Is it all about having a great gimmick – or touching hearts? Ahead of this year’s song contest, Eurovision hitmakers from Bucks Fizz to Käärijä reveal the tricks of the trade, from free saunas and milkmaids to writing your tune in half an hour
You’re representing your country in Eurovision. You’ve got a great pop song complete with choreography you’ve spent weeks perfecting. And you’ve got more than 100 million people watching as you take to the stage. It must feel exhilarating, a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, right?
“It was the most nerve-racking, trouser-cacking two minutes and 58 seconds of my entire life,” says Katrina Leskanich, whose band Katrina and the Waves won Eurovision for the UK in 1997 with Love Shine a Light. “No matter how many gigs you’ve done before, it just brings out the nerves. There’s so much pressure. You’ve got the country, your label, your family, the people watching you on TV.”
