By Neil Durham
WHEN?: Saturday 15 February 2025 7pm UK time
WHERE?: ABB Arena, Västerås
Will it be 4th time lucky for a girl band with a rotating membership to rival the UK’s own Sugababes?
By Neil Durham
WHEN?: Saturday 8 February 2025 7pm UK time
WHERE?: Scandinavium, Gothenburg
Hammarström has made the finalen in each of her last 2 Melodifestivalens and has co-written an entry with 4 of the authors of 2023 Eurovision winner Tattoo.
By Neil Durham
WHEN?: Saturday 1 February 2025 7pm UK time
WHERE?: Coop Norrbotten Arena, Luleå
Melodifestivalen turns 65 this year, in 2024 gave us Unforgettable Norwegian twins Marcus and Martinus as victors and we see them live in London in March, the biggest compliment we can pay an act.
WORTH A LOOK?: ****
Next year’s 69th Eurovision Song Contest is in Basel, Switzerland thanks to Nemo, the show’s 1st non-binary winner, with a song that placed 5th in its televote but was the runaway jury winner.
Cupid’s Bow is the 2nd single from Alexander’s debut solo album Polari out early next year and it has a thumpingly muscular bassline courtesy of Dua Lipa producer Danny L. Harle that takes aim and hits its dancefloor bullseye.
WORTH A LOOK?: ****1/2
Can this song live up to its title?
By Neil Durham
WHEN?: 8pm (UK time) 11 May 2024
WHERE?: Malmo Arena, Sweden
HOW DO I WATCH?: BBC1 in the UK SVT Also eurovision.tv
The UK hosted Eurovision memorably last year in Liverpool and in 2024 former Years and Years frontman Olly Alexander competes to win the 68th edition in Sweden with his pop banger Dizzy.
By Neil Durham
WHEN?: Thursday 9 May 2024
WHERE?: Malmo Arena, Malmo
HOW DO I WATCH?: BBC1 8pm, eurovision.tv or SVT
It’s non-binary artist Nemo (pictured) who has the best song in this less competitive semi final that will need a big performance to do it justice live but inevitably it will be the appearance of Israel’s Eden Golan with a rewritten entry no longer called October Rain that will likely dominate headlines.
WORTH A LOOK?: ****
We’re holidaying in Barcelona and leaning into the flood of Eurovision songs just released and this Netherlands entry stands out on 1st listen for its riffing on 90s Dutch superstars 2 Unlimited and their best known charttopper No Limits.
By Neil Durham
WORTH A LOOK?: *****
Last year we described Mae Muller’s I Wrote A Song as ‘the UK’s best Eurovision entry since Gina G’ and we’d say the same of this extremely catchy and tasteful track which draws on Pet Shop Boys influences.
