It’s been almost four months since the last of the pyrotechnics fizzled to half-hearted sparks, and the spandex was packed away for another year so it seems like the perfect time to find out what’s happening in Eurovision’s bright and shiny glitter-spangled world.
After all, it’s a scant nine months (245 days to be exact) till it all happens again, and grandmothers everywhere will find themselves pulled unceremoniously from their rocking chairs and knitting circles and forced to dance merrily in the middle of an Eastern European folk/pop/Applachian/electronica/bouzouki ska band.
And the big news is that we now know exactly where they will performing!
THE WINNER IS … COPENHAGEN!
Yes we’ve all known that the 2014 Eurovision Song Contest would be held in Denmark after Emelie De Forrest stormed home in the mildest way possible with the song “Only Teardrops” to claim the crystal microphone trophy during the grand final on Saturday 18 May.
But what wasn’t known was which Danish city would host the event since that honour does not automatically fall to the capital city of the winning country – Sweden’s choice of Malmö to host the 2013 Contest is a case in point – and is determined by their national broadcaster.
In this case the Danish public broadcaster DR has gone with an entertainment complex, B&W Hallerne built on the site of a former shipyard at Refshaleøen, which will get an extra special sprucing up ahead of next year’s shows on the 6, 8, and 10 May.
It’s the third time Copenhagen has won the right to host the prestigious Song Contest – it previously hosted in 1964 and 2001; it was the setting for the 50th anniversary Congratulations show in 2005 – in the process beating out two other cities and three other venues.
Of course this being Eurovision where there are rules for everything (including how many grandmothers are allowed on stage at any one time) it all had to be approved by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) and the Reference Group who oversee the event on behalf of all the participating national broadcasters.
Now the event has an official Danish home, everyone is getting just a little teensy-weensy excited about what lies ahead in May 2014 including Pernille Gaardbo, the Executive Producer of next year’s show who was quoted on eurovision.tv as saying:
“We are looking forward to welcoming Europe in Copenhagen, which is full of cultural diversity, has an excellent infrastructure and a variety of hotels. At the chosen venue we have the opportunity to realise our creative ambitions. The entire area around the B&W Hallerne will be transformed into Eurovision Island, where delegates, press and fans will come together.”
Similarly excited, and why wouldn’t he be, given the boost to Copenhagen’s glitter industry alone, is Jon Ola Sand, the EBU’s Executive Supervisor of the Eurovision Song Contest who was quoted on the same site as saying:
“Copenhagen is one of Europe’s most popular tourist destination and has what it takes to host an event of this scale. The chosen venue is a bold creative move, and we are confident that the good cooperation between DR and the City of Copenhagen will result in three shows that Europe will remember for a long time!”
Denmark is following in Sweden’s footsteps and simply doing a few nips and tucks to an existing facility rather than building a purpose built venue as Azerbaijan did in 2012.
It’s a sensible move in these straightened times but also means Denmark, and Copenhagen will be able to make the most of the Eurovision financial windfall with eurovision.tv noting that “figures have shown the substantial economic benefit for host cities, often exceeding EUR 100 million in ad value and EUR 20 million in additional turn-over for the local economy”.
The 2014 Eurovision Song Contest will stage semi-finals 1 and 2 on the 6 and 8 May respectively with the glittering gorgeous excess of the Grand Final taking place on Saturday 10 May.
ONE OF US … ONE OF US
As anyone with even a passing experience of modern major events will know, it’s not enough to stage the event, or have somewhere to hold it.
You must also have a theme, preferably one that amps up the soft kittens warm and fuzzy vibe that everyone likes to pretend suffuses these events like a thousand oohing and aahing Teletubbies on a rare day out.
In keeping with this fine tradition (in Eurovision’s case it dates only from 2002), which does involve a fair bit of wishful thinking and ostrich-head-in-the-head delusion since the reality on the ground at any of these events is never as idealistic as one might like, Denmark’s national broadcaster has chosen “Join Us” (“Vær med!” in Danish) as their theme.
While some might find the slogan a little, um, underwhelming shall we say, it’s a whole lot more wlecoming than “Leave us alone, we won – let us enjoy it in peace!” and “Seriously you’re all going to crowd into our delightfully cosy city – is it too late to close the bridge and all airports?”
One person who is absolutely tickled pink about the slogan is Jan Lagermand Lundme, DR’s Head of Show, quoted in eurovision.tv:
“We came up with it during the first workshop we held. I got goosebumps when I heard it and thought straight away: This has to be our slogan.”
He went on to say:
“In relation to the many participants, members of the press and fans that will come to Denmark for Eurovision, it’s about putting our arms out and welcoming them. To say: Join the party, join the competition – join us. We really want to enable the viewers to get even closer to the participants that are taking part in the competition. They will get to know them as people and get a feeling for how much it means for them to take part.”
To make sure people do feel welcome, the 2014 Contest will be making heavy use of social media, doing their best to make sure fans all over the world feel just as much a part of the event as the participating countries and the contestants themselves.
No sign of a logo just yet but it can only be a matter of time.
THEY’RE PICKING AND CHOOSING ALREADY
And finally if you thought it far too early to be picking your country’s representative to the 2014 Eurovision Song Contest, you would tragically, horribly wrong.
F.Y.R. Macedonia has already chosen their entrant for the event with Tijana Dapčević announced by the country’s national broadcaster MKRTV.
According to Eurovision.tv, Tijana Dapčević or simply Tijana to her devoted fans throughout the Balkans, this won’t be the first time the energetic pop singer has made a grab for the crystal microphone trophy:
“Tijana is no strager in the Eurovision Song Contest. Her first try to take part in Europe’s biggest TV show was in 1996 for the F.Y.R. Macedonia with the song Ti Prostuvam (I Forgive You). In 2002 she participated in the national selection Skopje Festival with the song Izgrev that means Sunrise.”
No word on what song she will sing, or genre she will embrace but that will likely be announced any day soon.
In the meantime while we wait, Russia is beginning its selection process with a call for musicians to throw their glittery hats in the ring for national selection contention. (Of course the million dollar question for Russia is how its new national virulently anti-gay laws will affect its participation in one of the most gloriously camp contests on earth.)