Still singing after all these years of Eurovision

Eurovision is 60 years on the go and there’s no sign of its popularity waning. How did it become a cultural juggernaut and how can we get back on top, wonders Arlene Harris.

It hardly seems possible that this month will see the 60th anniversary of the Eurovision song contest. With so much entertainment choice available nowadays, what is it that keeps this truly, madly kitsch contest going? The songs aren’t always up to much, the outfits and special effects are becoming more outlandish every year and the voting system has become such a joke that commentators can spot the ‘douze points’ before votes are cast.

And then there’s the geographical anomaly – over the years the map of ‘Europe’ has been redrawn by organisers to include countries from various far-flung corners of the globe – this year the border and our collective imagination has been stretched all the way to Australia.