Celebrate good times...

It's now been confirmed that the BBC will mark the 60th Eurovision Song Contest by hosting a "Eurovision Greatest Hits" show at the Hammersmith Apollo in London on 31 March (it was reported that it would be in the Albert Hall - remember that Wikipedia isn't to be trusted!) Whilst some fans have expressed disappointment at it not being live show, and about the size of the venue, I think this is great news. The BBC might not have always got it right when it comes to Eurovision, but they're a world-class broadcaster. In terms of production values, the 1998 contest, the most recent Eurovision that the BBC hosted, was ground-breaking and I'm certain that we are going to have a spectacular show on the night.

The European Broadcasting Union is also arranging a 60th anniversary conference which will take place in London in April. I'm delighted to be speaking at this event and will present an overview of some of my research. More details here. About ten years ago I was practically laughed out the room when I asked a question about Eurovision at an academic conference, how times have changed...

This Saturday sees the Melodifestivalen kick off in Sweden, the firm fan favourite and most popular of all national final formats. Of course this also means that various rumours have begun to circulate about the UK entry for Vienna. Last month I filmed a documentary on Eurovision for BBC Four, and whilst the team did not disclose any specific information about the UK entry for 2015, they did say that the deal with the act was nearly complete. Good things come to those who wait...