25ᵗʰ September 2022. Fifty countries participated in the thirty-first contest, under the slogan “Open Your Mind!”.

Location
After it’s victory in the previous edition, the broadcaster PBC chose to host the contest in Lahore, the capital of the Pakistani province of Punjab, which is also the second largest city of Pakistan. It has a population of over 11,000,000 inhabitants and it is located in the north-eastern portion of the country. It is bounded on the north and west by the Sheikhupura District, on the eastern side by Wagha, and on the south by Kasur District. The Ravi River flows on the northern side of Lahore.

Lahore's origins reach into antiquity. The city has been controlled by numerous empires throughout the course of its history, including the Hindu Shahis, Ghaznavids, Ghurids, and Delhi Sultanate by the medieval era. Lahore reached the height of its splendour under the Mughal Empire between the late 16ᵗʰ and early 18ᵗʰ century and served as its capital city for many years. The city was captured by the forces of the Afsharid ruler Nader Shah in 1739, then fell into a period of decay while being contested between the Afghans and the Sikhs. Soon after that, Lahore eventually became the capital of the Sikh Empire in the early 19ᵗʰ century and regained some of its lost grandeur.

Lahore was then annexed to the British Empire, and made capital of British Punjab. Lahore was central to the independence movements of both India and Pakistan, with the city being the site of both the declaration of Indian Independence, and the resolution calling for the establishment of Pakistan. It experienced some of the worst rioting during the Partition period preceding Pakistan's independence. Following the success of the Pakistan Movement and subsequent partition of British India in 1947, Lahore was declared the capital of Pakistan's Punjab province.

Nowadays, Lahore exerts a strong cultural influence over Pakistan as it's a leading commercial, banking, and industrial centre. Textiles are the single most important industry, but there are many rubber factories, as well as iron, steel, and other mills. Lahore is a UNESCO City of Literature and major center for Pakistan's publishing industry. In fact, Lahore remains the foremost center of Pakistan's literary scene. The city is also a major centre of education in Pakistan, with some of Pakistan's leading universities based in the city. For many years, Lahore was home to Pakistan's film industry, Lollywood, though in recent years most filming has shifted to Karachi. Lahore is a major centre of Qawwali music. The city also hosts much of Pakistan's tourist industry, with major attractions including the Walled City, the famous Badshahi and Wazir Khan mosques, as well as several Sikh and Sufi shrines. Lahore is also home to the Lahore Fort and Shalimar Gardens, both of which are UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

Participants
Fifty countries participated in the thirty-first edition of the contest: fifteen European countries (Austria, Belarus, Belgium, Crimea, England, Germany, Gibraltar, Jersey, Norway, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Spain, Ukraine, Wales), fifteen Asian countries (Armenia, Bangladesh, Iraq, Israel, Japan, Lebanon, Macao, Mongolia, Nepal, North Korea, Pakistan, Philippines, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Syria), nine American countries (Argentina, Bermuda, Canada, Cayman Islands, Mexico, Peru, Puerto Rico, United States of America, United States’ Virgin Islands), five Oceanian countries (American Samoa, Fiji, Northern Mariana Islands, Papua New Guinea, Tuvalu) and six African countries (Botswana, Ethiopia, Malawi, Mozambique, Nigeria, South Africa).

In this edition Botswana, the Cayman Islands, Jersey, Malawi, Mozambique and Nepal participated for the first time.

Other Countries
These countries confirmed their non-participation in the thirty-first edition of the contest:

• Maldives – Television Maldives (TVM) announced on the 29ᵗʰ August 2022 that the Maldives were planning a debut in OMSC 31, after their attempt in OMSC 29. However, it was later confirmed on the following day that the insular nation would not debut in this edition of the contest either, again due to bureaucratic issues.

• Panama – On the 29ᵗʰ August 2022, the Panamanian broadcaster Sistema Estatal de Radio y Televisión (SERT) announced that they were planning a debut again in OMSC 31, after their previous attempts in OMSC 20 and in OMSC 30. However, it was confirmed later on that day that the country would not debut in this edition of the contest either.

• Qatar – On the 28ᵗʰ August 2022, rumours about a Qatari debut in OMSC 31 arose. However, it was later confirmed by Qatar Media Corporation (QMC) that the country would not debut in this edition of the contest denying the rumours spread.