Life after Helsinki 2007 Eurovision

Eurovision 1979 moved to Jerusalem and for some reason I remember the theme music and opening so well. I remember loving the then high tech stage figure rotating in the background and also the palmstrees etc in the hosts corner. The postcards were very fynny back then, now not so much. One can spot Fredi (who also composed the Finnish entry) saluting in the audience after Italy who were the first to perform without any orchestra backing. The artists names appeared on screen besides the song titles! I remember most of the songs so well, and those picked here below are the top ones but I can't forget Portugal, Italy, Monaco, Switzerland.... France, Belgium, Netherlands.... A good year for sure! Watching again now the Spanish kids seem a bit weird but back then they were cool. And oh my, there was someone on stage for the first time who didn't sing at all! No microphone! Of course the Dschingis Khan himself! I was totally in love with them and I was so pissed Israel won again...

Jan Ola Sand and EBU gang have been to Israel to go through with KAN/IPBC the three proposals for hosting the Eurovision song contest in 2019. The choice is between fan favorite Tel Aviv, Israeli politicians favorite Jerusalem and outsider Eilat. We should know the decision shortly.  Eilat apparently has a plan a bit similar to Copenhagen 2014 to create the venue in the Port of Eilat in some old hangar or warehouse...? Jan Ola Sand stated EBU will not overlook the out of the box solutions if they only meet the schedule. There's always a risk though, ask Copenhagen that went well over budget and had some schedule issues as well but in the end it served its purpose wonderfully giving us one of the best stages ever - outside the venue was another story then, especially getting to the Eurovision Island..... Eilat is Israel's southernmost town with a population of 50.000, and an important touristic spot between Negev desert and Red Sea squeezed between Egypt, Jordania and...

UPDATE: The annoucement has been postboned to the original date of August 1, 2016. Over the decades since 1956 we have had 53 different venues hosting the Eurovision song contest, from prestigious old concert halls to imperial palace's concert hall to insignificant TV studios, especially bult arenas to excisting congress centers. So many different venues in size and style that only one thing may be common to them: they all had a roof. (Even if built for the occasion.) Only seven venues have had the honor to host it twice, and one - yes, Ireland again! - three times and even twice in a row. If Kiev's Palace of Sports will be chosen it will be the 9th multi host. We should know next Wednesday..... 1959 + 1961; Palais des Festivals et des Congres - Cannes, France 1962 + 1966: Villa Louvigny - Luxembourg 1973 + 1984: Grand Theatre de la Ville de Luxembourg - Luxembourg 1976 + 1980: Nederlands Congresgebouw - The Hague, the Netherlands 1979 + 1999: In...

Katri Helena is a real legend and still going strong. To celebrate her 50th anniversary in show business her native home town Tohmajärvi has decided to name its main street Katri Helenan raitti . It replaces the old names Kauppakatu and parts of Kirkkotie, being about 1,1 km long. The renaming will take place during Potsipäivät, the village fest this summer, on June 28, 2014. Katri Helena will be present obviously, and will treat the people of Tohmajärvi with a free open air concert the night before.  A museum of her career is also planned and she has promised to donate some stuff herself.  Who knows if the dresses she wore in Eurovisions in Jerusalem 1979 and Millstreet 1993 will end up there? Katri Helena has just finished a tour of over 30 concerts celebrating her 50 years in business. The tour started in October 2013 and was mostly sold out. She will release a book and a new album, both titled Taivaan tie on April 12. A very fitting title as it translates t...