It’s finally here – Eurovision week! And for the first time in 25 years, the UK is officially hosting the event, on behalf of last year’s winner Ukraine, after Sam Ryder took us to second place last year with his song ‘SPACE MAN’.
The 67th edition of the contest is taking place in Liverpool, with 37 countries competing. 15 of those will be performing in the first semi final tonight for 10 places in the Grand Final, with another 16 taking part in the second semi final on Thursday. They’ll join the ‘Big Five’ – France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the United Kingdom (represented this year by Mae Muller with ‘I Wrote A Song’) – and Ukraine on Saturday to fight it out for the trophy.
We were lucky enough to get a sneak peek of the first semi final and can safely say it’s going to be a great show (and a great week!). There were so many highlights we could have picked out – I really loved Norway and Serbia’s dramatic performances, as well as Malta’s answer to Eurovision legend Epic Sax Guy and Portugal’s fun, playful track – but these are my five standout moments. If you’re watching later, here’s what to keep an eye out for…
1: The opening film
The opening film often sets the tone for how each country and city approaches Eurovision, and Liverpool’s is no exception. The clip follows a young Liverpudlian lad who can’t wait to share his excitement that the contest is coming to his home city, and features guest appearances from a host of beloved local icons (including one that definitely brought a tear to my eye), before turning into an incredible musical performance featuring Eurovision presenter Julia Samina. It’s a really heartwarming moment that captures the welcoming spirit of the city and is definitely going to be a talking point right from the off.
2: The postcards
Eurovision’s postcards are a well-known fixture of the contest, showcasing the best of the host nation and its cultures and traditions. With the United Kingdom hosting on behalf of Ukraine, this year’s postcards highlight the contest’s theme of ‘United By Music’, featuring locations in the UK, Ukraine and the performers’ home countries. They look absolutely beautiful and flow seamlessly together between locations, and I think it’s safe to say they’ll be a big feature of this year’s contest.
3: Dance breaks
Regular viewers of Eurovision will know that the staging and performance is as critical to a song’s success as much as the music itself, and one way to win over an audience is by throwing in a dance break. There’s plenty of eye-catching dance performances this year, with everything from Croatia’s Let 3 and their simple routine that’s sure to have many in the audience following along (just one highlight in a particularly eye-catching performance) to Moldova’s traditionally-dressed dancers with their elegant movements and the tight, slick choreography in Switzerland’s song. But for me, the highlight is Israel’s Noa Kirel and her song ‘Unicorn’. I won’t spoil it but her combination of sass, big vocals and INCREDIBLE dancing skills – that really do have to be seen to be believed – seems guaranteed to catapult her to the final.
4: Sweden vs Finland
By far and away the most talked about acts this year are Sweden’s Loreen (if that name is familiar, it’s because she won Eurovision back in 2012 with her hit ‘Euphoria’) and Finland’s Käärijä. The former’s performance of ‘Tattoo’ features some incredible staging (all I’ll say is: platforms) and Shakira-esque moves with a song that has undoubted touches of ABBA whilst feeling contemporary and modern, as well as big vocals from Loreen and plenty of passion. The latter includes an outstanding neon green bolero jacket, a set reminiscent of Rosa Linn’s viral hit ‘Snap’ from last year, rapping, ballroom dancing – appropriate for a song called ‘Cha Cha Cha’ – and absolutely bags of energy. Both are certain to grab attention on the night and it’s not so much a question of whether they’ll qualify as who’ll take home the trophy on Saturday.
5: The interval act
Sure, we’ve got Rita Ora delivering a medley of her hits, but the real standout interval act in the first semi final features Liverpool’s own Rebecca Ferguson alongside Ukrainian singer Aloysha. It makes incredible use of the floor screens in particular and tells a tender, touching story of how Aloysha escaped the war in Ukraine – leaving her husband and loved ones behind – to a reworked version of Duran Duran’s ‘Ordinary World’. It’s an absolutely beautiful, spine-tingling moment and really stays with you afterwards, as well as showcasing the message of unity built into this edition of the contest and that this is just as much Ukraine’s party as it is the UK’s.
Semi Final 1 of the Eurovision Song Contest 2023 will be broadcast live on BBC One and BBC iPlayer from 8.00 PM tonight (Tuesday 9th May).
