Good morning!

it’s an important one in the Eurovision world: Rehearsals begin in Turin, a key date in our calendars. The Eurovision Song Contest opens its gates to artists, delegations and journalists.

Normally, we would be blogging, either from the press centre in Turin, or from our homes – with access to the online equivalent. But this year, dear readers and friends, we must inform you on this morning, that we’re not one of those lucky websites with (online) accreditation. We began to accompany the ESC weeks with accreditation in 2010 – back then still under our old name esc-chat.com – and covered most contests since then, either on-location or at home via the online press centre (last year). But this year is the first year, in which our application didn’t work out as we hoped. We have followed and live-blogged so many first and second rehearsals. We experienced so many beginnings of the rehearsal weeks in our lives now, even in those two years when we didn’t attempt an application, but this year, it’s a new situation that we have to adapt to, somehow. For the first time ever, we tried, but didn’t get the chance. We know we’re not alone. 

This means: Time to adapt.

As a result, I decided to run this irregular column, in which I will share my thoughts of the day during the consumption of my morning coffee. In German we’d say, I’m “adding my mustard”, my “two cents” about all the things related to Eurovision in the upcoming two weeks.

So, Felix, add your mustard here, what is this Eurovision?

For me, Eurovision used to be a love relationship. It turned to “it’s complicated” in the last years, but also: Eurovision is no entity. Eurovision itself doesn’t pick its competing songs – the participating TV stations or their viewers do. Eurovision itself doesn’t pick the winner – the juries and the televoters do. And Eurovision itself doesn’t decide upon accreditations. The people in charge do. Eurovision is bigger than we all. All.

What is Eurovision? Baby, don’t hurt me.

Eurovision goes on, as will we at escgo!. Somehow.

Happy new rehearsal weeks, 

Felix