European Melody Grand Prix 2018 in Portugal
The European Broadcasting Union (EBU) has been organizing an annual international song and melody competition since 1956. With the event broadcast virtually worldwide, over 200 million viewers are currently following the selection of the new winner, with Australia, Japan and Canada also able to cheer on the favorites. This year, from May 12th to May 21st (Central European Time), the event will take place at the Artis Arena in Lisbon to watch the 26 finalists compete for the title of winner. According to EBU regulations, the top 10 songs from the two semi-finals, the Big Five and host Portugal will advance to the final. The Big 5 consists of the countries that pay the most to the EBU. This means Spain, Italy, Germany, France and Great Britain will be guaranteed a place in the final, where new and veteran singers will compete for the music trophy.
Interesting facts and records about the European Melody Grand Prix
Until 2001, the contest's official name was Grand Prix Eurovision de la Chanson, but now the English name Eurovision Song Contest is mainly used in an international context. In 2005, we celebrated our 50th anniversary with a grand show. Here, the best songs of the past 50 years were chosen for the Melody Grand Prix, and it was ABBA with Waterloo who emerged victorious at the show where all viewers could vote online. A new record will be set this year, with Macedonia and Russia once again taking part, bringing the total to 43 countries. This year too, there are some participants who have experience in the Melody Grand Prix. Dutchman Waylon joined in 2014 as a member of the group Common Linets, and Austrian singer Cesar Sampson has already joined twice. The most successful language in the context of the Melody Grand Prix is clearly English, followed by French and Hebrew with 29 winning songs, but there is a huge difference between France's 14 winning songs and Israel's 3. .
As is the case every year, this year too many people around the world will be watching the grand show begin. The organizers greet them with “boa noite” (good evening in Portuguese), but the contestants wait nervously until the match is over. It's their turn to take the stage. By providing Portuguese interpretation, translation, and a variety of other language services, we are a small part of this great tradition of bringing people together across languages.
