Even if you aren't from Europe, there's a decent chance that you've heard of the Eurovision Song Contest. The annual spectacular showcases the very best musical stars from the majority of countries across the continent - and Australia, too, but there isn't enough time to explain why.
Anyone who is a fan of Eurovision will be well aware of the many traits that make it so incredibly fun to watch, but for those of you who are still in the dark, we thought that we'd take the time to explore the core reasons why Eurovision 2020 will be a must-watch event for us all.
Semi-Finals
While the final is the true showcase of the immortals, there’s something to be said for the entertainment value that stems from the two semi-finals.
A whole lot of fringe nations will be eliminated at this stage, but in addition to that, there are a lot of hidden gems in there too – some of which don’t even make it through to the final, which is a travesty in itself. A true fan of Eurovision appreciates all of the acts, many of whom are trying to make a name for themselves on the big stage.
Mix Of Genres
One year you could have Hard Rock Hallelujah winning it all, and then the next you could have a gorgeous power ballad that reminds us all why we fell in love with music in the first place. There is simply no room for stereotypes in the world of Eurovision because every single year those stereotypes are shattered.
Even if you love a particular niche genre, there’s a very good chance that there will be an act for you to get behind every step of the way. If not, just try and enjoy the chaos.
Cringeworthy Hosts
It’s almost an unwritten rule at this stage for the hosts of the show to be as cringeworthy as they possibly can be. From the distinct lack of chemistry, they have to them trying to sing the songs through themselves to desperately trying to fill dead air, the structure is what it is – and we can’t see it changing anytime soon.
Without them, and without the hilarious commentary from the likes of Graham Norton, Eurovision would be a much more depressing event and the broadcasts wouldn’t be nearly as enjoyable.
Insane Outfits
Sometimes we all like to be a little bit ‘out there’ with the outfits we wear, whether it be when we go out clubbing or we just want to go to a fancy new restaurant.
With Eurovision, though, they take it to another level and then some. They appear to operate a ‘go hard or go home’ type of mentality, and with that comes the beauty of watching in awe as we all hope and pray to look that good one day. There is no such thing as too over the top.
Host City Appreciation
Before every act performs, a small snippet plays of them wandering through the streets of whatever host city and country the contest is situated in that year. This time around it’s going to be Rotterdam, ensuring that we see an awful lot of beautiful sights and sounds from around a city that tends to fly under the radar.
Winning Eurovision and being given the chance to host the following year isn’t just part of the show – because it offers up a chance to promote your city and gain a whole lot of tourism revenue in the process.
Unpredictable
Every single year we see an act do much better than anyone thought, and we also see some of the favorites fail to capture the hearts and imagination of the viewers.
That kind of unpredictability is great for their longevity, mainly because it can also spill into some of the performances. Perhaps Madonna will make a political statement, or maybe a fan in the crowd will be introduced into the chaos – you just never know what direction it’ll take, and if that doesn’t keep people coming back for more, then nothing will.
Eurovision Party
There’s no such thing as a bad Eurovision party, and that belief only pops up from those who haven’t tried it. Everyone has different traditions: from dressing up as the countries to putting up the bunting to doing your own voting system, it’s a week-long (or evening-long) celebration of color, art, and music.
There’s often quite a bit of indulgence with food and drink, too, but even if you wake up with the mother of all hangovers, you’ll know that you would’ve had the kind of evening that no nightclub or bar could ever provide.
The Voting
The first half or so of the grand final is made up of the performances, with most, if not all, of the acts putting in the showing of a lifetime to really win over the masses. The second half features the voting which, over the last few years, has gone from being politically motivated to just outright fun.
The jury voting tends to be centered on regional bloc voting as well as who the favorites are before the show, whereas the public vote always flips the script and takes it right down to the wire.
It Brings People Together
We’ve all felt as if we didn’t belong at one point or another in our lives, and for some of us, that emotion follows us around like a bad smell for the longest time. Everyone goes about handling that in a different way, but one thing that stays the same for Eurovision fans is that they can all come together in celebration of this great spectacle every single May.
World peace is a pretty tricky thing to try and accomplish at the best of times, but following in the footsteps of the ESC is a good place to start.
Iceland
Every year we get one or two acts that make a great deal of noise in the weeks and months leading up to the big event. This year, it’s Iceland. Daði & Gagnamagnið are an Icelandic band that doesn’t really play by the rules, to put it lightly. They’re alternative, they’re fresh, and they have enough energy to carry their performance forward.
If anyone is going to beat them this year then they’re going to have to put in an absolutely mammoth effort – which is the sort of challenge that most will accept.