Everything you need to know about Eurovision tonight... as Cork's Bambie Thug gets ready to perform
Bambie Thug pictured out and about in Malmo Sweden. They are the 10th act to perform tonight in Eurovision. Picture Andres Poveda
That will be the aim of Macroom singer Bambie Thug with the track, Doomsday Blue - and bookies reckon we have a good chance of collecting a record eighth crown.
Viewers can tune into the fun and mayhem on RTÉ1 from 8pm.
The 68th annual song contest will be beamed live from Malmo in Sweden, after Loreen from that nation finished first in 2023 with Tattoo.
That brought Sweden’s winning total to seven, meaning they now tie with Ireland as the most successful country in the contest’s history. This year also marks the 50th anniversary of Abba giving Sweden their iconic first win with Waterloo.
The coverage comes live from the Malmo Arena, and is hosted by singer Petra Mede and Swedish-born Hollywood star Malin Akerman. Viewers will be shown how to vote after the acts have performed.
As well as being a proud night for self-proclaimed ‘witch’ Bambie, it will be a landmark occasion for Marty Whelan, as he is the RTÉ host for his 25th contest.
It’s a fine record, but he has some way to go to match Limerick -born Terry Wogan, who hosted on radio and TV for the BBC for 38 years.
Corkman Graham Norton, who took over from Wogan in 2009, hosts the BBC1 coverage from 8pm, and the United Kingdom’s hopes rest on Olly Alexander and his song Dizzy.
Olly said: “There’s just nothing else like Eurovision. Growing up, there was this one night of the year that was just this night of insane craziness - a chaotic mix of fun and all these different musical styles, all these amazing performances.”
The 20 acts who made it through the two-semi-finals will perform live tonight, along with the so-called ‘Big Five’ who qualify automatically - the UK, Germany, Italy, Spain and France - and hosts Sweden.
But will there be any historic pop moments we will still remember in 50 years’ time, like with Abba? Bambie will hope so.
The favourites to win the contest are Croatia, with their catchy song Rim Tim Tagi Dim by Baby Lasagna - they have never won it before.
Other contenders include Switzerland, Italy, and Ireland, with Bambie aiming to claim Ireland’s first win in the iconic contest since Eimear Quinn in 1996.
Bambie is only the second Cork act to represent Ireland at the contest, after Cathal Dunne, who came fifth with Happy Man in Israel in 1979.
App?
