![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
torkellYes! It's that time of year again! And we're off to a great start already with one contestant kicked out during the rehearsals and at least two country hosts bowing out...
Anyway, Eurovision this year gets a royal introduction from the Crown Princess of Sweden! Classy.
I recognise one of the flag parade songs! Oddly enough I was listening to it only yesterday. And I see the UK has decided to win the largest flag competition with one that must have come from the Royal Navy 😅
Resident snarkmeister Graham Norton is back and opens with: "Yes, you can vote for songs before they have been performed. I could try and explain it, but why bother?". So this year the lines are already open? Eh, bring on the songs!
This year's postcard themes: a recap of past entries, followed by cellphone selfies with dramatic slow-motion posing
1. Sweden: we're stuck in an unforgettable sci-fi corridor with All The Strobe Lights
2. Ukraine: don't worry about life in the desert, our rain chant works
3. Germany: ALL THE FIRE
4. Luxembourg: beware of the leopards!
5. Netherlands: kicked out during rehearsals, though apparently not because of Gaza?
6. Israel: how to hide the backing dancers: all the smoke machines!
7. Lithuania: oh dear, we seem to have summoned giant hands
Interlude, with a clip of Sweden's first go at hosting Eurovision 50 years ago.
8. Spain: I did not expect that
9. Estonia: we lost our violins, so we'll have to improvise
10. Ireland: the goths have worked out how to power their spells with Eurovision. Be afraid. Be very afraid.
11. Latvia: rather underwhelming
12. Greece: we found the Tiktok effects!
13. United Kingdom: we hired M C Escher to do our set design. This may have been a mistake.
Interlude: the EBU spokesperson gives us the inside scoop... in song, naturally.
14. Norway: a sort of fey rock metal, with a side order of goth?
15. Italy: who will be brave enough to claim the Rose Throne?
16. Serbia: our fey goth has been left on a rock in the middle of the ocean. Very emotional.
17. Finland: what is this I don't even... just... what...
18. Portugal: see, if you abandon your fey then they'll just summon whatever Finland was and we'll have to clean up the emotional trauma
19. Armenia: I brought all my favourite instruments!
20. Cyprus: liar!
21. Switzerland: you can make it up the dish thing if you try!
Interlude: the infamous skirt moment!
Also this year the Eurovision songs are available on DVD, CD, LP,... and rune stone?
22. Slovenia: our fey didn't even get a rock to stand on, so she'll have to make do with backing dancers.
23. Croatia: time to leave for Eurovision, just don't forget to pack your cosplay outfits. Catchy!
24. Georgia: more fire! Though we'll have to make do with the video wall, Germany used up all the actual fire.
25. France: mind the camera! Impressive a capella bit near the end.
Interlude: Brighton survived ABBA!
26. Austria: cyberpunk fey, bringing the rave! Bookends rather neatly with Sweden at the start.
So to sum up, my favourites are Sweden, Norway, Croatia, and Austria, the fey have turned up from all over the place including Ireland, and Slovenia, and Serbia has demonstrated that if you don't take care of them then they'll retaliate. With Finland.
