Category Archives: Eurovision

John Lydon hopes to highlight ‘torture’ of Alzheimer’s with Eurovision bid

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Former Sex Pistol competing to represent Ireland with love letter to wife of 44 years who is living with the illness

John Lydon has said he is competing to represent Ireland at this year’s Eurovision song contest primarily in order to raise awareness of Alzheimer’s disease. The former Sex Pistols frontman (once known as Johnny Rotten) will appear with his band, Public Image Ltd, on the Late Late Show on 3 February, performing Hawaii, a love letter to his wife of 44 years, Nora Forster, who is living with the illness.

“I’m doing it to highlight the sheer torture of what Alzheimer’s is,” said the singer, who holds an Irish passport as well as US citizenship. “It gets swept under the carpet, but in highlighting it, hopefully we get a stage nearer to a cure.” Lydon insisted that spreading this message was much more important than competing to win, so he isn’t listening to the five other entrants.

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Liverpool to host Eurovision song contest on behalf of Ukraine

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City beat 19 others to host 67th contest after Volodymyr Zelenskiy agreed staging event in Mariupol was not possible

The Eurovision song contest will be hosted by Liverpool next year after it beat 19 other cites to stage the event on behalf of war-torn Ukraine.

The annual extravaganza will be held in the UK for the first time in 25 years on 13 May as Ukraine is unable to host the event due to the Russian invasion.

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Svika Pick, Israel’s ‘king of pop’, dies aged 72

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Songwriter behind hits including 1998 Eurovision winner, and Quentin Tarantino’s father-in-law, dies at home

Svika Pick, a prolific songwriter and musician who was known as Israel’s “king of pop” and by the moniker the Maestro, has died at the age of 72.

He died on Sunday in his home. The cause of death is yet to be announced.

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‘If there is anywhere that can put on a party’: UK cities bid to host Eurovision

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Sheffield, Glasgow and others tell why they should play host after decision not to hold event in Ukraine

In 1956 Sheffield became, it is believed, the first UK city to officially twin with one behind the iron curtain, partnering with a similar steel and mining-rich place then called Stalino, but later Donetsk.

It is the reason that there is a Shefield Square on the banks of the River Kalmius. In Sheffield there’s a long, busy road called Donetsk Way. And it those links that are one reason the Yorkshire city is now bidding to host next year’s Eurovision song contest, which is coming to the UK but, everyone agrees, should really be in Ukraine.

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UK to host Eurovision song contest in 2023 on behalf of Ukraine

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BBC says programme will have ‘glorious Ukraine at its heart’, with cities invited to bid to host event

The Eurovision song contest will be hosted in the UK next year after Ukraine’s public broadcaster dropped its objections and agreed to work with the BBC on the event.

Ukraine won this year’s Eurovision with the song Stefania by Kalush Orchestra, earning the right to host the 2023 edition. However, organisers concluded this could not be done safely while the country was at war with Russia – angering the Ukrainian government, which said it had submitted a workable safety plan.

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Eurovision 2023 should be held in Ukraine, Boris Johnson says

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Comments come after Ukrainian criticism of organiser EBU’s decision to move contest to UK

Boris Johnson has said Ukraine deserves to host next year’s Eurovision song contest and that he hopes it will be able to do so despite the ongoing war with Russia.

The BBC is in talks with the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) about hosting the event in the UK, which came second in the 2022 contest, after the body ruled it could not go ahead in Ukraine as planned.

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Ukraine’s entry is favourite to win Eurovision song contest

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Kalush Orchestra say they ‘represent every Ukrainian’ and song Stefania has become an anthem in the country

War-torn Ukraine is the favourite to win next week’s Eurovision song contest, which is being hosted by Italy for the first time in more than 30 years.

Kalush Orchestra, a band that blends traditional folk and hip-hop, is competing in the event with the song Stefania, which has become an anthem at home.

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The show can’t go on: Russian arts cancelled worldwide

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Concerts, dance recitals and exhibitions have been postponed indefinitely after Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine

The Russian invasion of Ukraine has prompted responses from the cultural sphere, with Russian artists and companies beginning to feel the repercussions of decisions taken by the Kremlin. Not only has Russia been stripped of two prestigious events – the Champions League men’s final and Formula One’s Russian Grand Prix –but an increasing number of performances by Russians are being cancelled worldwide.

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Russia is banned from Eurovision after invasion of Ukraine

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After a U-turn, organisers say Russia’s inclusion could ‘bring the competition into disrepute’

Russia will no longer be allowed to compete in this year’s Eurovision song contest, with organisers saying its inclusion could “bring the competition into disrepute”.

On Thursday, the European Broadcasting Union said Russia would still be allowed to compete, despite its invasion of Ukraine. But after pressure from broadcasters across Europe, the EBU made a U-turn, publishing a statement on Friday stating the country would no longer be allowed to take part.

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World exclusive: Super troupers! Abba on fame, stress, ageing backwards – and why they’ve returned to rescue 2021

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World exclusive: Here we go again! After nearly 40 years, Benny, Björn, Agnetha and Anni-Frid are back together. We get the inside story of the greatest reunion in pop

It started with a mysterious image on billboards all over the world (and the internet). The sun rising above four dark planets; the only words Abba: Voyage. By the time an announcement was made on 2 September, it had fair claim to call itself the most anticipated comeback in pop history.

And the details exceeded expectations. Not only was there a new album, Voyage, the first in 40 years: 10 new songs that brought the original band together in the studio for the first time since a split that had been precipitated by the couples in the band divorcing. Not only that, but there was to be a new “immersive live experience”, in a bespoke stadium in London – nobody seemed to have noticed the planning application being published online – featuring futuristic de-aged “Abbatars” playing a potentially never-ending series of gigs. In the depths of a miserable year, it seemed, Abba were coming to rescue 2021.

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Eurovision winners Måneskin: ‘Cocaine? Damiano barely drinks beer!’

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Already multiplatinum in their native Italy, the swaggering rock quartet now have two singles in the UK chart. They discuss their rise to success – and that drug-taking allegation

Before their momentous Eurovision victory with Zitti e Buoni, placing Italian rock back on the world stage and earning praise from Simon Le Bon and Miley Cyrus; before a baseless accusation of snorting cocaine almost veered into a full-blown diplomatic crisis; and before their post-win ping-pong tournament became a twee secondary narrative, the Italian band Måneskin had already raised eyebrows in Rotterdam, this year’s host city.

After a rehearsal session ended late, says the bassist, Victoria De Angelis, they were parched – but realised there was no drinking water in their hotel rooms. “We went to the hotel reception, but they said there was no water around,” De Angelis says. “So we made it into the kitchen and took some.”

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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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