The Official Eurovision Song Contest Podcast

Multi award-winning popstar SIGRID is one of Norway's biggest singers and is a huge Eurovision fan. She joins us on the Official Eurovision Song Contest podcast to discuss her love of the show, her favourite entries of all time and her connections to past Eurovision participants - including Sam Ryder and Subwoolfer.

It's the Junior Eurovision Song Contest final in Nice! Steve is joined by the reigning Junior champion Lissandro (and his mum). He won for France last year with Oh Maman! We're also talking to Viki Gabor, who helped Poland achieve back-to-back victories when she sang Superhero in 2019.

Steve heads to Amsterdam for Het Grote Songfestivalfeest, where dozens of Eurovision acts get together for a huge party in the Ziggo Dome. From the class of 2023, we catch up with three top-ten finalists: Käärijä from Finland, Norway's Alessandra, and Alika from Estonia. Plus - from Turin 2022, - we find out exactly how Andrei from Romania (formerly known as WRS) created his iconic Hola Mi Bebebe moment.

Our guest is the one of the hosts of the Eurovision Song Contest in Rotterdam 2021... the one and only Nikkie de Jager (AKA NikkieTutorials). Nikkie shares her secrets of hosting the show, make-up with Måneskin, her favourite Eurovision songs... and much more.

On this episode, Steve chats to Raiven, who's representing Slovenia with her dramatic ballad Veronika. They discuss her opera background, meet her pet macaw Georgie and talk about how the song is going to transfer to the Malmö stage. Also dropping in to surprise Raiven is Joker Out's lead singer Bojan Cvjetićanin, who represented Slovenia in Liverpool last year.

On this episode, Steve is joined by two of this year’s Eurovision stars: Aiko and Silia Kapsis. Aiko is singing Pedestal for Czechia and she talks about the making of the song, her friendship with Teya (from Teya & Salena) and the unusual form of exercise that keeps her strong. We then hear from Silia Kapsis, who’s representing Cyprus. The teenager is busy finalising the choreography for her song Liar. She tells us about her Cypriot roots, her love of Whitney Houston, and the famous neighbour who lives near her back home in Sydney.

Steve welcomes Finland's Windows95Man and vocalist Henri Piispanen to the podcast. The pair stormed to victory in the Finnish national final, UMK, with their 90s-inspired club hit No Rules. They chat about the epic performance which featured a denim egg, pyrotechnics... and a special pair of denim shorts. They also discuss the impact of Käärijä's success in Finland, and the advice he's given them.

We’re saying hello to Mustii, the singer and Drag Race judge who’s representing Belgium with his epic track Before The Party’s Over. Steve chats to Mustii about his Eurovision plans, his love of Madonna and David Bowie, and how he’s getting loads of support from all his friends on Drag Race Belgium. Last year’s Belgian entrant Gustaph drops in to offer his support… and find out Mustii’s weird choice of song when he’s out at karaoke.

Joining Steve this week is Silvester Belt, who’s representing Lithuania with Luktelk. He talks about his life since winning the Lithuanian national final and the advice he’s received from both Monika Linkytė and Monika Liu. He speaks about the beauty of the Lithuanian language and why he’s looking forward to meeting the UK’s Olly Alexander in Malmö.

In this episode, Steve heads to a dance studio at a secret location to meet Kaleen, who's representing Austria with We Will Rave. As we find out, the singer is no stranger to the Eurovision Song Contest as she's previously stood in for artists including Eleni Fouriera. She talks about the plans for the staging of her song, the making of the music video and her dancing prowess.

SABA will be taking the bridge from Copenhagen to Malmö to represent Denmark with her song Sand. The singer tells host Steve Holden about her unlikely journey to the Eurovision Song Contest via musical theatre and her talents as a footballer. She also discusses the special bond with her identical twin sister.

Steve catches up with Ireland's Bambie Thug as they prepare to bring their witchy brand of goth pop to Malmö. They chat about their pride at representing their country, their hatred of tap dance and how they brought some Mean Girls inspiration to the video for Doomsday Blue.

This episode comes from the first pre-party of the season… in Madrid! First up is Nemo, who’s representing Switzerland with The Code. They talk about the song, weird breakfasts and losing their luggage. There’s also a special guest appearance from one of their best friends… who happens to be Teya (of Teya and Salena fame)! Then Steve catches up with LADANIVA who are representing Armenia. The duo are singer Jaklin and instrumentalist Louis who are taking their song Jako to Malmö. All we’ll say is that you should keep listening for the best impression of a chicken you will ever hear. Big thanks to Eurovision Spain for hosting us at the PrePartyES 2024.

El podcast oficial del Festival de Eurovisión os llega desde la PrePartyES 2024 en Madrid. Víctor Escudero presenta este episodio en español y habla con algunas de las fantásticas candidaturas de este año. Charla con Nebulossa de España para conocer el vínculo especial que existe entre este dúo de marido y mujer. Después de competir en el Benidorm Fest, Megara se dirigió a San Marino y ahora representan al microestado con su canción 11:11. Desde Portugal nos acompaña Iolanda, que cantará Grito en Malmö. Y la copresentadora de Víctor en la PrePartyES, Melani, nos habla de cómo fue representar a España en Eurovisión Junior en 2019 y de sus futuras metas.

Joining Steve on this week’s episode are Georgia’s Nutsa Buzaladze and Serbia’s Teya Dora. Nutsa is taking her song Firefighter to Malmö. She speaks about her experience on the finals of American Idol, singing with Kylie Minogue and tells us about the joys of one of Georgia’s delicious national dishes - khachapuri! Teya Dora will sing the ethereal ballad Ramonda in Sweden. She speaks about winning the Serbian national final and getting the support of Konstrakta and Luke Black. She also discusses her gigantic viral hit Džanum, which has had billions of views and streams around the world.

For this week’s episode, Marcus & Martinus sit down with Steve to talk about representing this year’s host country… Sweden! The twins are taking their song Unforgettable to Malmö, where they’ll be first to perform in the Grand Final on May 11. The soccer-crazy brothers discuss which one of them is the better footballer, their embarrassing historic haircuts and how Loreen is their ‘Eurovision Mother’.

It’s a very special episode of the podcast recorded in front of a LIVE audience at the London Eurovision Party. Steve welcomes Conchita on stage to celebrate the 10 year anniversary of their iconic win in Copenhagen. They discuss the impact of Rise Like A Phoenix, working on the Eurovision movie and the perils of skiing. Gustaph (Belgium, 2023) and Keiino (Norway, 2019) also share their Eurovision memories and stories. From the Class of 2024, Malta’s Sarah Bonnici, Ireland’s Bambie Thug, Austria’s Kaleen and Belgium’s Mustii drop in too. Thank you to the London Eurovision Party for hosting us.

Hej from Malmö! Joining us straight from their first rehearsals are Ukraine's alyona alyona and Jerry Heil, who are singing Teresa & Maria. The pair discuss their long journey to Sweden, their performance and alyona alyonna demonstrates her incredible rap skills. Poland's LUNA is bringing The Tower to the contest. She talks about her musical influences and her ambitious staging. Before that, Steve finally meets Silia Kapsis face-to-face, who's performing Liar for Cyprus and chats about a potential Eurovision supergroup.

Croatia’s Baby Lasagna has had crowds going wild for his anthem Rim Tim Dagi Dim. The singer, whose real name is Marko, talks to Steve about his love of cats and the reception he receives in his home town. He also answers the big question… how much does he actually love lasagna?

Steve catches up with two more acts who have arrived at the podcast fresh off stage from their first rehearsals in Malmö. First up is Malta’s Sarah Bonnici, who talks about the complicated choreo for Loop as well as putting her original career on hold to chase the Eurovision dream. We also catch up with Switzerland’s Nemo. They have revealed their elaborate staging for The Code. They also discuss hitch-hiking to Malmö from Zurich, and making friends with the Class of ‘24. If you heard them on the podcast previously, you can also find out if they were ever reunited with their missing luggage.

Three Eurovision queens join Steve on the latest episode from Malmö. Portugal’s Iolanda speaks about Grito, tracking down the best Portuguese tart in Sweden and reveals her favourite pop bangers of all time. After representing Iceland in 2010, Hera Björk is back for a second time with Scared Of Heights. She talks about the love in the Eurovision community, her powerlifting preparation and whether she is actually scared of heights! Albania’s BESA is performing Titans in Sweden. She chats about her passion for rescuing dogs (she has six of them!) and reveals the singer who messages the most in the Eurovision What’sApp chat.

Steve is joined in the delegation bubble for a gossip by Swedish radio and TV presenter Tina Mehrafzoon, who’s commentating for her home country at this year’s contest. Dons is singing Hollow for Latvia. As one of his country’s biggest singers, he talks about his idol Freddie Mercury, voicing a Disney icon… and the best way to cook an egg. Norway’s Gåte are bringing ethereal drama with their anthem Ulveham. Singer Gunnhild Sundli and guitarist Magnus Børmark discuss their staging, Gunnhild’s incredible voice and why the midnight sun isn’t all it’s cracked up to be.

Steve is joined by Greece's Marina Satti, who has already had a huge hit in her home country with her Eurovision entry Zari. She talks about her musical style, the song, her unique music video and the love for the 2005 Greek Eurovision champion Helena Paparizou. Azerbaijani singer FAHREE has teamed up with Ilkin Dovaltov to sing the powerful anthem Özünlə Apar. The pair speak about their partnership, FAHREE’s special spoon (honestly!) and how Ilkin might just have the best moustache in Malmö.

Germany’s ISAAK brings the anthemic Always On The Run to the Eurovision stage. He joins Steve for a chat about his career so far, his unusual musical talent and why translating songs into German isn’t always that straightforward. Eden Golan is singing Hurricane for Israel and discusses her musical idols, her Eurovision heroes and the love of her life… her 15-year-old chihuahua Leo.

Steve speaks to the brains behind Europapa! Joost Klein is representing the Netherlands with his happy hardcore bittersweet hit. He talks about the message behind the song and what happens inside his creative mind. Zaachariaha and Michael are Electric Fields, who are singing One Milkali (One Blood) for Australia. They discuss their love of Janet Jackson, the song's meaning and their long-standing friendship. 5MIINUST are one of Estonia’s most successful bands and joined up with duo Puuluup for their Eurovision entry which is called (nendest) markootikumidest ei tea me (küll) midagi. Joining Steve are Marko from Puuluup and Kohver from 5MIINUST to chat about their collaboration, bonding in the sauna and learning choreography for Eurovision.

Petra Mede is back to host the Eurovision Song Contest for the third time, and is joined on the podcast by her best friend - and this year’s writer and director - Edward af Sillén. They talk to Steve Holden about their friendship, their love of Abba and the legacy of their 2106 interval act Love Love Peace Peace.

Swedish superstar Benjamin Ingrosso joins Steve for a chat about his career, new music and his many connections to the Eurovision Song Contest. In Malmö, Benjamin is performing a medley of songs in the interval of the first semi-final. In this episode, he talks about his appearance for Sweden in the 2018 Contest, when he came seventh with Dance You Off. He also discusses his personal links to Sweden’s Eurovision winners, working with Björn Ulveaus from ABBA and why Melodifestivalen is responsible for his entire existence!

Pour la première fois, le podcast officiel du concours Eurovision de la Chanson vous est dévoilé en français! L’animateur, Rémi entame la discussion avec Slimane, le représentant français, qui a été le premier artiste à être dévoilé pour l'édition 2024. Il partage ses réflexions sur sa chanson Mon Amour, exprimant ses sentiments à l'idée de représenter son pays et évoquant les liens qu'il a tissés avec d'autres participants cette année. La conversation se poursuit avec Mustii, le représentant de la Belgique, interprétant Before The Party’s Over. Il dévoile les nuances de son titre, expliquant ce qu'il représente et signifie pour lui, tout en soulignant l'influence de la scène drag dans son expression artistique et sa mise en scène. Ensuite, le duo arménien LADANIVA, basé entre Lille et Paris, interprétant Jako à Malmö, partage ses inspirations musicales et raconte leur rencontre singulière.

Olly Alexander is representing the United Kingdom with his song Dizzy! He joins the podcast to talk about the mind-melting staging for his performance and his preparations for Malmö. The singer also discusses his appearance in UK soap Eastenders, his cats Fanta & Sprite and the friendships he’s made in the build up to the Contest. Steve also talks to Slovenia's Raiven, Serbia's Teya Dora, Cyprus' Silia Kapsis and Portugal's Iolanda after they qualified for the Grand Final. Also joining for a debrief is music journalist and Swedish commentator Tina Mehrafzoon to offer her thoughts on the ten qualifiers.

After becoming one of Italy’s breakout stars of 2023, Angelina Mango is representing her country with La Noia at the Eurovision Song Contest. She talks to Steve about the meaning behind the song, her win at the Sanremo Music Festival and her incredible musical roots.

Reigning champion Loreen returns to the podcast, one year after she won the Eurovision Song Contest for the second time. She discusses the crazy year she’s had since winning with Tattoo, her famous nails, her new single Forever and her upcoming tour. Steve also speaks to Georgia’s Nutsa, Magnus from Norwegian band Gåte, Austria’s Kaleen and Latvia’s Dons after they qualified for the Grand Final. Joining once again is music journalist and Swedish commentator Tina Mehrafzoon to offer her thoughts on the ten qualifiers. And Sarah Dawn Finer (AKA Linda Woodruff) gatecrashes the interview after taking part in the Swedish interval song - We Just Love Eurovision Too Much.

It's here! The Grand Final of this year’s Eurovision Song Contest is taking place in Malmō. On this episode, Steve catches up with brothers Marcus & Martinus, who are opening the show for Sweden. Also, dropping by are drag superstars Nicky Doll and Courtney Act, as well as Serbian Eurovision legends Bojana Stemanov (2015) and Konstrakta (2022). After Käärijä almost won for Finland last year, we pay a visit to the country's commentator Mikko Silvennoinen. In a year of amazing choreography, Meshach Henry explains how he’s created the mind-melting dancing for the UK’s Olly Alexander.

Nemo has won this year's Eurovision Song Contest for Switzerland. Their song, The Code, received 591 points to finish in first place, ahead of Croatia and Ukraine. They speak to Steve, just moments after receiving the coveted trophy to discuss what the win means to them.

Basel has been announced as the host city of the Eurovision Song Contest 2025! To celebrate, Steve’s been speaking to some of the people who were in the room when Nemo wrote The Code, bringing the contest back to Switzerland. At a songwriting camp in Malta, he chats to Nemo’s bestie Teya (Austria 2023), as well as the song’s co-writers Linda Dale and Benji Alasu. He also catches up with some of Malta’s previous Eurovision entries - Destiny (2021), The Busker (2023), Sarah Bonnici (2024) and Christabelle (2018).

We’re celebrating the 2024 Junior Eurovision Song Contest final in Madrid! Steve is joined by the three Spanish hosts of this year’s final: Ruth Lorenzo, Marc Clotet and Melani Garcia. Ruth talks about her own experience at Eurovision after she came 10th in 2014 with her song Dancing In The Rain. Marc is a well known actor and model in his home country and Melani returns to Junior as the co-host, after placing 3rd in the 2019 contest as a contestant, with her entry Marte. We also catch up with the defending champion of the Junior Eurovision Song Contest, Zoé Clauzure, who won for France in 2023 with her song Cœur.

We’ve been chatting to some of your Eurovision favourites in Amsterdam at Het Grote Songfestivalfeest, where dozens of acts come together for a huge party in the Ziggo Dome. From the class of 2024, we catch up with Croatia’s Baby Lasagna, Alyona Alyona & Jerry Heil from Ukraine, and Ireland’s Bambie Thug. Steve also welcomes Australia’s Guy Sebastian to the podcast, as he reveals what it was like to be Australia’s very first representative.