More than 40,000 people travel to Turin to follow the new edition of the festival and its side events
After returning to the Eurovision Song Contest in 2011, after having overcome the years when the festival attracted less interest, Italy has turned to the organization of this historic music competition that will bring together more than 40,000 people in Turin this week and will be followed on television by some 200 million viewers worldwide. In the capital of the Piedmont region, it is almost impossible to find a free hotel room these days, with prices also through the roof, while the police have made a huge effort to ensure safety. While no specific threats have been recorded at this time, a special device has been commissioned that takes into account the international impact of the event and the ever-present risk of terrorist attacks or other incidents.
After two years of the pandemic, Turin has become the place where euro fans can let go and share their passion, both in the three evenings of the official competition and in the so-called Eurovillage, a space with a capacity of 17,000 people and where musicians, artists and ‘influencer’. It is the definitive confirmation of the ‘festivalisation’ of Eurovision and the evolution of the music industry, which is no longer bought, but listened and danced to, either live or in front of a giant screen. The organizers have been able to adapt to the changes, which explains the success of the recent editions.
«For ten days, Turin will be the heart of the world of European and world music. Millions of people will have the name Turin in their minds,” explains Stefano Lo Russo, mayor of the capital of Piedmont. It is estimated that the local song contest administrations will cost about 14 million euros, an amount that they will more than recoup as the economic impact of the event on the city can reach 100 million euros. Also in terms of image, the advantage is “invaluable”, according to the regional president of Piedmont, Alberto Cirio.
For RAI, the Italian public broadcaster, responsible for producing and broadcasting the signal for all events of this edition, Eurovision is also an opportunity to showcase the country’s excellence. It is something that has not happened since the other two occasions on which the country hosted the festival: in Naples in 1965 and in Rome in 1991.
Turin is following in his footsteps as it is Italy’s turn to host the Eurovision Song Contest following last year’s victory of the Roman rock band Maneskin with ‘Zitti e buoni’ (Calm and good). Now chosen to represent the host country are Mahmood and Blanco, a duo that won the last edition of the Sanremo festival and secured their ticket to Turin, thanks to their catchy melodic song ‘Brividi’ (Goosebumps). They defeated, among others, the Spanish Ana Mena, who, despite the penultimate, is building a successful career in Italy.
The bookmakers speculating on who will be the winner put Mahmood and Blanco among the favorites for the win, although always behind the representatives of Ukraine, the Kalush Orchestra, who comes to Turin with “Stefania”, a song that represents the rap and folk music mixes from his land dedicated to the mother of the leader of the group. Although Ukraine already had a chance of success in the Eurovision Song Contest before the Russian invasion began on February 24, the war has multiplied its chances of victory. The conflict has also resulted in Russia being barred from the festival, which will see 40 countries participating this year.
“Even twenty wins in the Eurovision Song Contest cannot be worth peace,” said Mahmood a few days ago, who also confessed that he felt powerless in the face of the disaster of war. For this Italian singer whose family is partly of Egyptian descent, there is no added pressure to represent Italy after the success of the Maneskins, who will be presenting their new song in Turin. “I don’t think there should be a competition between us and them to see who gets the most votes,” said Mahmood, who already performed at the 2019 festival edition. “That experience was unforgettable and gave me the chance to play my music. make known in Europe, but if you sing alone it’s different.Now with Blanco it will be different, something new».
Source: La Verdad
I’m Wayne Wickman, a professional journalist and author for Today Times Live. My specialty is covering global news and current events, offering readers a unique perspective on the world’s most pressing issues. I’m passionate about storytelling and helping people stay informed on the goings-on of our planet.
