Eurovision 2017

As much as I enjoyed this year's contest, I don't think I could cope with the constant tongue in cheek comments and musical numbers all the time. I hope Sweden haven't set a precedent for this to happen every year.

It has to be said that when you look back at Eurovision through the late 90s and early 00s it's clear that Ulrika & Terry's banter in 1998 planted the seed for all that sort of nonsense - rhyming couplets, reading the script upside down.

I quite agree on both counts. Edward af Sillén has written 3 of the past 6 shows so it may start getting stale. Equally, as much as I am at the front of the Petra Mede fan club if Sweden win again I'd love someone else to have the chance to host. Melodifestivalen provides such a good stomping ground for providing Eurovision hosts. Personally I'd love Gina Dirawi to host sometime soon.

And you're right about the interplay between the hosts. Prior to 1998 the contest was still mostly hosted by lone women, usually newsreaders. The RTE years produced some of the best presenters in Fionnuala Sweeney and Mary Kennedy. Even when there were two hosts, in 1996 & 1997, the male hosts were very much just there to try and attract a younger audience and they played very much second fiddle to the female hosts. I think Petra worked best on her own in Malmo and I'd be very keen to see a strong, lone female presenter once again.

The crowd behavior has changed a lot in twenty years too - right up to the late nineties/early noughties everyone's just sitting down and politely applauding the start and end of each song like they're watching a concert, but it's shifted much more into a standing, whooping music festival vibe in the last decade or two - something again 1998's contest began to bring in but only really became the standard relatively recently, along with the studio audience themselves shifting from mostly local middle-aged men in suits to a whole cross-section of fans who've travelled half the world to be there.

The 'comedy' entries especially used to be performed to complete silence from the audience, perhaps not helped that they were mostly in the country's own language rather than English. Guildo Horn in '98 is the first wacky entry I think of that actually got the audience laughing and cheering along.

Mary Kennedy's speech at the beginning of the 1995 contest leaves you in no doubt that the great and the good of Europe have gathered in Dublin for the contest! The Point contests (1994, 95 & 97) were the first on such a huge scale and probably set the precedent for future shows.

For a laugh watch the opening of the 1982 contest. Famous for not knowing where Harrogate was the show opens with the great and the good assembling. All old men in their suits! Not at all the audience you associate today.

Indeed. I was at the Friday evening dress rehearsal at the NIA in Birmingham in 1998, and everybody around me was in fits of laughter at his seemingly 'ad lib' antics as part of the performance (until I saw the technocrane move into position for the last shot of the song, then I knew just how rehearsed it all was).

At the end of the song and whilst the postcard vt for the next act was playing, I heard at least three people say that there was the winner. I was not sure - it was all to wacky and to be honest, the vocal performance wasn't the best.

But I agree - Heir Horn was the first contestant to take the contest not entirely seriously, and do a song that played to the 'home' crowd in terms of silliness.

I was shocked recently to discover that Guildo is only 52 now! He looked about that nearly 20 years ago!

It's called Jim Bowen syndrome.

Search for 2017 Eurovision host city has started

The selection of the city and arena to host the 2017 Eurovision Song Contest in Ukraine has officially begun. The host broadcaster NTU has published the bidding process and selection criteria today. The preliminary dates for the Grand Final and the two Semi-Finals have also been adapted but may still change.

http://www.eurovision.tv/page/news?id=search_for_2017_eurovision_host_city_has_started

Here are the requirements:

- Venue– A venue that can accommodate at least 7,000 spectators, preferably 10,000. The venue should meet the EBU’s technical/quality requirements.
- Security -The candidate cities in cooperation with the Ukrainian state bodies have to guarantee the safety of journalists, delegations, fans, guess throughout the Eurovision period in compliance with the EBU.
- Press Centre– A press centre which can accommodate at least 1,550 journalists located near the Eurovision venue.
- Accommodation– Hotel capacity to accommodate artists, delegations, press and fans/ official hotels. At least 2,000 rooms should be available (1,000 for delegations/1,000 room for media and fans) with a wide price range. Hotels should be located close to venue and in the city centre.
- Euroclub venue- the official party hub for delegations, artists used for parties and promo events. Should be located in close proximity to the hotels, city centre and venue.
- Transport- modern transportation system in the city/ international airport connections/ airport-city transport/ shuttle buses for delegations/ shuttle bus service (official hotels/Euroclub/venue/press centre).
- Welcome Reception/ After Parties -potential venue proposals that can accommodate up to 3,000 persons (press, delegations, artists)
- Social Program during Eurovision– sightseeing tours, cultural events, hospitality etc.
- Promotional campaign of the host city- international and local promotion of the event and host city.
- City Branding– ads, billboards, placards, posters, banners, lights and decorations showcasing the Eurovision logo and theme art throughout the host city. The city is required to create a unique Eurovision atmosphere and ambiance promoting the event.

Also, the provisional dates for the contest have now been brought forward one week.

"The preliminary dates of next year's Eurovision Song Contest have changed to 9 May (First Semi-Final), 11 May (Second Semi-Final), and 13 May (Grand Final) 2017. The definitive dates will be announced as soon as the Host City is known.'

Also, who 'owns' this thread now so that the subtitle can be updated correctly?

I think it returns to DVB Cornwall by default.

Can't really see it being anywhere but Kiev.

You're probably right however Lviv has emerged strongly, especially as it is only just over the border from Poland and the EBU may consider it a safer venue. The main problem would be that the arena, which is a football stadium, would need a roof. They did that in Dusseldorf however the German authorities clearly had the money to do so. Lviv seems a beautiful, cosmopolitan, European city so you just never know.