Eurovision
It’s three months on and I’m still trying to process Eurovision. It was actually less than a year ago when Liverpool got awarded the honour of being host city and I’m also stupidly impressed at how the city turned such a massive event around in such a short space of time. Incredible work from all involved. Also, going back to that announcement in October 2022, I never actually thought I’d be involved and in all fairness, I wasn’t actually that bothered as Eurovision wasn’t really on my radar. So being asked to document it, or at least the happenings in the Eurovision Village/fan park alongside other things going on, was a bit of surprise that just kept getting more and more surprising as the long week wore on. Not sure I’ve ever covered a 9 day festival before and, if I ever do again, I think I’d like it to be Eurovision. From the opening night of Welcome to Eurotopia with Stealing Sheep and Natalie McCool (plus a whole lot of guests) to the final on day 9 when Jedward (yes, Jedward) stole the show, it was a constant stream of who knows what around the corner with some random highlights being the House of Suarez’s brilliantly subversive Royalty Ball, the Rave UKraine party in Hangar 34, the crowd at the Ukraine artists concert, seeing Girls Don’t Sync’s mid week party at the Pier Head, Sophie Ellis-Bextor’s kitchen disco in the kitchen department of John Lewis, Charlotte Church doing Black Sabbath and Destiny’s Child at her late night Pop Dungeon, meeting the OGAEs (Eurovision super fans) arrival into the city, Sandie Shaw dancing with the Sonic Yootha’s DJs to Puppet on a String and the brilliant English National Opera doing Eurovision. But more than any of that, the real highlight was the crowds. Not just the hardcore Eurovision fans, who are completely bonkers in the nicest of ways, but the people of Liverpool who just took it all onboard, joined in the party and seemed to have the best time ever. ❤️
