There is no other show on Earth like her music competition. Eurovision.

First organized by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) in 1956, the competition has been held every year since, except in 2020, when the coronavirus pandemic made it impossible.

However, from the moment of the first event to the present day, a lot has changed in Europe’s favorite institution. For example, in recent years the competition course has been divided into three instead of one night with two semi-finals. In addition, until now, the choice of the winner was carried out by voting of the jury, as well as TV viewers. But from this year, only public voting selects those who will advance to the grand final, who can also vote through the Eurovision app.

Inclusion in the competition

Along the way, the contest became notorious for being part of the LGBTQI+ community and thus attracted audiences belonging to Generation Z. For example, in 1998 Israel’s representative Dana International became the first openly transgender person to ever compete in Eurovision. In the same year, she made history as the first LGBTI+ community winner with the song “Diva”. In 2014, the competition was won by another representative of the queer community, singer and drag queen Conchita Wurst from Austria. Her song “Rise Like a Phoenix” impressed not only with its performance, but also with its message.

While its popularity is still growing in North America – thanks to the 2020 Netflix film Eurovision: The Story of the Fire Saga – the contest has already become synonymous in many countries around the world with an important or harsh verse. , inventive direction and unions of countries in the vote. “Eurovision is about community, recognition and multiculturalism,” Suri, who represented the UK in 2018, told the BBC. “There’s also healthy competition.”

spectacle

This year the UK hosts the 67th Eurovision Song Contest, culminating in the final on Saturday. As we’ve seen in this year’s two semi-finals, the Liverpool Arena stage has been showcasing works with relevant political and social messages for another year, which is now happening at every competition.

Words, however, are not the only recipe for a successful song, as dance, effects, or even… acrobatics enter the equation. Over the years, the choreography and staging have become more complex and modern, which has “captured” the attention of the younger generation. In 2022, the winning song “Stefania” by the Ukrainian group “Kalush Orkestr” combined hip-hop with traditional music and “touches” of pop music.

With the rapid development of technology and the transition of young people to mobile phones, tablets and other devices, it is impressive that Gen Z people are watching a TV product like Eurovision. According to EBU data from 34 markets, last year’s final drew 56% of the total TV audience aged 15 to 24, four times the average.

Therefore, it is not surprising that for the second year in a row, the social media app TikTok, aimed at young users, has officially partnered with the Eurovision Song Contest.

Adapting to modern culture

But what attracts young people to competitions? Certainly not its structure. While the older generation sometimes calls today’s Eurovision a bad taste and an advertisement for a spectacle rather than song and music, the younger generation sees it as a global entertainment platform. “I think the secret to the contest’s success lies in how it has managed to adapt to modern culture without being seen as obsolete,” says Daniel Rozny, Eurovision correspondent for the BBC, and points out that the Italian band Maneskin “won”. the whole world after winning Eurovision 2021 with the rock song “Zitti e buoni”.

Many Eurovision analysts emphasize that the contest “is especially aimed at young people, because the spirit of inclusiveness allows them to be themselves.” Eurovision is more than just a competition. “It’s about a lot of different cultures and people coming together through music, and I think that’s what the world needs,” concludes singer-songwriter Daddy Freire.

According to the BBC