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Eurovision 2024

Deary me.
Come on, enough is enough, could we get back on topic please.
People got offended, and comment has been made.
I had "issues" with ableist and ageist comments on here, recently.
Personally.
Comment made, responses given, then move on.

Back on topic, do not employ singers if they cannot cut it live.
Nul points.
 
The_bup said:
I really liked France, it’s a shame it didn’t win, but I guess Switzerland was okay.

I don’t know, it was well past my bedtime. Fell asleep before the winner was announced!
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Join the club, every year for about fifty years.
Eurovision, also known as channel hopping fall asleep in your chair night.
Flashier stage sets every year, but the same old snores.
 
As others have pointed out, if you find something which you feel doesn't meet the forum guidelines, then please report the post. That includes any content you find inappropriate, not just an individual post. We have a comment box when reporting for that reason. As a team we're sometimes busy with real life (especially in this weather!), but we'll review when we're able to.

I'm going to leave previous posts here on this occasion as there's a lot of context in the back and forth that occurred afterwards explaining people's actions.

However, as our member expectations point out, members should treat everyone with respect - and that includes someone's gender. What you may not agree with is something that others find forms a huge part of their lives.

Members have the ability to create topics for serious discussion on topics such as this, so that members who choose not to read or participate in them can avoid them. However this is after all a Eurovision topic, a contest which historically should embrace all regardless of their identity. So let's try and stick to the actual contest rather than the gender of the contestants please, thanks!
 
Getting back to Eurovision...
Am I the only one who half expected Graham Norton to do a Wogan, and resign on air, on the grounds of "this is all getting too political?" 🤣
 
www.bbc.co.uk

Eurovision song contest: EU lodges official complaint over flag ban

Banning the EU flag from Eurovision was a gift to "the enemies of Europe", the commission's vice-president said
www.bbc.co.uk

I completely back the EBU on their decision to only allow the flags of participating nations at Eurovision, or rather understand the reasoning but... as a rainbow flag carrying goose, I don't understand why rainbow/pride flags get a free pass at this event, and are included, when they aren't for other protected groups or characteristics.

Eurovision has obviously been adopted by the rainbow mafia as LGBTQIA+ Christmas, but what about BAME, or People of Colour, solidarity? What about flags for those with disabilities, or autism, or many of the hundreds of other affinity groups? Why do we, colourful spectrum of love, get a free pass and inclusion when the others don't? It feels mightily unfair.
 
Now come on, false flags can start wars (but only a very few), unless you can show me your best piratical exceptions.
People tend to start wars, usually over contested land ownership, or god.
Flags generally are quite passive, moving gently in the breeze.
...and how do geese hold a rainbow flag while marching?
Need to know.
I think there may possibly be an avian imposter here.

Back to the contest...the politicisation, is it the beginning of the end...nobody wants to win on cost grounds, and the spotlight is now on issues.
Not as much fun any more.
Too much posturing and division.

Bring back international It's a Knockout...the Musical.
Much more fun.
 
rob666 said:
Bring back international It's a Knockout...the Musical.
Much more fun.
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"And here come the Belgians!"

Yep, Jeux Sans Frontieres coming back would be fantastic, far more fun than the song contests ever was however, it is a high cost show to put on, that is unless let's say EBU signs a deal with say a Netflix or Amazon Prime to help cover the costs then maybe we could be on for something.
 
I was really surprised by the lack of public votes for Estonia. I suppose there were a lot of other goofy acts to choose from.
 
I'll go back to my argument a couple of years back about these contests not having to cost the host country so much money (it was the World Cup football back then). These tournaments cost so much to host because people host them in such a way that they choose to spend more than needed. It's an arena with some music acts performing, and it's even televised so there must be money to be made from the broadcast rights. Adele and other artists can do a music show without television rights and make money out of it. What is the major malfunction with people that they can't even do a break-even music event that millions want to watch on TV and thousands will pay to attend in person? Where is the wasted money going?
 
Eurovision doesn’t appear to be in the same place as say the Olympics or the Euros where seemingly no one wants to stage them any more due to costs.

Eurovision in Liverpool had a significant positive effect on the economy:

www.bbc.co.uk

Eurovision Song Contest gave Liverpool £55m 'shot in the arm', mayor says - BBC News

More than 300,000 people attended song contest-related events in the city in May, the council says.
www.bbc.co.uk www.bbc.co.uk

I am also not convinced that countries don’t want to win, Croatia for example had already booked their arena for 2025 in preparation, that doesn’t really give the impression countries don’t want to win? Hope they get their deposit back.
 
It's been a mess for years, and this year's kick off isn't the first time either. There have been issues with rainbow/pride, EU and local flags previously and the policy is enforced to varying degrees depending on what the host broadcaster and Eurovision Reference Group decides for each year. Funnily enough, there was a kick off the last time Sweden hosted in 2016, with warnings confusingly not to waive the rainbow flag "politically" - the assumption being that this meant during Russia's performance thanks to their issues with LGBT acceptance and rights issues.

Fast forward to 2019 and Iceland's entry Hitari smuggled in Palestinian flags for the results which they were later fined for, and Madonna had a scene in her performance calling for unity between Israel and Palestine which producers were not aware about:
1715692397708.png
The EBU have pretty much made a rod for their own backs by tying themselves in knots across the years they've had this issue. They've allowed rainbow flags - but then there's so many different variations of said flags over the years, so where does that exception stop? They've specifically stated participant country flags only can be brought in, but then what happens if a performer is from another country such as a Welsh or Scottish flag? Or say, Celine Dion being from Canada performing for the Swiss? Those flags, or even an EU flag may form a strong part of that participant's identity, perhaps just as much as a rainbow flag does to an LGBT person. Away from flags we've got Eric Saade, who's performance was removed from social media because he was wearing a keffiyeh. Where do we draw the line at wearing an item of clothing, especially when his own father is Palestinian, so is wearing it to represent a part of his identity and culture - again in the same way that many drape and waive those rainbow flags. Do we prevent acts wearing other traditional dress in future for fear of making political statements?

Like @GooseOnTheLoose, I personally have zero issues with rainbow flags and the like. But it's very difficult for the EBU to easily explain away the current rules, when some exceptions are made and others are strictly enforced - especially with things changing from year to year and unwritten exceptions like EU flags being permitted then seemingly banned in another year.
 
Eurovision in Liverpool was great, was a real bounce in the city during the fortnight build up with loads of official and unofficial events going on. So the bars, clubs, restaurants, and hotels would've done well out of it. Plus it gives confidence and shows how well other major events can be held.
Plus obviously further tourism from people wanting to come back, or people being be told to visit or just from seeing it on TV.
 
We're in a different world from say the 90's, where Ireland were said to be desperate to avoid having to host again because it was costing them a fortune. It's a much bigger beast these days, it's not just a random conference centre holding a few hundred spectators and an orchestra - it's pretty much a fully fledged music festival. You've got the semi final shows and dress rehearsals which now feature live audiences, meaning more money coming in from ticket goers. You've got fringe events going on all over the cities, things like the Eurovision Village bringing in huge numbers to watch live performances, meaning people are staying in the city and spending money there too. Not to mention the economic benefits of everyone working on the show staying in the city as well.

Of course long term there's also a benefit as well. We're a much more mobile society these days, so it's a real chance for countries to show off and attract tourism longer term too, especially with all the additional social media coverage that can be gained over the course of the contest too.
 
John_P said:
Eurovision in Liverpool was great, was a real bounce in the city during the fortnight build up with loads of official and unofficial events going on. So the bars, clubs, restaurants, and hotels would've done well out of it. Plus it gives confidence and shows how well other major events can be held.
Plus obviously further tourism from people wanting to come back, or people being be told to visit or just from seeing it on TV.
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I think that Liverpool gave Eurovision a boost, rather than the other way round.
Big benefit for the city though, as you say, a real show of what the modern city can do.
 
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