Euro Vision Song Contest
Here’s what you should know about this year’s competition
The ESC stage in Turin is inspired, among other things, by Italian gardens.
© EBU/Atelier Montinaro
The Eurovision Song Contest will take place in Turin this year. What else is there to know about this year’s competition?
The Eurovision Song Contest will take place for the 66th time in 2022. The motto of the competition this year is “The Sound of Beauty”. Since the Italian rock band Måneskin won last year with their song “Zitti e buoni”, the ESC 2022 will be held in Italy from May 10th to 14th.
When and where will the semi-finals and final take place?
The first semi-final will take place on May 10 at 9 p.m., the second will take place on May 12 at the same time. The grand finale, in which Germany will also compete, starts on Saturday, May 14, at 9 p.m. All shows take place in Turin in the PalaOlimpico. After 1965 and 1991, Italy is hosting the ESC for the third time. The competition will be moderated by singer Laura Pausini (47), moderator Alessandro Cattelan (41) and singer Mika (38).
Who is in the final?
Who qualifies for the final will be decided in the two semi-finals. The host country and the Big Five are automatically admitted to the final. As Italy is one of the Big Five, which also includes Germany, France, Great Britain and Spain, only five instead of six countries have already qualified for the final this year. The Big Five are the countries that account for the largest share of the budget of the European Broadcasting Union (EBU).
Who is representing Germany?
In the German preliminary round “Germany 12 Points” Malik Harris (24) prevailed with his song “Rockstars” at the beginning of March. He will represent Germany at the ESC in Turin. The title is about the good old days. Harris wants to remind people that it is worth living in the here and now “and not in the past, because then the ‘good old days’ will never end,” as he explains in an interview with spot on news. The 24-year-old comes from Landsberg am Lech in Upper Bavaria, his father is the moderator Ricky Harris (59).
How is the motto implemented?
The motto “The Sound of Beauty” was chosen for this year’s ESC in Turin. Cymatics were used to represent the “sound of beauty” visually, as stated on the official website “eurovision.tv”.. Sounds and sound waves are thus depicted in symmetrical structures and patterns reminiscent of mandalas. Symmetry and geometry will also find their way into the stage design, based on typical Italian gardens. The font of the motto is inspired by Italian poster design of the 1920s.
Russia is not allowed to participate
The EBU banned Russia from the ESC after the start of the war in Ukraine. On February 25, the EBU announced in a statement announced that “no Russian act will take part in this year’s Eurovision Song Contest”. This means that only 40 songs are in the running this year.
How does voting work?
The voting consists of a 50:50 vote by a specialist jury and a televote. Viewers can vote via phone, SMS or the official app. One of the most important rules here: you cannot vote for your own country. Each country also has its own national expert jury.
Points are calculated from the results of the jury and televoting according to the well-known system: The best-placed song receives twelve points, followed by ten points and eight to one point.
The jury results are then announced by national speakers with the famous sentence “12 points go to…”. Meanwhile, the televoting results are collected, checked and finally added up after the jury points, starting from the bottom. The country that ends up at the top of the scoreboard has won the ESC.