Fun with flags
Fans who know their Bundesflagge from their Tricolores will be pleased to note that the Olympic-style flag ceremony is present and correct at the opening of this year’s final, allowing all of the finalists to fly their national colours and receive a personal welcome from the assembled audience. There’s no avant-garde fashion show this year, but the simplified production still has good energy and arguably looks a little cleaner as a result.
Ukrainian Allstars
As expected, both of Ukraine’s former Eurovision winners get prime slots in tonight’s show. 2004 winner Ruslana proves she’s lost none of her Wild Dances energy in the past 12 years with her highly choreographed opening number It’s Magical, while last year’s champion Jamala showcases her powerful vocals during the interval on new single I Believe In U. Eschewing Justin Timberlake-style international guest slots, Ukraine are taking every opportunity to showcase their homegrown talent – also inviting highly popular electro-pop outfit ONUKA to perform, in collaboration with the National Academic Orchestra of Folk Instruments of Ukraine.
Lucie Jones is hoping to bring the UK a return to the left hand of the leaderboard.
All eyes on the Big 5?
For many of this year’s semi-final qualifiers, having achieved their goal of making the Saturday night show, the pressure is actually relaxed a little. For the Big 5 on the other hand, this is the moment they have to deliver. As a longtime frontrunner, Italy will be disappointed with anything less than victory, while strong rehearsal reviews have given United Kingdom fans reason to feel cautiously optimistic for a left hand finish. France will be hoping to keep momentum after Amir’s success last year, while Germany and Spain are both hoping to avoid the dreaded last place.
Verka, Verka, Verka
Ukraine’s ever-bewildering Su Pollard lookalike and 2007 Eurovision runner-up may not get a full performance slot tonight, but she does get a star turn officially opening and closing the voting, with a little support from her ever-present mother. Ukraine thus establish something of a pattern for turning this small but crucial element of the show into a family affair – in 2005 they invited Heavyweight Boxing Champions Wladimir and Vitali Klitschko to do the honours. The latter went on to become Major of Kyiv. Could a similar future in high office await Verka? Given the current shape of World politics, it’s fair to say that stranger things have happened…
Verka Serduchka will play a small but pivotal role in tonight’s grand final…
A Photo Finish?
For months leading up to tonight’s Grand Final, the conversation has been so dominated by Italy’s Francesco Gabbani that the end result has occasionally looked like a foregone conclusion. However, strong competitors have emerged from Portugal and Bulgaria at the eleventh hour, with Belgium’s global chart success and strong draw also putting them in contention. Those last few televote results are going to be an absolute nail biter, and frankly that’s just the way we like it…