EU R OVISION INTERESTING TIMES

Only seven countries competed in 1956: in fact, the United Kingdom did not compete till the year after. Initially, each country could sing two songs, accompanied by an orchestra and with a severe lack of pyrotechnics. Switzerland was the first ever winner, with the country not winning again until 1988. It was first called the “Eurovision Song Contest Grand Prix,” but the Grand Prix was dropped in 1968 marking the birth of the name we all know and love. Since 1956, there have been over 1,500 entries into the contest and 52 countries competing. As ABBA say in their winning song ‘Waterloo,’ we “couldn’t escape if (we) wanted to.”

It is hard to narrow down the most iconic Eurovision moments. There have been many performances that show pure talent. For example, the 2009 Norwegian winner Rybak, who managed to sing and play the violin (he has made six appearances on the show since his win making him a true Eurovision hero). There have been plenty of celebrity acts that bring star power and showbiz to the stage, including the Canadian singer Celine Dion who represented Switzerland (an obvious choice). Most importantly, there are moments that make Eurovision what it is today; from success to Verka Serduchka dressing up as a disco ball and managing to sell six hundred thousand records. Speaking of big sellers, some Eurovision songs have gone on to become extremely successful. 2019 winner Duncan Lawrence’s song ‘Arcade’ has over 450 million streams. The 1996 entry for the United Kingdom was nominated for a Grammy after only placing eighth in the contest. If all these musical successes are not satisfying enough, there is always the knowledge that the 1970 Irish winner, Dana, went on the serve as the Irish president, to show us that Eurovision is the home of triumph.

“Although Eurovision is meant to be a show of unity, an apolitical showcase of music and fun, it is anything

Although Eurovision is meant to be a show of unity, an apolitical showcase of music and fun, it is anything but. In fact, the Eurovision stage has turned into a political playground multiple times despite Rule 2.6 “no participant should...use [the show] for political ends”. The Ukraine/ Russia conflict will be in the forefront of everyone’s minds this year, but Eurovision has a longer history of politics on stage than you might think. In 2009, Georgia’s entry was denied due to a mention of Vladimir Putin, and in 2015 Armenia had to modify a reference to the 1915 genocide in their song. Furthermore, to the outrage of Russian officials, Ukraine’s previous win in 2016 was confirmed by the singer as a criticism of Russian annexation in 2014. Due to the current conflict, Russia was officially banned from competing in May last year. A year has passed since Ukraine won and we all wished the situation in Ukraine would have changed by now. Nevertheless, both sides have viewed this Eurovision as a chance for Europe to recognise Ukrainian culture and people as valuable and not merely conflict-ridden.

“Still, this year feels special. A buzz has been created around Eurovision once again through Ryder’s popularity and our role in hosting. Perhaps, the nation can be content with regaining our love for Eurovision rather than regaining the trophy.”

The question on the mind of our nation is: how does the politics of Eurovision affect the UK’s chances of winning? If we look back at our track record, we could try to make a prediction. In 1997, with notorious Europhile Tony Blair in charge, we held the trophy for (possibly) the last time. Our fall from grace started in 2003, after the UK’s involvement in the Iraq war. This would be the first time we were awarded the dreaded nil points. This would happen again in the first post-Brexit contest. Who knows if a few hundred more points in 2016 would have changed the Brexit referendum? Unfortunately, by 2022 it was too late to dwell on that. It felt as if our future was set at the bottom of the leaderboard for all time. Now, Sam Ryder has given us hope. Maybe. We are unlikely to get nil points or come last. We probably won’t win. Still, this year feels special. A buzz has been created around Eurovision once again through Ryder’s popularity and our role in hosting. Perhaps, the nation can be content with regaining our love for Eurovision rather than regaining the trophy. We can be proud of ourselves if we win or not (as long as we beat Australia ‘cause that’s embarrassing).

Eurovision may have started as a post-World War Two show of amity between countries, but it has transformed into an international sensation. It has spawned into a successful Junior Eurovision Song Contest, as well as twenty-five other associated contests, including the short-lived Eurovision Dance Contest of 2007 (ultimately won by Poland). It may be the last great show of unity between our continent (plus Australia and Israel). Unfortunately, with the release of the 2020 Netflix film ‘Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga’ and the 2022 American Song Contest, I fear a dark future for the show. A message needs to be sent to the USA: we will not let Eurovision be Americanised. It may be a mess, but it is our mess, and it makes us proud to be part of Europe. Ending on a quote by Terry Wogan: “it’s supposed to be bad. And the worse it is, the more fun it is.”

Ending on a quote by Terry Wogan: “It’ s supposed to be bad. And the worse it is, the more fun it is.”