1. Let 3, A Dictator’s Worst Nightmare In Military Drag?
Antifascist punk legends don’t appear at Eurovision every year. But with the contest still reeling from the destruction that Russia’s escalated invasion of Ukraine has brought to last year’s winning country, Catherine Baker asks if Eurovision is ready for Let 3.
2. Käärijä’s Journey From Illness And Unemployment To Eurovision Legend
The Finnish representative for Eurovision in Liverpool, Jere Pöyhönen, better known as the rapper Käärijä, is far more than his three minutes on stage. The story of Käärijä’s life follows a rollercoaster journey, through hardships and triumph, all culminating in creating the character that was victorious at Finland’s Eurovision selection earlier this year. Mirella Vuorinen reports.
3. Everything You Need To Know About ‘Tattoo’ By Loreen
There is likely not going to be a more anticipated performance this National Final season than song 28 of 28 in Melodifestivalen. Loreen, the winner of the 2012 Eurovision Song Contest, is back with the song ‘Tattoo’ and should she win Melodifestivalen a place in Eurovision, representing Sweden, awaits. Ben Robertson has heard the song, seen the rehearsal, and gives the full lowdown here.
4. Nine Things To Expect From Sweden And Eurovision 2024
Liverpool 2023 is going to be a tough act to follow, but Swedish broadcaster SVT has accepted the challenge. The planning for the next Eurovision Song Contest began as Loreen lifted the glass trophy on Saturday night. Ewan Spence and Ben Robertson take ESC Insight’s annual look to the future and what we might expect from Eurovision 2024.
5. I Didn’t Get Tickets For Eurovision, What Can I Do?
Tickets for the Eurovision Song Contest sold out in minutes today, as Liverpool became the hottest ticket in the musical town of 2023. A lucky few thousand will be in the arena, but what about everyone else? Ewan Spence looks at options for UK-based fans to enjoy the Song Contest in the host city and beyond.
6. Changing Eurovision’s Delicate Balance Between Jury And Televote
The Eurovision Song Contest’s dual system of jury and televote has led to a lot of discussions following Liverpool 2023 and Loreen lifting the trophy ahead of Käärijä. Should the balance between the two sides change? And if so what to? Mark Taylor lays out your options but asks you to consider the risk.
7. The Grand Final Running Order Analysis of 2023
We now know the 26 songs left that will compete in the 2023 Eurovision Song Contest Grand Final, and in the early hours of Friday morning the running order was revealed by the European Broadcasting Union. Ben Robertson gives his analysis.
8. Defeating Finland’s Fear Of Their Own Language At Eurovision
With over half of the votes from the Finnish public, Käärijä will be heading to Liverpool to represent Finland at the 2023 Eurovision Song Contest. However, this landslide victory is important in another important way… it will be the the first time the Finnish language will be heard on the Eurovision stage for seven years. Ben Robertson investigates why perceptions of the Eurovision Song Contest have changed so much in Finland.
9. Ranks, Points, And How The United Kingdom Performed At Eurovision 2023
Maybe everyone voted the United Kingdom 11th and that’s why Mae Muller scored so low? Mark Taylor compares the rankings of the songs next to the points scored at Liverpool 2023 to highlight the competitive performance of ‘I Wrote A Song’, and what this suggests as a way forward.
10. Estonia’s Expensive Televote And How It Changes The Contest
It costs €1.70 for Eurovision fans to vote in this year’s Eurovision Song Contest….if they live in Estonia. This is a cost ten times greater than in other parts of Europe. Ben Robertson asks the broadcaster why the cost is so high, and also wonders what impact that high cost has on Estonia’s televote.
Two Bonus Articles From The Archive
We’ll also flag up these two articles, which proved incredibly popular in June and July. As the community discussed the potential venues for Eurovision 2024, articles we had previously written came to the fore…
When Your Biggest Arena Is Too Big To Host The Eurovision Song Contest
You all know that Melodifestivalen is a big deal. So much so that each year the Final sells out over 30,000 people in Sweden’s national football stadium, Friends Arena. Yet in hosting the Eurovision Song Contest this year Swedish broadcaster SVT chose the far smaller Globe Arena. ESC Insight’s Ben Robertson attended the final of Melodifestivalen and tried to work out why this top category stadium is not hosting the Song Contest in 2016.
Why Gothenburg Might Never Host Another Eurovision Song Contest
This week Ben Robertson is with Melodifestivalen as it visits The Scandinavium, the host arena for the Eurovision Song Contest in 1985. Gothenburg would like to host the Song Contest again, but here he explains why there are many challenges in the way of such ambition.