Category Archives: Eurovision

Eurovision 2021: follow all the action from Rotterdam – live

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Good evening, Europe! The song contest is back at last. Join us on a glorious ride through every performance, every vote ... expect pyrotechnics, dry ice, green screen gimmicks and one giant Russian dress

I keep thinking that the pods the artists are sitting in look like the galactic senate from Star Wars: Phantom Menace but I can’t find a picture where we won’t have to pay Lucasfilm a zillion galactic credits to use it so I can prove it to you. So just imagine that I have.

I’m just taking a breather while they do this recap. After this we are going to get – I believe – loads of performances from former winners on the rooftops of Rotterdam, some weird orchestra/DJ mash-up, and also a spectacular dancing countdown. I mean, why not? It’s Eurovision. I’ve honestly loved it, it has been a really strong final this year so far. I just said in the comments, there’s about eight or nine songs that if they won, you’d think, “Yep, sure, it was always on the cards”.

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Will you get douze points? Take our fiendish Eurovision quiz

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From Abba to Bucks Fizz, dancing grannies to French diplomacy, our quiz requires some serious song contest chops to get 12 points – or a perfect 20

Vampires, naked apes and free booze! The wildest Eurovision performances ever

After last year’s hiatus, the Eurovision song contest is finally back on Saturday night at 8pm on BBC One, with all the glitz, glamour and camp delight that entails. To get you in the mood, take our fiendish Eurovision quiz. Can you avoid the dreaded nul points? Let us know how you do in the comments below …

Good evening, Europe! This is London calling! Can you spot the winner of the last contest to be held, in 2019? His name was Duncan Laurence

This one?

This one?

This one?

Or this?

Which of these acclaimed international stars has competed in Eurovision? Madonna, Celine Dion, Vanessa Paradis or Kate Bush?

Madonna

Celine Dion

Vanessa Paradis

Kate Bush

When was the very first Eurovision song contest held?

24 May 1956

12 March 1958

29 March 1960

23 November 1963

James Newman is the UK entry in 2021. But what is his song called?

Firefly

Flames

Embers

Dragonfire

For many years Norway was cursed as the only country to have scored the dreaded "nul points" on four separate occasions. But in 2015, another country equalled this dismal record. Who?

United Kingdom

Netherlands

Austria

Germany

Which country sent a bunch of grannies to represent it in 2012?

Russia

Albania

Armenia

Azerbaijan

“Be it a mug, a goblet, a cup, a glass, or flute, raise it and toast the memory of the man who was and always will be the voice of Eurovision … the late great, Sir Terry Wogan." In the UK, during which song is it a tradition to toast Terry?

Third

Fifth

Seventh

Ninth

Waterloo by Abba is arguably Eurovision's most famous winning song. Which year did it win?

1971

1972

1973

1974

In the year that Abba won with Waterloo, the French entry was withdrawn from the contest. Why?

The death of the French president, Georges Pompidou

A dispute with the EBU over the competition being hosted in the UK

French broadcasters were concerned the entry could be seen as propaganda for a referendum campaign taking place

Because the song had been associated with signalling an attempt at a military coup

Bucks Fizz won the contest in 1981 with Making Your Mind Up. How many number one singles did the original Bucks Fizz line-up have in the UK in the 1980s?

None

One

Two

Three

Which original member of Eurovision-winning band Bucks Fizz stood in the 2019 UK general election to be an MP for the Brexit Party?

Jay Aston

Cheryl Baker

Bobby G

Mike Nolan

Verka Serduchka has become a Eurovision icon. But which country did they represent in 2007?

Belarus

Ukraine

Austria

Poland

Which is the most eastern city to have ever hosted the Eurovision final?

Helsinki

Tashkent

Baku

Moscow

In what year did Australia first compete in the Eurovision song contest?

1997

2009

2015

2017

Australia isn't the only country not from Europe to have competed in the contest. Which African nation competed for its one and only time in 1980?

Morocco

Algeria

Egypt

South Africa

Which of these – among Europe's smallest competing countries – has won the Eurovision song contest?

Malta

San Marino

Cyprus

Luxembourg

By the time he represented the UK in 1968 with Congratulations, Cliff Richard had already scored more than forty Top 40 hits in the UK. Where did Congratulations finish in the Eurovision song contest that year?

1st

2nd

3rd

4th

Which country had its entry for this year disqualified?

Belarus

Ukraine

Armenia

Bulgaria

The United Kingdom has hosted the contest in five different cities. Which of these has not had the honour of holding the final?

Brighton

Birmingham

Glasgow

Harrogate

This lot won Eurovision in 2006 for Finland with Hard Rock Hallelujah. What were they called?

Loki

Lordi

Kinda

Kooki

18 and above.

So close to a perfect score, but basically you are Cliff Richard coming 2nd in 1968

20 and above.

"Douze points!" – well, vingt points, but you get the point. Well done.

14 and above.

Excellent Eurovision knowledge – c'est une magnifique victoire

8 and above.

Good effort

0 and above.

"Nul points!" – you are the Norway of this quiz

1 and above.

This is the kind of score that is going to get you relegated to the semi-final for next year

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Vampires, naked apes and free booze! The 20 wildest Eurovision performances ever

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Baffling stunts and bizarre lyrics are de rigueur at europop’s premier competition – so it takes quite something to make this list

At Eurovision, you have three minutes to impress the world. While an unforgettable song and stonking vocals are key to getting douze points, how else can you make your performance stand out? With bewildering stunts, surreal lyrics and distracting props, of course! With the biggest event in europop returning this week, let’s revisit some of the weirdest performances over the years – the ones that really made Terry Wogan and Graham Norton wince.

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Eurovision 2021: the good, bad and weird songs to look out for

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Amid the German ukuleles, anti-colonial Dutch anthems and Ukrainian folk-techno, can the UK’s James Newman reverse a long run of disappointment?

Future scholars of camp will pen entire counterfactuals about the great cancelled Eurovision of 2020 and what might have been: while the majority of last year’s contestants are back for 2021, they must all perform different songs. It feels especially cruel to Daði Freyr, the Icelandic act who would surely have won with viral hit Think About Things, a charming study in nerdish twee full of homemade keytars and school-play dance moves. But led by Freyr himself – imagine fey Scandi singers such as Jens Lekman or Erlend Øye crossed with Napoleon Dynamite – the group are back and pretending that last year never happened, with more of the same disco-pop, if lacking maybe 10% of 2020’s magic.

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Belarus was given boot from Eurovision over ‘no dissent’ songs

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Decision taken despite the risk of politicising music competition, head of European Broadcasting Union says

Belarus had to be banned from this year’s Eurovision after it repeatedly submitted songs calling for “no dissent” despite the risk of the decision politicising the music competition, the head of the event’s organising body has said.

Noel Curran, director general of the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), the industry body that produces the annual international competition, said a stand needed to be taken with Belarus cracking down on anti-government protests, while also conceding the danger of stoking controversy over future country submissions.

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‘I won’t allow myself to be broken’: Russia’s Eurovision candidate Manizha takes on ‘the haters’

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The singer’s fight against domestic violence and homophobia and her body-positive posts on Instagram have led to a torrent of abuse – some from very powerful people

Russia’s 2021 Eurovision candidate breezes into a conference room, Channel One documentary film crew in tow, offering a simple tea of mint leaves brewed in hot water. “On days like today, I want something calming,” Manizha says, pouring two cups, as a boom mic hovers over us. No pressure.

The Tajikistan-born singer, who will perform her feminist ballad Russian Woman next month at the much-loved, much-mocked song contest in Rotterdam, is the target of a fiery conservative backlash for her foreign roots and her lyrics attacking female stereotypes.

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Russia’s Eurovision entry to be investigated for ‘illegal’ lyrics

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Manizha’s song Russian Woman incites hatred towards men and should be banned from the contest, say critics

Russian investigators said they will examine the lyrics of the country’s entry to this year’s Eurovision song contest after it angered conservative groups who accused its Tajikistan-born singer of inciting hatred towards men.

Manizha Sangin, known as Manizha, is set to perform the song Russian Woman at Eurovision in the Netherlands in May. The song praises the strength of Russian women, urging them to be more independent and to resist sexist views on beauty, age and bearing children.

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Cypriot church calls for ‘devil’ Eurovision song to be scrapped

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Orthodox church says entry ‘praises the fatalistic submission of humans to the devil’s authority’

The Orthodox Church of Cyprus has called for the withdrawal of the country’s controversial entry into this year’s Eurovision song contest titled “El Diablo,” charging that the song makes an international mockery of country’s moral foundations by advocating “our surrender to the devil and promoting his worship”.

The Holy Synod, the church’s highest decision-making body, said in a statement that the song “essentially praises the fatalistic submission of humans to the devil’s authority” and urged the state broadcaster to replace it with one that “expresses our history, culture, traditions and our claims.”

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Israel convicts top model Bar Refaeli over tax offences

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Eurovision 2019 presenter to serve community service while her mother is jailed

An Israeli court has convicted one of the world’s most famous models, Bar Refaeli, on tax evasion charges, and jailed her mother, in a verdict that ends a lengthy case against the celebrity and her family.

Wearing a face mask in line with coronavirus regulations, Refaeli and her mother, Zipi, entered the Tel Aviv court to a flurry of camera flashes from photographers.

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Hungary pulls out of Eurovision amid rise in anti-LGBTQ+ rhetoric

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No reason given for withdrawal from show, called ‘homosexual flotilla’ by pro-Orbán journalist

Hungary will not participate in next year’s Eurovision song contest, amid speculation the decision was taken because the competition is “too gay” for the taste of the country’s far-right government and public media bosses.

While no official reason has been given for the withdrawal, the move comes amid an increase in homophobic rhetoric in Hungary, where the anti-migration prime minister, Viktor Orbán, has launched a “family first” policy aimed at helping traditional families and boosting birth rates.

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Israeli culture minister criticises Palestinian flags at Eurovision

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Madonna and Icelandic band Hatari displayed the flags at competition’s final in Tel Aviv

The Israeli culture minister, Miri Regev, has criticised the display of Palestinian flags during the Eurovision song contest final in Tel Aviv on Saturday night, including by one of Madonna’s dancers.

“It was an error,” Regev, a rightwing minister known for provocative stances, told journalists before a cabinet meeting on Sunday.

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Sequins, feathers, bondage and Madonna … Israel hits top notes with Eurovision

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But no joy for the UK as Michael Rice limps in last

The 64th Eurovision final, hosted by Israel in Tel Aviv, was swathed in controversy – from calls for a boycott over the Palestine conflict, to uncertainty over whether special guest Madonna would show up (she did), until only two burning questions remained – who would win, and how many of the estimated 200 million viewers would survive the full three hours and 40 minutes without opting to pour hot glue into their own eyes and ears just to make it stop.

The “Dare to Dream” themed ceremony was kicked off by 2018 winner, Netta Barzilai. The UK hasn’t won since 1997 with Katrina and the Waves – though some of us regard Jemini’s score of “Nul points” in 2003, as a national triumph. With the UK a member of the “Big Five” (along with France, Italy, Germany, and Spain, they make the biggest financial contribution to Eurovision), would our 2019 entry, bravely understated 21-year-old Michael Rice, make an impact with Bigger Than Us? No one could be sure – especially not with half of this year’s contestants garbed in racy PVC/leather/thigh-booted outfits, like a mass emptying-out of an Ann Summers seconds-bin.

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Eurovision song contest 2019 won by the Netherlands’ Duncan Laurence

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Political rancour fails to dampen the Eurovision song contest final in Tel Aviv

Europe’s annual musical jamboree culminated in triumph for the Netherlands on Saturday night.

In one of the closest competitions in recent years, the battle for top spot in the Eurovision song contest was a tight fight between Sweden, the Netherlands, Italy and North Macedonia.

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Madonna makes call for Israel-Palestine unity at Eurovision

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Dancers wearing Palestinian and Israeli flags embraced at the climax of her song Future, with Madonna beseeching the crowd to ‘wake up’

In her much-anticipated and politically contentious performance at Eurovision in Israel, Madonna made an apparent call for peace in the region.

As she and guest star Quavo sang the lyrics “Not everyone is coming to the future / Not everyone is learning from the past”, a pair of her dancers – one wearing a costume bearing a Palestinian flag, another with an Israeli flag – embraced as they climbed a set of stairs at the climax of the performance.

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Israel says it will not allow in activists planning to ‘disturb’ Eurovision

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Protests expected at song contest over country’s treatment of Palestinians

Israel has said it will block activists who plan to disrupt the Eurovision Song Contest from entering the country, as anxiety mounts that the event, watched by a global TV audience, will become a focus for protests against the country’s treatment of the Palestinians.

The world’s longest-running televised song competition will take place on 14-18 May in the coastal city of Tel Aviv. Contestants have begun to arrive, stage lights have been hung and fresh grass has been laid for a massive party on the seafront.

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Celebrities denounce proposed boycott of Eurovision in Israel

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Stephen Fry, Marina Abramović and Sharon Osbourne among stars describing the boycott movement as ‘an affront to both Palestinians and Israelis’

Public figures including Stephen Fry, Sharon Osbourne, Marina Abramović and pop mogul Scooter Braun have signed a letter speaking out against a proposed boycott of this year’s Eurovision song contest, which is to be held in Tel Aviv in May.

Their letter states that Eurovision’s “spirit of togetherness” across the continent is “under attack by those calling to boycott Eurovision 2019 because it is being held in Israel, subverting the spirit of the contest and turning it from a tool of unity into a weapon of division”.

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Roger Waters is too simplistic on Israel | Letters

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Readers share their views on the musician’s call for other artists to stay away from Israel over its human rights record

Roger Waters’ mother imploring her son to “decide for yourself” and execute the “right thing to do” was no doubt in reference to the juvenile politics of the playground (If you believe in human rights, Madonna, don’t play Tel Aviv, 17 April). Unfortunately, these simple values can not be transposed to the labyrinthine issues of the Middle East in general and the Arab-Israeli conflict in particular.

Sadly “bad stuff” occurs in all conflicts, which are not as clearcut as Waters would suggest: baddie Israelis (“apartheid”, “ethnic cleansing”, “slaughter”) versus goodie Palestinians (“fortitude”, “grace”, “heads high”).

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