So we’re finally here. It’s only a few hours before the start of the most highly-anticipated moment of many people’s entertainment calendars, and fanboys and fangirls alike are on the edges of their collective seats all over Europe (and the rest of the world). Some of the more dedicated viewers have had the chance to watch the pair of Semifinals, and may already have an idea on who will take the Eurovision crown this year. But between the opening act, the interval, the voting, and the hotly-anticipated performances from the Big Six, there’s something new for everyone this evening!
The Contractually-Obligated Reprise
Want to know why Ell and Nikki skipped singing “Running Scared” during the Winner’s Reunion on Thursday, in favor of an awkward rendition of “Waterloo”? It had to be saved for their obligatory “winner’s reprise”, which will be kicking off tonight’s Grand Final! But the fun doesn’t stop there, no sir! We’ve got glowing breakers, mugham (much to the delight of the home crowd), and all sorts of other tidbits for the eyes and ears. Buon appetit!
Get the Drinks at the Ready!
Some of you might be familiar with the ESC Insight Drinking Game. It’s pretty simple; see pyrotechnics, partake (responsibly, of course)! This might make tonight’s Final a rather precarious endeavor, considering that we’re at the heart of the Land of Fire. We’ll be seeing a hefty dosage of sparks, plumes, and smoke…and after a little while, you might be seeing double!
Why is Anggun Smiling?
Anggun. Photo courtesy of the EBU.
Well, if you were singing a madcap, upbeat number at Eurovision, wearing something that Jean-Paul Gaultier designed just for you, while a trio of gorgeous, shirtless French gymnasts flexed and tumbled around you, you’d be pretty happy, too, wouldn’t you?
Language Nerds, Unite!
The 2012 Eurovision Song Contest features one of the most linguistically-diverse finals in years. Ten of this year’s acts feature languages other than English (and a further eight were eliminated at the Semifinal level). Last year, only eight songs in the Final featured non-English lyrics, and in 2010, only six made it to the Saturday night. We’ve only had one fully non-English winner since the free-language rule was enacted in 1999…will 2012 give us a second?
The Voting!
Unlike the Semifinals, the Eurovision Final features the always-exciting, often-controversial voting. Eagle-eyed viewers will recognize some familiar faces among the national spokespersons. Mr. Lordi will reveal the Finnish votes, 2011 co-host Anke Engelke will take on the honor for the Germans, Sopho 3.0 (lead singer of Eldrine) will give us the numbers from neighboring Georgia, and for Sweden’s tally, we’ll hear from Sarah Dawn Finer (or will it be Lynda Woodruff?). It’s almost like a High School Reunion, only you actually *want* to hear from these people!
Other moments to watch out for: the pitch-perfect, chill-inducing performances from nations like Estonia and Spain, playing “hide and seek” with the Cypriot and Swedish backing singers, and some interesting choices of postcards before some of the performances (after all, how can you follow up using the “Azerbaijan: Holy Land” postcard for Israel?).