Imagine a version of the Eurovision Song Contest that showcases acts from the very edge of the inhabitable world, from communities that live far from the geographical and political centres that govern them. A Song Contest that isn’t afraid to be subversive and doesn’t pretend to be non-political.

Fortunately, there’s no need to imagine, thanks to Pan-Arcticvision (panarcticvision.org).

Now in its fourth year, Pan-Arcticvision is on a mission to unite the people of the Arctic through the power of music. Previous acts have included Icelandic teen punks, Inuit throat singers, Sami rappers and Russian musicians fleeing Putin’s wars of aggression. The vibe is scrappy and anarchic, with the music interspersed with pro-Palestine statements and expletive-riddled tirades against corporate over-fishing. It also brings these communities together and has attracted a small but loyal following from Eurovision fans disaffected by certain events.

You know. Those events.

Let’s Prepare To PanArctic!

Go North! is a new podcast miniseries hosted by Phil Doré and Aisling Tempany as they prepare to travel to the Pan-Arcticvision contest. In episode one, they talk about the ethos of this unique event.

Stay listening to the podcast as Go North! will follow their journey to Tórshavn in Føroyar. Where’s Føroyar? You may know it as the Faroe Islands, but Pan-Arcticvision prefers to call places by the names given to them by those that live there, rather than their colonisers. This is a contest that has its own way of doing things, and ploughs its own unashamed furrow.

As the Eurovision winter stretches out before us, stay on top of all the Eurovision discussions by listening to the ESC Insight podcasts. You’ll find the show in iTunes and Spotify. A direct RSS feed is available.

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Eurovision Insight Podcast: Our Final Podcast From Vienna

As the glitter falls to the floor and the sequins are harvested for next year, James Stephenson and Samantha Ross look back at Vienna and the Eurovision Song Contest 2026.

As the summer months stretch out before us, stay on top of all the Eurovision discussions by listening to the ESC Insight podcasts. You’ll find the show in iTunes and Spotify. A direct RSS feed is available. We also have a regular email newsletter which you can sign up to here.

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Let’s look through all 10 of the qualifying entries, analyse why gold is the magic colour for Australia, explore the innovative stagings of the returning countries Romania and Bulgaria, and ask which of these songs could have chances to succeed in the Grand Final on Saturday.

Eurovision Insight Podcast: Daily News From Vienna, Friday 15th May

On today’s episode, James Stephenson and Samantha Ross are joined by ESC Insight’s David Horton and Lisa-Jayne Lewis to break down the results of the second semi-final of Eurovision 2026.

With the live show almost here, stay up to date with all the Eurovision discussions by listening to the ESC Insight podcasts. You’ll find the show in iTunes and Spotify. A direct RSS feed is available. We also have a regular email newsletter which you can sign up to here.

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We have our first ten qualifiers through to Saturday night. Now the final ten places are up for grabs in the second Semi Final.

Eurovision Insight Podcast: Daily News From Vienna, Thursday 14th May

James Stephenson and Samantha Ross look ahead to the second Semi Final and catch up with some more performers looking to get through to Saturday’s Grand Final.

With the live show almost here, stay up to date with all the Eurovision discussions by listening to the ESC Insight podcasts. You’ll find the show in iTunes and Spotify. A direct RSS feed is available. We also have a regular email newsletter which you can sign up to here.

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Eurovision Insight Podcast: Daily News From Vienna, Wednesday 13th May

As we would say in another time, ten qualified, five fell, fifteen ran. Just before it all starts again with the second Semi Final, James Stephenson, Samantha Ross and some friends have a little review of Tuesday’s show.

With the live show almost here, stay up to date with all the Eurovision discussions by listening to the ESC Insight podcasts. You’ll find the show in iTunes and Spotify. A direct RSS feed is available. We also have a regular email newsletter which you can sign up to here.

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Although the first Semi Finalists performed for the jury (and the back-up tape) in last night’s rehearsal to get half of their score. Now it;s time to earn the other half and sing live to the world.

Eurovision Insight Podcast: Daily News From Vienna, Tuesday 12th May

James Stephenson and Samantha Ross look ahead to the first Semi Final and catch up with some of the performers looking to get through to Saturday’s Grand Final.

With the live show almost here, stay up to date with all the Eurovision discussions by listening to the ESC Insight podcasts. You’ll find the show in iTunes and Spotify. A direct RSS feed is available. We also have a regular email newsletter which you can sign up to here.

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As the Eurovision Song Contest returns to Austria, it’s a welcome back to Vienna as we kick off our coverage of the 2026 Song Contest, the seventieth edition of the Contest. The dress rehearsals are underway, scores will be kept, and stories will be told of this week all across the world.

Eurovision Insight Podcast: Daily News From Vienna, Monday 11th May

James Stephenson and Samantha Ross kick off our daily podcasts from Vienna. They discuss the thirty-five broadcasters who have entered, pick out some favourites from Semi Final, and speak to the performers about anything except the Song Contest.

With the live show almost here, stay up to date with all the Eurovision discussions by listening to the ESC Insight podcasts. You’ll find the show in iTunes and Spotify. A direct RSS feed is available. We also have a regular email newsletter which you can sign up to here.

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Søren Torpegaard Lund will sing ‘Før vi går hjem“, Denmark’s entry for this year’s Contest in Vienna.

They talk about the ideas behind the staging for his song, how Søren has used the performance to create his own world for people to get lost in, and why he’s focused on staying true to himself and authentic while writing what he calls a “pop diva banger”.

You can read our full profile with Søren here on ESC Insight.

Never miss an episode of the ESC Insight podcast. Follow the show on iTunes, Spotify, or in your favourite podcast app listed here. A direct RSS feed is available.

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Leleka will sing ‘Ridnym‘ at the Eurovision Song Contest 2026. James Stephenson met up with the singer-songwriter in April, ahead of her trip to Vienna for a Eurovision Uncovered interview.

They talk about her background in jazz, the development of her two unique musical personas, and how Leléka is combining them while also preparing to represent Ukraine both to those living there and to audiences around the world with ‘Ridnym’ – and whether it can combine both sides of her to win.

You can read our full profile with Leléka here on ESC Insight.

Never miss an episode of the ESC Insight podcast. Follow the show on iTunes, Spotify, or in your favourite podcast app listed here. A direct RSS feed is available.

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James Stephenson presents a brand-new podcast that analyses who might win the Eurovision Song Contest in a brand-new way. With the help of The Model, James’s prediction tool for the Contest, he’ll take a look at how the race to Vienna is shaping up with weekly updates on the favourites, unique analysis of this year’s songs, and special guest appearances.

On this episode, James prepares to head to Vienna for Eurovision 2026 by explaining all the ways The Model could be wrong. From the behaviour of the juries to the unexpected things that could happen on the night of the performance, he takes a deep dive into all the elements that are difficult to predict at the Eurovision Song Contest – in the hope that it makes what’s coming over the horizon easier to spot.

You can listen to Inside The Model on the ESC Insight podcast now, with weekly episodes every Monday that pull you deeper into the data.

Never miss an episode of the ESC Insight podcast. Follow the show on iTunes, Spotify, or in your favourite podcast app listed here. A direct RSS feed is available.

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