It’s finally finals day and the buzz that’s been gradually building for the past two weeks has exploded into barely controlled chaos. TV and radio crews from all over the world have descended on the press centre, seeking soundbites and predictions from the hardcore pundits who’ve been here from the start, and the whole area is a hive of activity. Throughout the day I find myself offering encouraging thoughts with varying degrees of sincerity to journalists from the competing nations eager for good words about their entrants’ prospects.
The Swedish press are always fired up by this stage, but they can practically taste victory at this point, and there’s an edge of anxiety that suggests anything less will be considered a major failure. The press from nations with less illustrious recent form are more circumspect. Belgium are building real momentum, but they’ve been burned before and their journalists are generally just looking for reassurance that Loïc has a chance at reaching the top ten.
As a participant, Azerbaijan come in for a lot of criticism from certain areas – for alleged shady dealings around voting and for their tendency to outsource songwriting duties to Swedish professionals every year – but the sheer amount of Azerbaijani flags being waved enthusiastically in the press centre today speaks to their obvious passion for the contest. Other particularly vocal delegations come from Austria and neighbouring Germany, the exuberant Spaniards and the fans from Georgia, who have pinned strong hopes on Nina, their most well-received contender in several years.
Serbia’s Bojana Stamenov was one of the big favourites in the press centre.
Photo: Eurovision.tv
A packed-out and enthusiastic press room almost makes up for the lack of alcohol on sale, and by the time the show starts the atmosphere has reached fever pitch. All of the performances receive warm responses – with particularly huge cheers for Israel, Serbia, Sweden, Australia, Belgium, Latvia and Italy. I’m sitting near a group of Italian journalists who accompany ‘Grande Amore’ with screaming vocals and more tears than those shed onstage by the Estonian, Spanish and Russian singers combined. When Il Volo finish, I narrowly avoid a serious facial injury as a result of the unrestrained jumping and flag waving.
As exciting as the performances are, having already seen the show a couple of times, it’s the voting that most of us are really here for, and a tense battle royale between Sweden, Russia and Italy doesn’t disappoint. Due to a mix of the sound levels and the general hum of excitement permeating the room, we don’t really get a sense of the apparently hostile audience reaction to Russia, and there’s far less of it in evidence here, although when Sweden finally overtake around the halfway mark the cheer is deafening.
As Måns begins to pull away, the TV and radio crews start looking for reactions. By this point a bottle of Champagne has magically appeared and my unbridled joy at the prospect of another trip to my beloved Stockholm is starting to rival the Italian fans from earlier, enough to convince some of the journalists that I must be a bona fide Swede. No sooner is the result confirmed than I’m shuttled into the BBC Radio 2 broadcast booth alongside a group of other elated fans – none of whom are actually Swedish. My offer to do my best Petra Mede impersonation is wisely declined, and I end up in a passionate on-air discussion about just where it all went wrong for the UK with Paddy O’Connell and a collective of fellow pundits. The broad consensus is that Electro Velvet themselves aren’t to blame, and serious changes need to occur at the BBC. But don’t we say that every year?
An elated Måns Zelmerlöw claims Sweden’s sixth Eurovision victory after fighting off tough competition from Russia and Italy.
Photo: Eurovision.tv
My last official duty of the 2015 contest is, fittingly enough, yet another press conference – as Måns Zelmerlöw and Swedish HoD Christer Björkman field questions. Any negativity that crept into previous interviews has now been swept away and the Swedish duo receives a hero’s welcome (sorry). Björkman won’t be drawn on a possible host city just yet, but admits plans have been in motion since Thursday’s semi final, and assures journalists that the 2016 contest will be heavily influenced by lessons learned from their 2013 hosting experience. I suppose it’s too much to ask for him to campaign for a temporary reduction in Swedish alcohol duty?
Måns faces the awaiting journalists in the winner’s press conference.
Eurovision.tv
Måns pays tribute to the Austrian crew for a spectacular organisation, talks about developing a friendship with Australia’s Guy Sebastian and offers sincere gratitude to the gay community for their support in light of the controversy around some poorly worded sentiments he expressed on Swedish TV last year. There have been times in the past when his slick, media-trained persona has come off as slightly lacking in warmth, but he seems genuinely humbled and overwhelmed here. It’s going to be a tough job following Conchita, but Måns has worked a long time to this point, and he certainly has the charisma, talent and work ethic to grab this opportunity with both hands.
As the last cameras flash and the assembled delegates trail out of the room, the evening – and indeed the 2015 Eurovision Song Contest – finally, definitively comes to an end. It’s been an exciting ride, and I hope you’ve enjoyed my little missives from here on the ground floor. As I prepare with a heavy heart for a return to my infinitely less glitzy regular existence, I look forward to doing it all again in Stockholm (or Gothenburg, or possibly Uppsala?) next year. Feel free to join me.
Well done JP!
Thanks again for these articles, John. I can’t begin to tell you how good they are in every respect! I’ll probably never get to go to Eurovision, but reading these missives is like paying a brief but fascinating visit.