An All-Star Ukrainian Opening
Throughout this year’s live shows, the production team have done an excellent job of reminding the audience that Liverpool may be our hosts, but Ukraine were last year’s well-deserved winners.
This trend continues in the opening performance of the Grand Final, which sees Kalush Orchestra kicking things off with a remix of Stefania, followed by GoA, Tina Karol, Jamala and Verka Serduchka performing abbreviated versions of their classic Eurovision hits while this year’s acts make their way to the stage.
The Return of Sam Ryder
Of course, the UK’s Eurovision saviour Sam Ryder also gets a performance slot in tonight’s show, with a little help from Queen legend Roger Taylor. Their performance of Sam’s new single Mountain, has all of the passion and theatricality that helped turn him into an overnight star this time last year. After tonight, his national treasure status seems likely to be assured.
The Liverpool Songbook
Liverpool isn’t known as the music capital of the world for nothing. To celebrate the city’s rich contributions to popular music, six Eurovision legends return to perform some classic hits that originated in and around the city. Mahmood pays tribute to John Lennon, Cornelia Jakobs revives a Mel C chart-topper, Netta spins us round, Dadi Freyr makes us whole again, local legend Sonia revives her 1993 Eurovision belter and Duncan Lawrence brings the house down with a powerful rendition of You’ll Never Walk Alone.
Welcome back Luxembourg!
It’s the news that many fans have been waiting over three decades to hear. Yesterday, the EBU confirmed that Luxembourg will be returning to the Contest next year for the first time since 1993. In celebration of this momentous occasion, the Grand Duchy get a special shout-out in tonight’s grand final, including a reminder of their five victories to date.
The Auto-Qualifiers perform
France, Germany, Italy, Spain, United Kingdom and Ukraine all deliver their first fully televised performances tonight. It feels like a particularly strong year for the so-called ‘Big Five’, with La Zarra, Lord of the Lost, Marco Mengoni, Blanca Paloma and Mae Muller all delivering ambitious, competitive performances. Could this be the first year since 2013 that none of them occupy the dreaded last-place when all the votes have been counted? It feels very possible…
A secret guest star?
Usually by the time this piece is written, the Press centre has been shown more or less everything that the viewers will see on the final broadcast. However, the rumour mill is rife this year that the BBC might be holding back one last very special surprise. Have they managed to land a superstar interval act to rival Madonna and Justin Timberlake? We should be so lucky…
While You’ll Never Walk Alome is Liverpool FC anthem , it’s not really from Liverpool.
As Ecs Insight so rightfully wrote in a previous article