2011-05-14
The Eurovision Song Contest
The Eurovision Song Contest, that great European institution in which the world's top musicians battle for patriotism through the power of song, is held in Düsseldorf's Esprit Arena in 2011. Germany is the host nation following last year's win by Lena Meyer-Landrut.
Ranking up there with the Miss World competition in terms of cultural
significance, the Eurovision Song Contest was the brainchild of
Frenchman Marcel Baison, who hoped that by fighting with music instead
of guns the nations of post-war Europe would become united in peace. A
nice idea in theory, although viewers of past contests will have noticed
the element of bias still present in country-by-country votes (Greece
always giving Cyprus ten points and Turkey "nul points", for instance).
The
build-up to the contest is watched with some interest and not a little
hilarity in much of Europe, but there remains an ardent community of
Eurovision fans who continue to take the whole affair a lot more
seriously. Expect the hotly contested event to provide extravagance and
dramatics, with a hearty dose of patriotic fervour thrown in for good
measure.
It's a curious spectacle but, for all the jokes it
inspires, this event still pulls in record-breaking TV audiences and is,
for some, the highlight of the musical year. Those who are particularly
eager to experience Eurovision up close and personal can also apply for
tickets to the show's semi-finals through its website.
When: 10 - 14 May 2011
Where: Esprit Arena, Dusseldorf, Germany
From: whatsonwhen.com
last modification: 2011-04-21
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