Douze Points: An Introduction to the Eurovision Song Contest

BY ELIZABETH ALEXANDER

Imagine if American Idol and the Olympics had a European child, featured original songs, and somehow was even more glittery and chaotic. That’s the simplest way I can describe the Eurovision Song Contest. You may have watched the Netfix movie about it, and trust me when I say that it’s just as insane as that flm makes it sound. Taking place in a diferent city for a week each year, it’s a musical spectacle for all ages, no matter what continent you’re on.

A brief overview of what it’s all about. Most European countries–along with Israel and Australia, don’t even question it–select an original song and a performer. These songs are released throughout the winter. In May, everyone gathers in the host city (this year, it’s Liverpool, England) to perform their songs. 2 semi-fnals are held on a Tuesday and a Thursday, respectively, where the top 10 of each join 6 automatic qualifers to compete for the microphone trophy in the fnal Saturday show. After everyone performs, a group of jurors vote for their favorites, along with the European public. Whoever gets the most points total wins. You’ve likely heard of a few former winners: ABBA, Céline Dion, and Måneskin have all won.

While the songs are good, ranging from unique folk to polished pop to memorable camp, where the contest really shines are the stage performances in May. Everyone brings their A-game in outfts, stage props, and choreography. For instance, in 2022, Spain’s sensual dance-pop number featured one of the best dance routines in the contest’s history, while Serbia’s avant-garde piece on healthcare captivated audiences across the continent. Other standouts were the UK’s classic rock song and Sweden’s breakup ballad. The big winner was Ukraine, which efortlessly blends rap with Ukrainian folk music. The show has become a worldwide sensation, garnering over 161 million viewers in 2022.

An exciting change has been introduced for the upcoming 2023 contest: Americans are now able to vote! Counted under the “Rest of the World” vote, you can pay roughly $1.08 (0.99 euros) per vote.

Eurovision is the perfect way to spend a boring Saturday afternoon. It’s crazy, colorful, and so much fun, not to mention a great way to fnd new music. I highly recommend tuning in!

Want to watch? Hereʼs how:

Tune into the grand final on May 13th @ 2 PM!

Due to broadcast rights disputes, the show is geoblocked on YouTube in the U.S., nor does it air on cable TV. So if you want to watch, there’s 3 primary options:

Swedish broadcaster SVT does not geoblock their contest livestream. To watch, go to svtplay.se at 2:00 pm on contest days and click on the appropriate stream.

Download a VPN and connect to a European server. This will allow you to watch the YouTube livestream.

If you have Peacock Premium, there will be a livestream of the grand fnal you can watch, featuring commentary from former fgure skater Johnny Weir.