ESC Insight’s Unofficial Guidebook
First up is our Unofficial Guidebook to the Song Contest. Published annually, this takes you through each country, their song and artist for the year, historical form, and a bundle of stats, as well as enough trivia and details about the Contest and Liverpool to get you through any pub quiz round.
Edited by Sam Ross, you can download it in popular eBook formats, or as a PDF, here.
How We Are Covering Rehearsals
This year both of the two technical rehearsals for each delegation are closed rehearsals. This allows the performers to make any mistakes in private, to allow delegations to change camera angles and maybe check multiple prop ideas out, all without the intense glare of the Eurovision community pouring over every intricate detail before the performances are ready for the public.
We’d expect delegations to publish details they are happy with, and the official website has a live blog, photo galleries, and short videos so we can all get a flavour of the shows
Given that, we’re going to step back from doing daily reporting from the Eurovision stage during this first week (in the meantime, there are many great streamers out there doing just that). Our daily podcasts will begin next weekend with a recap of the rehearsals, and then we’ll keep you up to date on the live shows, the Semi Finals, the Grand Final, and many of the events around Liverpool.
That doesn’t mean there are no podcasts. Not only do we have the final episode of Juke Box Jury, but we have some great interviews and discussions when you need a break from the livestreaming action!
You can follow the ESC Insight podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, and Spotify. If you have a favourite podcast app, click on this link and then click on the podcast app you like to use. If you want to follow us old-school style, here’s our RSS feed.
Let’s Get Ready To Read
For a start this week starting on Monday May 1st, we have a series of articles on the music of Merseyside. There’s more to Liverpool than a single band.
Yes, we are going to look at the impact of The Beatles, but we’re also going to look further afield than the Fab Four. Merseyside has brought new sounds to the world and countless amazing singers and groups; there’s many a native of Liverpool that has tried to represent the United Kingdom at the Song Contest; and there’s one song that says more about Liverpool than any other song.
And just because we can’t see the stage, doesn’t mean we can’t tell you about everything else about Eurovision surrounding it. From a look at Ukraine at this year’s show to artist profiles, discussions about Liverpool’s hosting and that statistical analysis you love from ESC Insight, we will bring you all that and more over the next two weeks.
Things To Do In Liverpool
This year’s Eurovision Song Contest in Liverpool features not just the nine shows at the Liverpool Arena but as well a whole cultural programme and numerous chances to meet the artists and see Eurovision royalty from years gone by.
We have upgraded our 2022 Events Calendar to try and make the long list of events and activities somewhat digestible for visitors to Liverpool, and we hope to see you out and about with us in town!
You can check out the calendar here.
Eurovisions Academic Programme
ESC Insight is the media partner of this year’s Eurovisions academic conference. Eurovisions is an international conference discussing a variety of topics on and around the Eurovision Song Contest. We’ll have reports from the two days of academic presentations and discussions.
You can find out more about the conference on their website, and you can also attend for free.
…When The Shows Come Around
As for the week after, well that’s when the whole world gets to experience the Song Contest, with the Semi Finals, Grand Finals, and so much more going on throughout Liverpool, online, and on TV and Radio around the world.
We’ll have our daily podcasts, and many of our old favourites will return… you can expect the Spotter’s Guide to take you through each of the live shows, more interviews from the world of the Song Contest, and the Contest has a habit of bringing up its own points of politics and culture that we’ll be sure to address.
Want to get in touch with us? Here’s how.