One of our favourite stars of the year embarks on a 24-date European tour this Autumn, reflects on Eurovision and what happens next for her in our interview below.
WORTH A LOOK?: ****
WHERE: Under The Bridge
WHEN: 25/4, tour runs to 10/11/18
SETLIST: Queens; Hån; Dance; Diva; Euphoria; Rise Like A Phoenix; Every Way That I Can; Rock’n’ Roll Kids; No Fear; Don’t Deny Our Love; My Touch; Domino; Calm After The Storm; Dance Like Nobody’s Watching; Con Te Partiro; Half A Heart; Wild Wild Wonderland; Monsters
The Eurovision Song Contest might mean a once-a-year event to you but for this year’s Finnish contestant Saara Aalto it is the culmination of a 14-year quest.
WHEN: 12/5/18
WHERE: Altice Arena, Lisbon, Portugal
The 63rd Eurovision Song Contest takes place in Portugal for the 1st time ever and we’re predicting the tightest voting for many years with at least half a dozen songs in contention.
Our favourite venue marks its bicentenary with events around the 11/5/18 weekend including an open house, street party, variety night headlined by the Olivier Award-nominated Atim, who starred in Girl From The North Country here last year, and ball. We shortlisted Atim for our 2016 monsta for Best Theatre Actress for her star turn in the all-women Shakespeare Trilogy and she won our 2017 Best Performance Of A Song (see below). We’ve loved how Matthew Warchus has transformed the OV with an emphasis on gig theatre, family entertainment and work with messages. Tickets
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) 10/2/18 on SVT (link at the bottom of the page below)
WHERE: Gothenburg
This week’s heat boasts a very contemporary song which is our favourite entry so far but will the Swedes get behind a singer not from their own country?
WHEN?: BBC2 7/2/18 7.30pm
WHERE: Brighton Dome
We think this year’s UK Eurovision selection is the best since its 90s heyday (when Deuce were beaten by Love City Groove) and venture that there’s a potential Eurovision Song Contest winner in this year’s half dozen.
