Eurovision Song Contest 2013

What do you get when you cross 39 European countries, outrageous costumes, singing grannies, warbling twins, bizarre set-designs and enough sequins to sink an army of glitzy dress designers? No, we’re not talking about the Oakeley Bar on a Saturday night! It’s the annual Eurovision Song Contest of course; a musical feast for your eyes and ears.

The competition has been running since 1956, and because it is broadcast around the world every year (this year’s audience is estimated to be around 120 million viewers) it is one of the longest running television programmes in the world.

And there have been some pretty memorable moments in the Eurovision Song Contest history… who remembers the infamous velcro skirts on the Bucksfizz ladies in 1981, or the nil points rendition from UK act Jemini in 2003 or the hard rock “monsters” that made up Finnish band Lordi in 2006. Or how about the contest’s first ever trans-sexual entrant in 1998, the unforgettable Dana?  

Whatever happens this year, we think it’ll be pretty memorable. The Eurovision Song Contest comes from the Swedish city of Malmo, and this year’s entry for the UK is by none other than Welsh pop legend Bonnie Tyler. The singing sensation was born in Neath in 1951 and is probably best known for her 1983 hit “Total Eclipse of the Heart” (an Oakeley karaoke favourite!). Bonnie’s latest song “Believe in Me” is set to storm the points charts at this year’s Eurovision Song Contest, and we’re all keeping our fingers crossed for success! Her home town of Swansea are celebrating in style with a stage and big screen being set up in the city centre so fans can gather and watch the show live from 8pm.

Good Luck Bonnie! By Bojars on Wiki Commons

You can catch the 2013 Eurovision Song Contest live on BBC1 on Saturday 18th May from 8pm. Find out more information at the Eurovision Song Contest home page or this BBC page. And if you can’t wait until Saturday, check out our Eurovision facts below. We bet you didn’t know………

• The 2013 Eurovision Song Contest will be the 58th annual contest.
• All entries must be no more than 3 minutes long
• Bands are allowed but must have 6 members or less. Until 1971 the maximum number of people allowed on stage was 3.
• The first contest in 1956 had just seven entries. In 2013 there will be 39 nations competing.
• The 1968 Eurovision contest from the Royal Albert Hall was the first to be broadcast in colour.
• Terry Wogan, Dave Lee Travis, David Vine, David Jacobs, Pete Murray and Rolf Harris have all presented the Eurovision programme for the BBC. This year’s host will be comedian Graham Norton.
• The UK has won 5 times and come second 15 times. Fingers crossed for first place this year; come on Bonnie!
• Live animals are not allowed on the Eurovision stage!
• Bruce Forsyth’s daughter Julie appeared on stage with her band Guys and Dolls in 1979.
• There are expected to be over 2,500 journalists in attendance at the 2013 Eurovision Song Contest.
• In 1981, Italy boycotted the contest because it was “too old fashioned”!