WHEN?: 14/5/2019 (screened live on BBC4 at 8pm)
WHERE?: Expo Tel Aviv, Pavilion 2, Israel
Last year’s winner Netta performed Toy 7th in Semi 1 and countries including pre-qualifiers Spain, France and hosts Israel vote here in a show dominated by the controversial Icelandic entry (pictured).
WORTH A LOOK?: *****
OUT: now
Eurovision season is in full swing and the song we most want to see competing in Tel Aviv in May is a gorgeous ballad with a gigantic dramatic key change sung beautifully by a former contestant who finished 19th in 2010 in Oslo in a completely different style.
Martin McDonagh features twice in this list and wrote/directed the Oscar-winning film Three Billboards in 2018. We were at the 2nd preview for this new play at the Bridge Theatre and weren’t keen: ‘Our problem with A Very, Very, Very Dark Matter is that, while McDonagh could be argued to be skewering the lazy racism of 18th Century Europe of the time, it makes for a very uncomfortable and politically incorrect watch in 2018.’
WHEN?: 10/5/18
WHERE?: Altice Arena, Lisbon, Portugal
Semi 1 is the appetiser for a much stronger semi 2 where we find the first three of four potential winners.
WHEN?: 8/5/18
WHERE?: Altice Arena, Lisbon, Portugal
Fan theories would have it that this is the more difficult of the two semis but we’re not so sure. This is where our favourite sings (Finland’s Saara Aalto pictured above) and the UK votes.
WHEN?: Saturday 10 March (7pm UK time) on SVT (link to watch below)
The quality of the songs in this year’s Melodifestivalen has attracted criticism but for us 2018 has been all about the Swedish public’s love of the novelty entry ahead of possible Eurovision winner Cry by Dotter.
WHEN? 7pm Saturday 10/3/18 on NRK (link at the bottom of the preview)
This year’s Norwegian selection includes a former Eurovision winner, a past entrant and the writer behind one of Scandinavia’s biggest groups of the 90s in its ranks.
WHEN?: 7pm Saturday 3/3/18 on SVT (link to watch below)
WHERE?: Kristianstad
We’re very excited about the upcoming four duels that will see our eight-strong final become a dozen not least because some of our favourite songs compete again here.
WHEN?: 7pm (UK time) 24/2/18 on SVT (link at the bottom of the page below)
WHERE: Örnsköldsvik
Has this year’s been the worst Melodifestivalen ever?
WHEN?: 7pm (UK time) 17/2/18 on SVT (link at the bottom of the page below)
WHERE: Malmo
Melodifestivalen couldn’t be more split along gender lines with four male acts in the final and four female soloists in Andra Chansen – but we’re hopeful one of Dotter or Jessica Andersson will be going straight to the Friends Arena in Stockholm this weekend.
