Eurovision Song Contest 2016 in Stockholm
A while ago we talked about Melodifestivalen, the Swedish national selection for the Eurovision Song Contest or Sweden’s own Eurovision. It’s clear for everyone that Swedes do love music, but this year’s Eurovision is even more important since Stockholm will be hosting it!
The 61st edition of the Eurovision Song Contest will be taking place next week at the Ericsson Globe. There will be two semi-finals, one on Tuesday, May 10 and one on Thursday, May 12. The grand final will be going on on Saturday, May 14. For this edition, there will be 42 countries joining the show. For more information about the participants and the contest itself, visit the official website of the competition here.
As a visitor, you have various options to get you into the atmosphere for the big final. You can join the fun at the Euro Fan Cafe, just across the Royal Palace by the waterside. The place is open for everyone, locals and tourists. The same place hosts the EuroClub, where accredited fans can hang out and party with the official delegations. Between 2 and 13 May Euro Fan Cafe is open from 11.00 to 20.00, when the EuroClub opens. The venue is closed on May 8.
If you are in town you should check out the Eurovision Village, located in Kungsträdgården. Open to from 6 to 14 May, here you will enjoy live music or the presentation of the singers taking part in the contest, together with other live performances. Also, here you can watch the grand final and the semi-finals on the big screen. In the meantime, an 81-meters tower will allow you to see a beautiful view of the city from above the park. The entrance ticket for the tower costs 100 SEK, but the view of central Stockholm will be totally worth it.
Also, there will be six musical crossways in the city: Skeppsbron-Slottsbacken, Skeppsbron-Strömbron, Kungsträdgårdsgatan-Strömgatan, Kungsträdgårdsgatan-Hamngatan, Hamngatan bus station by Kungsträdgården and Hamngatan by Norrmalmstorg. Pay them a visit and hear the Eurovision spirit!
Similarly, there are singing tunnels which invite you to sing along some of the Eurovision hits. The tunnels are Gullmarsplan North, Bredäng Centre, Londonviadukten, Under Kiruna Plan in Vällingby C and Brunkebergstunneln.
The voices of this year’s hosts, Måns Zelmerlöw and Petra Mede, will guide you around the city in the following subway stations: T-Centralen, Gamla stan, Slussen, Skärholmen, Kungsträdgården, Fridhemsplan and Kista. Finally, nice decorations made especially for the coming week are set at Drottninggatan, Kungsgatan, Biblioteksgatan, in the Kungsträdgården, at Norrmalmstorg, on Skeppsbron, on Götgatan, at Globe Arena and at the City Hall.
Information regarding the tickets for the show can be accessed here. You can also join the Eurovision fever by getting the Eurovision Song Contest mobile app from here. Whatever way you choose to engage with the event, we hope that you enjoy Stockholm and this celebration.
Text: Ionut @ stoRy touRs
Photo: Stockholm Globe Arenas