Eurovision

I meet Loreen in what I know, from meeting Sam Ryder here last year, is the fleeting habitat of the Eurovision elite – the Langham hotel in central London. Opposite the BBC, it is perfectly placed for the wave of broadcast interviews that ensue, and the ideal environment – subtle luxury in neutral tones – to be totally overwhelmed. The 39-year-old shouldn’t be overawed, though, since she has won before, in 2012, making her the first woman to win twice in the competition’s history.Loreen’s winning entry for this year,…

A ballad about ethnic cleansing was an unusual choice for Eurovision, a competition best known for glam, kitschy pop. But seven years ago Crimean Tatar singer Jamala swept Ukraine to their second victory in the song contest with 1944.It told the story of the deportation of her entire people – hundreds of thousands of women, children and men – from their ancestral home to central Asia on Stalin’s orders.The Tatars’ exile lasted decades, and when they were finally allowed to return, their centuries-long history had been all…

Sweden has won the 67th Eurovision song contest in a helter skelter show that spanned chintzy Europop, anti-war protest and a continent’s support for Ukraine.The Swedish singer-songwriter Loreen started the night as runaway favourite but faced a late challenge from Finland’s wildly popular Käärijä, a fan favourite inside the raucous Liverpool Arena.Her win means Sweden equals Ireland’s record seven Eurovision wins. Loreen, 39, becomes the first woman to win the contest twice, after her anthemic 2012 hit Euphoria.One of…

The European Broadcasting Union, which organises Eurovision, is like the European Central Bank: whenever it’s called upon to make an important decision, you can always rely upon it to make the wrong one, and it’s wholly dependent on the mixture of goodwill and inertia that leads the international community not to go on about it. Its bet is a generalised feeling of “Oh well, it made the wrong call again. Never mind. Better luck next year/next global financial crisis”, and it’s one that mainly pays off. This time tomorrow…

Swedish Singer Loreen Lifts Eurovision Winning Trophy For Her Track ‘Tattoo’ Making Sweden The Next Host Of The Competition ( Photo Credit – Instagram ) Swedish contestant Loreen came first with her song ‘Tattoo’ at the Eurovision Song Contest 2023, beating out 25 other countries to garner 583 points, reports ‘Variety’. Loreen’s win means the contest will likely be held in Sweden next year. Traditionally the winning country hosts the following year’s contest. Sweden was followed by Finland’s Kaarija with 526 points…

Kate Middleton added some star power to the opening of Saturday’s Eurovision Song Contest. During the televised broadcast for the annual music competition that aired on BBC One and Peacock, the Princess of Wales performed piano as part of a pre-recorded introduction ahead of the event’s final performances. She performed a bit of the Kalush Orchestra song “Stefania,” which was the Ukrainian group’s winning entry at last year’s Eurovision. Other musicians to appear at various points in the segment…

Key eventsShow key events onlyPlease turn on JavaScript to use this featureEurovision 2023 – tonight's running orderHere is your running order for tonight, which the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) have handily put on a social media graphic so that I don’t have to type it all out. The show starts at 8pm BST.Ukraine go 19th, the UK goes last. Favourites Sweden and Finland go 10th and 13th. The show opens with Austria’s brilliant song about Edgar Allan Poe, and 25th is Croatia’s utterly and delightfully bonkers anti-war…

After months of planning, weeks of rehearsals and two live semi finals, it all comes down to this – the Grand Final of the Eurovision Song Contest 2023!This year the contest is being hosted in Liverpool, after the UK (who came second in 2022) offered to host on behalf of last year’s winner Ukraine. It has been an amazing party atmosphere in the city all week, and that’s only set to continue this evening as we find out which of the 26 countries taking part – 10 qualifiers from each semi-final, plus Ukraine and the ‘Big…

Bardo – One Step Further (1982)The greatest Eurovision song that never won was One Step Further by Bardo, representing UK in 1982. It suffered from the “year-after-a-winner” curse, following Bucks Fizz’s triumph in 1981 – but in my opinion this should have won and Bucks Fizz should have come seventh instead. In my memory, One Step Further was an exciting tune sung by an enticing romantic duo who sparkled with chemistry. I have deliberately not rewatched it online so it shall remain permanently frozen in my mind: a perfect…

It’s the most exciting, unpredictable, surreal night of television. And this year, it’s taking place in the UK. Let this be your guide for the acts to watch out for, the weirdest lyrics and a bluffer’s guide to the scoring. Now if you will excuse me … ahem … let the Eurovision song contest begin!How we got hereLast year’s winners were Ukraine’s Kalush Orchestra with the song Stefania. It dominated the public vote, receiving a record 439 points (that’s the maximum 12 points from nearly every other country) and 631 points…