Tonight we’re covering the Grand Final and Winner’s Press Conference. Live from 18:30 – 02:30(ish) CEST.
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The press conference is over, and that’s Eurovision done for another year.
It’s been an absolute JOY, and your live bloggers would like to say a HUGE thank you to the amazing content and digital team here in Turin, and everyone who has kept us company for the 100-plus hours of Live Blogging we’ve done over the past two weeks. It’s been an incredibly special 15 days.
Our beds are calling, but we hope very much to see you again in 2023. THANK YOU and goodnight!
Martin Österdahl has arrived, firstly to thank everyone at Rai and the city of Turin for putting on such an amazing 66th Eurovision Song Contest.
Tonight we saw a great show with artists from 40 countries standing behind the unifying values of the contest, says Österdahl – Kalush Orchestra have been courageous and impressive and should be congratulated for this incredible win.
He hands over the welcome pack to Oksana, the Head of Delegation for Ukraine. He tells her that work begins the day after tomorrow, and Eurovision team are with Ukraine all the way.
This is the first time a rap song has one Eurovision, points out a journalist from Denmark – how did it feel to rap in Ukrainian on the Eurovision stage?
Rap and hiphop is mainstream number one on the world music stage, says Oleh, and he believes that in eight years people will be surprised if a rap song DOESN’T win Eurovision.
What was the most exciting moment you experienced in the streets of Turin? It’s been quite stressful to be honest, because for a long time they band weren’t able to get together to rehearse, they had to do it online. But once they were in Turin they were able to rehearse every detail of their performance, and they really wanted to do a great job as they understood the responsibility.
Oleh hasn’t had time to call his mother yet, but he has texted her and asked his girlfriend to give her call. His mother has replied that she’s very proud and happy.
How worried are you about going home to the war? asks a Swedish journalist. Being worried doesn’t end with us crossing the border, says Oleh – our friends and and family are in danger whererever we are, and in some ways it’s easier being close to them. He won’t be able to spend his birthday with his family on 16th May because he will be travelling, but he will see them the next day.
Breaking news…Oleh’s favourites from Eurovision this evening were Italy, United Kingdom, Poland and Moldova.
How can we make sure Ukrainian culture continues to thrive during difficult times? asks another member of the press. You can watch Ukrainian films, listen to Ukrainian music and support Ukrainian artists, says Oleh.
What wil you do when you get home? asks the online press. Are you going to fight in the war?
We have a temporary authorisation to be in Italy, confirms Oleh, and it ends in two days. He’s not sure exactly what they will be doing because they’ve just won the Eurovision Song Contest, but like every Ukrainian they are ready to fight until the the end.
Another member of the press asks Kalush Orchestra if they’ve heard from President Zelensky yet, and whether it’s possible that they can they host next year.
It’s a good answer – Oleh says that President Zelensky is pretty busy with other things right now, and next year they plan to host in a free and integrated Ukraine.
A journalist from the Ukrainian press requests the opportunity to share a group hug with Kalush Orchestra, and they happily oblige.
What message do you have for displaced Ukrainians who have been watching from across Europe? asks a member of the online press. 'I want to thank everyone in the Ukrainian diaspora, ' says Oleh, who is answering all questions on behalf of the band. This victory is hugely important, he says, and glory to Ukraine.
'Do you think people voted for you because of the situation in Ukraine’, asks a member of the foreign press, 'or because of the song Stefania?' The band confirms that even though Stefania was number one in the odds, but even before war broke out it was in the top five, and it’s been played all over Europe. Kalush Orchestra would like to thank everyone who has listened to their song and voted for it.
…to hear from Ukraine’s Kalush Orchestra. Don’t go away!
UKRAINE are the winners, United Kingdom are second, Spain are third, and Sweden are fourth. Huge congratulations to Ukraine, and what an amazing night this has been. We need to lie down for a week.
… Ukraine pull in a HUGE public vote, putting them at the top of the table by an absolute mile. WOW, what an incredible result for Kalush Orchestra, and the crowd in the arena and the Delegation Bubble are going WILD.
…this is a brutal but very exciting way of announcing who has won Eurovision. We officially stopped breathing several minutes ago.
Serbia’s public vote is enormous – they’re now in the lead. Ten countries left!
Right, let’s do this thing. Deep breaths, everyone.
Germany are taking the bottom slot this year, but they’ve got six points so nobody is getting zero this year. This makes us very happy.
Meanwhile Moldova absolutely SMASHED the public vote. Good work, Moldova.
The juries have voted, and United Kingdom have won the jury vote, followed by Sweden, Spain, Ukraine and Portugal.
After 13 years of being a Brit liveblogging Eurovision, this feels like a very special moment. Whatever happens after this, it’s been one hell of a night. In the immortal words of Sweden’s Cornelia, hold me closer.
Only ten juries left to vote, and the current top three hasn’t changed – UK, Sweden and Spain are still the top 3. But if there’s one thing we’ve learned from previous contests, it’s that the public vote can change EVERYTHING.
And it’s United Kingdom at no. 1, Sweden at no. 2, and Spain at no 3. This is incredibly stressful, not gonna lie.
…and the UK are still at he top, but Sweden and Spain are VERY close behind. The public votes are going to make all the difference.
…and the United Kingdom are in the lead.
In the interests of full disclosure, your current liveblogger is a Brit and this has not happened in a VERY long time. But we’re holding it together (barely).
…and SPAIN are in the lead, with the UK very close behind. Well, this is quite exciting. But we have a VERY long way to go.
Martin Osterdahl has confirmed that the jury votes are good to go, which means it’s time to have slightly awkward conversations with people all over Europe. Are you ready? Of course you are. This is where the fun really starts.
The voting is CLOSED! We hope you voted before the lights went off, the scoring faded to black and the wolf ate your grandma. If not, ask a spaceman to hold you closer down by the river.
In other news, the official Eurovision prosecco is LOVELY.
Can moon wolves write? And if so, what does their handwriting look like? Keith from Norway’s Subwoolfer came by to sign our official programme, so we can show you.
The handwriting isn’t GREAT, to be fair, but they didn’t destroy the programme, so that feels like a win.
You didn’t think Eurovision was going to happen without Mika performing did you? Are you MAD? This is one of the most complex staging arrangements we’ve see this year – six plinths, two pianos (including one that looks a bit unstable), a hydraulic platform, countless dancers, a giant inflatable heart – there’s a LOT going on.
It’s a medley of his greatest hits, his new single, and a reminder of why Mika was such a pop megastar back in the day. We were all hoping this would be huge and fabulous, and we are not disappointed.
Well this is quite special – Gigliola Cinquetti won Eurovision for Italy in 1964 with her song Non Ho L’eta, and she’s back 58 years later to sing it again. This song has stood the test of time, and Gigliola sounds amazing – all the Italians in the Delegation Bubble are singing along, even though some of them are not much older than Gigliola was when she won Eurovision. What a special moment for Italy, and Italian music.
Have you voted yet? Why not? It’s once a year, you don’t get a second chance. Get your votes in, THEN replenish your snacks for the voting. There’s still a very long way to go, and much drama ahead. Alessandro’s even doing some green screen nonsense to persuade you.
A lot of people have been waiting all evening for this (including us) – Måneskin performing their new single Supermodel.
This is a Max Martin collaboration and it already has the makings of a huge summer hit – shortly they’ll be giving us a taste of a song they’ve written for Baz Luhrmann’s upcoming Elvis biopic.
…and the voting is OPEN! Only one act will get to perform again tonight, and that will be the winner of the Eurovision Song Contest 2022. We’ll know who that is in a couple of hours, but before that we’ve got a bit old interval and a bunch of stressful voting to get through. Buckle in!
The easiest way to vote is via the Eurovision App – you can download it here!
We all need a little hope right now, and that’s what Estonia’s Stefan is bringing to the Eurovision stage. After a run of songs where the vocalists haven’t really moved, Stefan bounds around the stage like he’s got to get 10,000 steps in before midnight, leaping over the waterfall as he singing his pop/country ballad that gives us a real Aviici vibe.
This is a fabulous way to finish an amazing night of music – we hope you’ve enjoyed it as much as we have.
STEFAN – Hope – Estonia 🇪🇪 – Official Music Video – Eurovision 2022
Estonia: Stefan gives us all a little bit of 'Hope'
The singing is nearly at an end, but not until Serbia have served up a song that at first glance appears to be 'the one about Meghan Markle’s hair’, but is actually a commentary about impossible beauty standards and the Serbian healthcare system.
It’s hypnotic and quirky, with some intense hand-washing and a really catchy chorus. There’s even a hand dance, which everyone in the delegation bubble is now doing.
This is art. Frame it and hang it in the Uffizi.
🇷🇸 Serbia – Konstrakta / In Corpore Sano
Konstrakta – In Corpore Sano – Serbia 🇷🇸 – Official Music Video – Eurovision 2022
Serbia: What is the secret of Konstrakta's innovative performance?
Here comes Poland’s Ochman with his operatic watery ballad River, accompanied by video game lighting effects and ghostly dancers. It breaks all the rules of Eurovision ballads, and we’re absolutely here for it. ALL the drama in three minutes.
Ochman – River – Poland 🇵🇱 – Official Music Video – Eurovision 2022
Poland: Blending opera and pop into something that's all Ochman
Time for Sam Ryder from the United Kingdom to take us on an interstellar journey into space (man). This performance (definitely) has the biggest prop, (arguably) has the biggest vocal, and he’s also wearing a sparkly jumpsuit that uses all the fabric Chanel didn’t need.
Stay tuned for the epic finish where Sam shreds the heck out of a guitar. WHAT a moment.
🇬🇧United Kingdom – Sam Ryder / Spaceman
Sam Ryder – SPACE MAN – United Kingdom 🇬🇧 – Official Music Video – Eurovision 2022
United Kingdom: Sam Ryder brings us on a journey up to space, man
Giant steps? A 40 kilo white outfit made of ostrich feathers? A Swarowski crystal mask and hand jewels? Welcome to Sheldon Riley’s world, and one of the most dramatic performances of this year’s Eurovision. The part at the end where Sheldon removes the mask and goes into the huge final chorus is a MOMENT.
🇦🇺 Australia – Sheldon Riley / Not The Same
Sheldon Riley – Not The Same – Australia 🇦🇺 – Official Music Video – Eurovision 2022
Australia's Sheldon Riley's 'Not the Same', and we love him for it!
It’s Sweden’s turn to perform, with Cornelia Jakobs singing 'Hold Me Closer’. Sweden have a great track record for polished, classy pop at Eurovision, and this year is no exception. Aside from her outstanding vocal, this is a masterclass in using the cameras and the stage to connect with an audience and tell a story. 'I found the wrong one at the wrong time’ is giving us FEELS.
🇸🇪 Sweden – Cornelia Jakobs / Hold Me Closer
Cornelia Jakobs – Hold Me Closer – Sweden 🇸🇪 – Official Music Video – Eurovision 2022
Sweden: Cornelia Jakobs pulls us in closer
Are you ready to folklore and rock 'n’ roll? Of course you are. Trenulețul is a Moldovan train party from Chisinau to Bucharest, courtesy of Eurovision legends Zdob şi Zdub, this time accompanied by the Advahov brothers. At the very least your shoulders should be swaying from side to side right not. It’s some kind of Moldovan law, probably.
🇲🇩 Moldova / Zdob și Zdub & Advahov Brothers – Trenulețul
Zdob şi Zdub & Advahov Brothers – Trenuleţul – Moldova 🇲🇩 – Official Music Video – Eurovision 2022
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Moldova: The ‘Trenulețul’ has finally pulled into Turin!
We’re staying low tempo for one more song, but it’s a very different vibe. After we all die together, there’s an Icelandic sunrise – it’s an uplifting song of hope and redemption sung by three sisters Sigga, Beta and Elin, with their brother Eythor on drums.
They’re a family within the Eurovision family, and the fact that they’ve made it through two weeks in the Eurovision bubble without pushing each other into the the arena water feature is testament to their closeness.
🇮🇸 Iceland / Systur – Með Hækkandi Sól
Systur – Með Hækkandi Sól – Iceland 🇮🇸 – Official Music Video – Eurovision 2022
Iceland: Systur shine a light over Europe with their song of hope
We haven’t used the word 'haunting’ yet, but it’s definitely one of the adjectives of choice for Die Together from Greece’s Amanda Georgiadi Tenfjord. Some interesting vocal effects in this song – from the reverb at the beginning to the silent moments when all you can hear is the waterfall in the arena.
The staging of broken chairs and the lighting add drama to a performance that was already uber-dramatic, and then Amanda throws in a massive note at the end and everyone gasps. The end.
🇬🇷 Greece / Amanda Georgiadi Tenfjord – Die Together
Amanda Georgiadi Tenfjord – Die Together – Greece 🇬🇷 – Official Music Video – Eurovision 2022
Greece's Amanda Georgiadi Tenfjord: from heartbreak to healing
Another short filler break, because Greece is up next and they have FURNITURE. Mika and Laura want you to buy a CD and a DVD, because at Eurovision it’s always 2006. There’s a merch shop and everything.
Time for a bit of R&B from Belgium’s Jérémie Makiese, with one of the biggest vocals and most understated songs of the years. It’s effortlessly cool, from the pinpoint dance routine to the incredible vocal. No surprise that Jérémie won The Voice Belgique in 2021. Also in a year of incredible jackets, Jérémie’s silver one is our favourite.
🇧🇪 Belgium – Jérémie Makiese / Miss You
Jérémie Makiese – Miss You – Belgium 🇧🇪 – Official Music Video – Eurovision 2022
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Jérémie Makiese goes from defending the goal to serving up soul
Our first Big Steps of the evening, and a powerful mega-ballad from Nadir Rustamli. Fade To Black has some really clever staging, with stairs that split to enable a mirrored dance routine. He had his hair cut off yesterday and we’re very much hoping that wasn’t the source of his vocal power.
Nope, he’s still got it. PHEW.
🇦🇿 Azerbaijan – Nadir Rustamli / Fade To Black
Nadir Rustamli – Fade To Black – Azerbaijan 🇦🇿 – Official Music Video – Eurovision 2022
Diving into Eurovision headfirst with Azerbaijan's Nadir Rustamli
Time for an elegant, jazzy interlude from Lithuania’s Monika Liu. Sentimental has a classic chanson quality, sung entirely in Lithuanian, and Monika’s look is pure catwalk chic. She’s been SO much fun backstage over the past couple of weeks – if you haven’t yet heard her singing her fave Britney Spears songs, search '66 Questions’ on Youtube. Not NOW, obviously.
🇱🇹Lithuania / Monika Lui – Sentimental
Monika Liu – Sentimentai – Lithuania 🇱🇹 – Official Music Video – Eurovision 2022
Lithuania: Monika Liu gives us all the feels with 'Sentimentai'
It’s Germany’s turn to perform, with Malik Harris bringing a rock ballad with an Eminem-style rap interlude. Rockstars has some really interesting close-up camerawork and staging, with Malik working his way round multiple instruments whilst retaining his connection with the audience. Creating such an intimate performance on such a big stage is no mean feat, and Malik absolutely nails it.
🇩🇪Germany – Malik Harris / Rockstars
Malik Harris – Rockstars – Germany 🇩🇪 – Official Music Video – Eurovision 2022
Germany's Malik Harris: a multi-talented 'Rockstar'
Ukraine are up next, singing their folk/hiphop banger Stefania. It’s a song about lead singer Oleh’s mum, and they’ve dedicated it to mothers everywhere. Kalush is the name of the city he grew up in, so they’ve brought a little bit of home with them to Italy.
There’s a lot of love for this in the arena and the Delegation Bubble, and the pink bucket hats are ON.
🇺🇦 Ukraine / Kalush Orchestra – Stefania
Kalush Orchestra – Stefania – Ukraine 🇺🇦 – Official Music Video – Eurovision 2022
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Ukraine: Kalush Orchestra introduces us to 'Stefania'
Time for a moment of introspective calm from Netherlands’ S10, who gets considerably fewer steps in than Chanel, but still brings a beautiful vocal performance. It’s the first time Netherlands have sung in Dutch since 2010, and on that occasion they didn’t qualify. Die Diepte means 'the deep’ and S10 makes a language we don’t hear in song very often sound really beautiful.
Incidentally, if you want more information about S10, it’s best to go straight to her page on the Eurovision website rather than doing a Google search, unless you genuinely want a new phone.
🇳🇱 Netherlands / S10 – De Diepte
S10 – De Diepte – Netherlands 🇳🇱 – Official Music Video – Eurovision 2022
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Netherlands: S10 has a story to share with the Eurovision audience
Are you ready for Spain? Probably not, but we’re going in anyway. Chanel’s here with her all-singing, all-dancing booty hypnotic routine Slo-mo, and it’s going to make you want to spend all summer drinking sangria in the sun. These moves are coming to a club near you, whether you like it or not. And let’s face it, what’s not to like?
Also FUN FACT: Chanel’s choreographer (who also does choreography for the likes of J-Lo and Justin Bieber) asked if he could get involved after watching Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga. Love it.
Chanel – SloMo – Spain 🇪🇸 – Official Music Video – Eurovision 2022
Spain: In 'SloMo', we learn that 'solo existe una' Chanel!
Time for the host nation Italy, with Mahmood & BLANCO singing 'Brividi’. This translates as 'chills’, and it’s definitely been a goosebumps moment in rehearsals.
If you recognise Mahmood, he came second in the 2019 contest with his song Soldi. Can he go one better tonight and give Italy the double, with a little help from BLANCO? It’s our only duet of the evening, and it’s really quite special. Everyone in the arena and the Delegation Bubble is singing along.
🇮🇹 Italy – Mahmood & BLANCO / Brividi
Mahmood & BLANCO – Brividi – Italy 🇮🇹 – Official Music Video – Eurovision 2022
Italy's Mahmood and BLANCO share their emotions and give us 'Brividi'
As non-Italians, we had NO IDEA how much Italian is spoken through the language of the hands. Let’s just say we’ve learned a lot this week, and we’ll be taking is all home with us. Especially the one for 'what the hell do you want?', because it feels particularly Italian and everyone loves a souvenir.
It’s time for a breather, and an opportunity to look at some of the highlights from this year’s Eurovision. We LOVE a montage of memories, and so much good stuff we had to wave goodbye to in the Semi-finals. But that’s the way Eurovision goes, and in the end it’s the audience who are the real winners. There’ll be another one of these along later, so don’t shout at us if your fave is missing.
It’s time for Armenia, and our first domestic interior of the evening, except Rosa Linn’s bedroom is made of white sticky notes (NOT toilet paper, whatever your national commentator is currently saying).
This is one of a couple of songs this evening with a contemporary country feel, and the staging of this is really clever, particularly the big finish.
🇦🇲 Armenia / Rosa Linn – Snap
Rosa Linn – Snap – Armenia 🇦🇲 – Official Music Video – Eurovision 2022
Armenia's Rosa Linn: From a small town to Eurovision in a 'Snap'!
So, Norway. If you’ve made it this far and have no idea what’s about to happen, well done. It’s definitely the most…unusual of this year’s entries, and we’ll be kind of sad when we have to live in a world where we don’t keep bumping into yellow wolves called Keith and Jim.
Unexpectedly, it’s one of the most polished dance routines in the competition, and the song is incredibly catchy. Yum yum yum, as they say in Norway.
🇳🇴 Norway / Subwoolfer – Give That Wolf A Banana
Subwoolfer – Give That Wolf A Banana – Norway 🇳🇴 – Official Music Video – Eurovision 2022
Norway: Subwoolfer complete a mission millions of years in the making
It’s our first Big 5 performance of the night, from France’s Alvan & Ahez. It’s a mix of traditional folk and techno, sung entirely in Breton with a thumping bassline that makes the whole arena vibrate. It also means that for the first time in Eurovison history there is no French language at all in any of this year’s entries – not so much as a cheeky Je Me Casse.
Bonus points for the wink at the end – he did this to one of our team outside the loos the other day and she took HOURS to recover (Me. It was me.)
🇫🇷 France – Alvan & Ahez / Fulenn
Alvan & Ahez – Fulenn – France 🇫🇷 – Official Music Video – Eurovision 2022
France: Alvan & Ahez merge ancient myth with contemporary song
Time for our first big ballad of the night, from Switzerland’s Marius Bear, telling us that Boys Do Cry. Of course we already knew this from Gjon’s Tears last year, but perhaps Marius didn’t get that memo.
He has a huge, soulful vocal, and this song has a laid-back jazz/blues vibe. This first half of the Grand Final is generally quite up-tempo, so these stripped-back ballad breaks provide an opportunity to sit down and marvel at the quality of this year’s singing. Also nobody in the Delegation rocks a leather jacket quite like Marius.
🇨🇭 Switzerland / Marius Bear – Boys Do Cry
Marius Bear – Boys Do Cry – Switzerland 🇨🇭 – Official Music Video – Eurovision 2022
Switzerland: Marius Bear encourages us to show our emotions
Right, that’s quite enough relaxation for the time being. It’s time for some Finnish rock, and The Rasmus singing Jezebel – you may remember them from their huge global hit In The Shadows from 2003.
This is the only rock number in this year’s Eurovision Grand Final, but that turned out OK for Måneskin last year. Incidentally, don’t get Finland’s The Rasmus (2022, leather-clad rock bees) confused with Denmark’s Rasmussen (2018, beardy vikings). Very different vibe.
🇫🇮 Finland – The Rasmus/Jezebel
The Rasmus – Jezebel – Finland 🇫🇮 – Official Music Video – Eurovision 2022
Finland's rockers The Rasmus: a new stage, a new page
Czech Republic and Romania put us on a massive Eurovision high, but it’s OK because Portugal is here to bring us back down gently with some ambient chillout. Saudade is a word that describes the wistful nostalgia you feel for something or someone beloved that is no longer with you, leaving you with a blend of “the pain of missing something” and “the joy of having had something worth missing”.
So basically how we’re going to feel when we leave Turin tomorrow. Gentle clapping, everyone, it’s all going to be fine.
MARO – Saudade Saudade – Portugal 🇵🇹 – Official Music Video – Eurovision 2022
Portugal: MARO and her friends demystify 'saudade' for us
Don’t sit down just yet, because Romania is also a HUGE tune. Hola, mi bebébé means 'Hey my baby’ and it’s become a standard Eurovision 'good morning’ in the arena. Romania’s WRS wants us to call him, but in Spanish, because Eurovision. God, we love it here.
Backing singer crop tops by Speedo, available soon.
🇷🇴 Romania – WRS / Llámame
WRS – Llámame – Romania 🇷🇴 – National Final Performance – Eurovision 2022
Romania: WRS always approaches life with rhythm in mind
We’re kicking off the show with a big old party banger from Czech Republic – We Are Domi closed Thursday’s second Semi-Final, and but tonight they’re getting the party started.
Extra points for using every light in the arena, deployment of a custom-made cello/guitar hybrid, and getting the word 'peripheral’ into the lyrics. It’s not an English word we hear every day, and we’re here for it.
The Delegation Bubble is already up and dancing, because 'easing ourselves in gently’ is not a phrase we understand.
🇨🇿 Czech Republic – We Are Domi / Lights Off
We Are Domi – Lights Off – Czech Republic 🇨🇿 – Official Music Video – Eurovision 2022
We Are Domi: custom guitars, alumni support, and an Olympic connection
Laura Pausini, Allesandro Cattelan and Mika are back! They’ve kept us company through two Semi-Finals, and now they’re our hosts for one more HUGE show.
In less than four hours we’ll have a 2022 Eurovision winner, but there’s a lot to enjoy between now and then. Sit back, relax, and enjoy. LET THE EUROVISION SONG CONTEST 2022 BEGIN!
Eurovision 2022 Hosts: Laura Pausini, Alessandro Cattelan and Mika 🇮🇹
As far as we’re concerned, Eurovision doesn’t officially start until the flag parade begins. We love the banging dance track too – Italy doesn’t really do subtle and understated, and we’re absolutely OK with that. Dance breaks are provided by people in hazmat suits waving giant glow sticks.
We’re quite excited to see all our finalists on the stage together for the first time, and in the order that they’re going to perform tonight. Whether you’re a hardcore fan or dipping your toe into Eurovision for one night only, you are definitely in for a treat.
Tonight’s grand final opens with a Rockin’ 1000 performance in Turin’s historic Piazza San Carlo, which involved over 500 musicians – vocalists, bassists, drummers and guitarists – performing John Lennon’s Give Peace A Chance. The audience at the PalaOlimpico joins in, and it feels like a really powerful moment of unity across Europe. Are you clapping along? We are all clapping along. Doing it in time is entirely optional.
Our opening performance is from one of our hosts for the evening, Italian singer Laura Pausini. She’s belting out a medley of her biggest songs in multiple languages, with five sets of backing singers and dancers and outfit changes. It’s Eurovision levels of extra, and it’s definitely kicking this Grand Final off in style. It’s EUROVISION TIME!
*breathes into one of our 40 delegation merch tote bags*
The arena is filling up with fans from all over Europe, and some of them are VERY well dressed…
We’re in the Delegation Bubble right now – it’s the backstage lounge where all the dressing rooms are, and where all the acts hang out when they’re not on stage. Right now the energy is electric – everyone’s counting down to 21:00 CEST when the Grand Final begins.
Once the show starts, everyone here will be watching on the big screens and cheering along. We might not be in the arena, but we’ve definitely got the best seat in the house.
It’s not Eurovision without a game of 'spot the theme’ – so decide whether you’re drinking or eating snacks or scoring points for whenever you spot any of the following:
🐼 Black and white – last year the outfits were all about silver and neon pink, but this year monochrome panda chic is very much en vogue.
✋ Hand choreography – clapping, hand-waving, odd hand movements
🎻 Live instruments, with a bonus point if they look a bit handmade
🔥 PYRO – flames, fireworks, smoke jets, raging firepits
🔴 Circles – graphic ones, prop ones, standing ones. It’s a very rounded show this evening.
🎶 Non-English lyrics – we count twelve different languages being showcased tonight, including Latin for the first time. See if you can spot them all!
It’s been scientifically proved that time moves more slowly when you’re impatient for the Eurovision Grand Final to start. But we’re here to help, with some things you can do to get ready:
Download a scorecard. You’ll be glad of it later when you’ve listened to 25 wildly different songs and your brain feels like it’s done three minutes on a hamster wheel. In fact, print multiple copies so you don’t have to get into a big fight with your family and friends. Hey, we’ve been there, and we’ve got this.
Get dressed up. You’re going to see some serious fashion on the Turin stage tonight – we’re in Italy after all. So ditch the sweats in favour of something a little more…alta moda. Sequins, feathers, leather, crystals, yellow lycra – you’re going to see it all tonight, so you might as well join in.
Grab drinks and snacks. Tonight’s show is nearly four hours’ long, so treat it like an endurance event and make sure you’ve got provisions. Bonus points if they’re vaguely Italian. Breadsticks definitely count.
Impress your friends and family with some vital statistics and fun facts about this year’s contest.
…the pride of being a Eurovision winner, the opportunity to host next year, and this rather fabulous trophy. Who WOULDN’T want that?
🇨🇿 Czech Republic – We Are Domi / Lights Off
🇷🇴 Romania – WRS / Llámame
🇫🇮 Finland – The Rasmus/Jezebel
🇨🇭 Switzerland – Marius Bear / Boys Do Cry
🇫🇷 France – Alvan & Ahez / Fulenn
🇳🇴 Norway / Subwoolfer – Give That Wolf A Banana
🇦🇲 Armenia / Rosa Linn – Snap
🇮🇹 Italy – Mahmood & BLANCO / Brividi
🇳🇱 Netherlands / S10 – De Diepte
🇺🇦 Ukraine / Kalush Orchestra – Stefania
🇩🇪Germany – Malik Harris / Rockstars
🇱🇹 Lithuania / Monika Lui – Sentimental
🇦🇿 Azerbaijan – Nadir Rustamli / Fade To Black
🇧🇪 Belgium – Jérémie Makiese / Miss You
🇬🇷 Greece / Amanda Georgiadi Tenfjord – Die Together
🇮🇸 Iceland / Systur – Með Hækkandi Sól
🇲🇩 Moldova / Zdob și Zdub & Advahov Brothers – Trenulețul
🇸🇪 Sweden – Cornelia Jakobs / Hold Me Closer
🇦🇺 Australia – Sheldon Riley / Not The Same
🇬🇧United Kingdom – Sam Ryder / Spaceman
🇷🇸 Serbia – Konstrakta / In Corpore Sano
You can find out everything you need to know about how to watch the Eurovision 2022 Grand final on the link below.
Don’t forget you can also watch on the Eurovision TikTok channel, with exclusive backstage footage.
Eurovision 2022: How to watch and vote - All you need to know!
Good evening, bonsoir, and welcome to the 2022 Eurovision Song Contest Grand Final Live Blog! After two weeks of watching every rehearsal and live show, it all comes down to one final performance. Who will earn their place in Eurovision history? By the end of tonight’s Grand Final we’ll know, and the planning for next year’s contest will begin.
It’s Heidi and the Live Blog team keeping you company this evening, from now until the winner’s press conference is finished and the Eurovision baton is officially passed on for another year. We’re in the Delegation Bubble backstage at the PalaOlimpico in Turin, so we’ll be able to share all the backstage breaking news as each act performs, and be your essential companion for tonight’s show.
It’s the biggest live entertainment event in the world, and it’s happening tonight. Are you ready?
The Eurovision Song Contest is organized by the European Broadcasting Union, the world's foremost alliance of public service media, representing 116 member organizations in 56 countries and an additional 34 Associates in Asia, Africa, Australasia and the Americas.