Eurovision: Here's why Sussex is the spiritual home of the song contest

When you think of Eurovision, what song springs to mind first?

For most, it’s surely Waterloo: ABBA’s timeless classic which catapulted the group into worldwide success and was later voted ‘the best Eurovision song of all time’.

The hit, which went on to sell close to six million copies, won over judges in 1974 – the year which saw the international song concert being hosted in Brighton for the first time.

This year was also one of the first times audiences witnessed a Eurovision performance which was upbeat, flashy and flamboyant. This is obviously a legacy that has carried on through decades of Eurovision performances, and arguably reflects the energy of the host city that year.

Other stars present in Brighton this year include Hollywood-royalty Olivia Newton-John who was the United Kingdom’s act, and Marinella, who’s considered one of the most popular Greek singers in history.

Sam Ryder, who came so close to winning the 2022 song contest with his song ‘Space Man’, has also made a number of visits to Sussex, performing at the South of England Showground in Ardingly last year, as well as on top of Brighton’s i360 pod for a music video.

This year, Eurovision will be closer to its spiritual home than it has been in decades, as the UK prepares to host the event on behalf of last year’s winners Ukraine.

Brighton unfortunately missed out on doing the honours as the city does not ‘have the infrastructure the BBC requires’, according to the council, but the spirit of Eurovision lives on in Sussex.

Fans across the county will be holding parties to celebrate the musical extravaganza’s return, with renewed hope for a UK win following our 2022 success.

Brighton is one of the few cities in the UK to have received funding from the Department for Culture, Media and Sport to host an official screening, which will take place in Jubilee Square.

However, other Sussex businesses will run their own events, including The Stage Door in Eastbourne, The Burlington Hotel in Worthing and The Brewery Yard Club in Rye.

Chichester Cathedral will also be showing its support for the song concert with a performance of Waterloo on the Organ.