Eurovision? I love it like Christmas despite what people say
Stockholm 2000 was the first Eurovision Song Contest (ESC) I remember watching and getting hooked on for the madness, melodies and mishaps.
As a child, the contest quickly became a highlight of the year for me. Fast forward 16 years, as I stood in the same arena almost to the day, partying with the masses for Stockholm 2016.
Although I was a trainee journalist at the time, this had nothing to do with work, but more so me finding my own feet in a foreign country at the helm of the world's largest live music event by myself.
See just a mere nine years ago, Eurovision felt more accessible to me as a long-time fan, but since then ticket prices have soared, and even members of the fan network OGAE have struggled to secure seats via its ballot.
Hotel prices skyrocketed to thousands of pounds and last year in Malmo, Sweden, political unrest left many feeling unsafe and on edge.
So, here's the thing: has the contest that everyone loves to hate actually converted more mainstream TV viewers into Europop lovers in recent years? Quite possibly so. And is that a bad thing? Absolutely not!
The power of Eurovision (wait for the cheese) is to bring people together, to create unforgettable moments and put an annual time capsule of music back in the spotlight.
This not only stands for past winners; but those who fell at the hurdles of the semi-finals (Denmark's Lighthouse X - Soldiers of Love, 2016) those who made a triumphant return for their country after several years (Ireland's Niamh Kavanagh – It's For You, 2010) and the purely iconic (Sweden's Charlotte Perrelli – Hero, 2008).
As for the UK, we try, that's for sure. Big up Sam Ryder, who not only restored our Eurovision reputation but led us to Liverpool 2023 – and what an amazing experience the city offered ESC fans from across the globe.
Overall, the UK is largely the laughingstock of the competition; and in the week leading up to the final it's hard not to come across someone who gives the 'well we always do rubbish anyway' speech. But that hasn't always been the case.
Taking political voting out of it for one minute, I think we need to take a leaf out of the Swede's book. Their pre-selection for the competition, called Melodifestivalen, is now almost as well-recognised as Eurovision itself.
The likes of Loreen and Mans Zelmerlöw have turned Eurovision songs into chart-topping hits in the UK, turning the tide on what was once seen as a formal song competition in front of an audience of suited and booted professionals at Brighton Dome.
Recommended reading:
Who are Remember Monday members? UK's Eurovision act
What prize does the Eurovision winner get at the end?
Who are the Eurovision Big 5 and why they automatically qualify?
But the special part of all of this is that Eurovision continues to create memories every year.
The flashbacks of enjoying Eurovision with loved ones who have now passed away, having a tipple and picking up your phone to vote for a song from a country you've never heard of before (oops) or dressing up as Conchita Wurst.
Really, Eurovision is like Christmas, minus the turkey on our plate, but instead with Dustin the Turkey on our screens.
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