The EuroWhat? Podcast: Eurovision News & Reviews

By The EuroWhat? PodcastMusic Music Commentary Music History

The EuroWhat? Podcast: Eurovision News & Reviews episodes

May 12Episode 300: Tu cara me suena
Spain has been ride-or-die for Eurovision since debuting in 1961. In this episode, we’ll be taking a look at how Spain’s original approach to the Contest may have informed their decision to not attend the festivities in Vienna for the first time in 65 years.
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The EuroWhat? Podcast is available wherever you get your podcasts. Find your podcast app to subscribe here.
Comments, questions, and episode topic suggestions are always welcome. You can shoot us an email or reach out on Bluesky @eurowhat.bsky.social.
Join the EuroWhat AV Club!
If you want even more EuroWhat? in your life, join the EuroWhat? AV Club on Patreon! You can join for free to get virtual high fives and a monthly newsletter featuring:
previews of upcoming episodes,
North America tour dates for Eurovision alumni
National Selection dates
Tidbits we can't get to on the main show
We also have the EuroWhat? AV Club Podcast, a monthly bonus episode for paid members exploring Eurovision-adjacent TV, movies, books, and more. And if there is a season 2 of the American Song Contest... well... :::monkey's paw intensifies:::
Support The EuroWhat? Podcast: Eurovision News & Reviews
Links:
Spain was not Living a Celebration: TVE and the Eurovision Song Contest During the Years of Franco’s Dictatorship | VIEW Journal of European Television History and Culture
Catalonia and Eurovision: A love/hate relationship
40 years on, congratulations may be in order | Music | The Guardian
Flashback to ESC 1964, when a stage invader held up a banner reading "Boycott Franco & Salazar", in reference to dictatorships in Spain and Portugal respectively, between Anita Traversi's (Switzerland) and Robert Cogoi's (Belgium) performances. : r/eurovision
33 min
April 28Episode 299: Going Dutch
Eurovision is an expensive enterprise, and the Netherlands has been one of the Contest’s largest financial supporters. In this episode, we’ll be taking a look at the financial impact of Netherland’s absence from Eurovision 2026.
Subscribe
The EuroWhat? Podcast is available wherever you get your podcasts. Find your podcast app to subscribe here.
Comments, questions, and episode topic suggestions are always welcome. You can shoot us an email or reach out on Bluesky @eurowhat.bsky.social.
Join the EuroWhat AV Club!
If you want even more EuroWhat? in your life, join the EuroWhat? AV Club on Patreon! You can join for free to get virtual high fives and a monthly newsletter featuring:
previews of upcoming episodes,
North America tour dates for Eurovision alumni
National Selection dates
Tidbits we can't get to on the main show
We also have the EuroWhat? AV Club Podcast, a monthly bonus episode for paid members exploring Eurovision-adjacent TV, movies, books, and more. And if there is a season 2 of the American Song Contest... well... :::monkey's paw intensifies:::
Support The EuroWhat? Podcast: Eurovision News & Reviews
Links:
The EuroWhat? Episode 128: Bordspel
The EuroWhat? Episode 200: PopCon 2023
Costs for the ESC: How much does Germany pay to participate? | eurovision.de
25 min
April 14Episode 298: Hvala, Ne
Slovenia has struggled to find momentum and consistency on the Eurovision scoreboard. In this episode, we take a look at how rule changes—especially around who qualifies—has impacted Slovenia’s ability to succeed at the Contest.
Hvala, Ne Summary
Slovenia and the Relegation Era (4:39)
One Semi to Rule Them All (11:32)
Semi Finals go to Pot (15:17)
Slovenia vs. the Televote (25:39)
Subscribe
The EuroWhat? Podcast is available wherever you get your podcasts. Find your podcast app to subscribe here.
Comments, questions, and episode topic suggestions are always welcome. You can shoot us an email or reach out on Bluesky @eurowhat.bsky.social.
Join the EuroWhat AV Club!
If you want even more EuroWhat? in your life, join the EuroWhat? AV Club on Patreon! You can join for free to get virtual high fives and a monthly newsletter featuring:
previews of upcoming episodes,
North America tour dates for Eurovision alumni
National Selection dates
Tidbits we can't get to on the main show
We also have the EuroWhat? AV Club Podcast, a monthly bonus episode for paid members exploring Eurovision-adjacent TV, movies, books, and more. And if there is a season 2 of the American Song Contest... well... :::monkey's paw intensifies:::
Support The EuroWhat? Podcast: Eurovision News & Reviews
37 min
March 31Episode 297: Icy Reception
Iceland's television broadcaster RUV turns 60 this year and 2026 is also their 40th anniversary of entering Eurovision. We take a look at why it took 20 years for Iceland to join the party, how the country helped push the Contest into a more modern mode, and why they won't be in Vienna this year.
Icy Reception Summary
History of Iceland Speedrun Any% (4:51)
1986: Iceland Joins Eurovision (19:38)
Iceland's First Decade at Eurovision (27:03)
Pall Oskar / Paul Oscar (29:30)
Subscribe
The EuroWhat? Podcast is available wherever you get your podcasts. Find your podcast app to subscribe here.
Comments, questions, and episode topic suggestions are always welcome. You can shoot us an email or reach out on Bluesky @eurowhat.bsky.social.
Join the EuroWhat AV Club!
If you want even more EuroWhat? in your life, join the EuroWhat? AV Club on Patreon! You can join for free to get virtual high fives and a monthly newsletter featuring:
previews of upcoming episodes,
North America tour dates for Eurovision alumni
National Selection dates
Tidbits we can't get to on the main show
We also have the EuroWhat? AV Club Podcast, a monthly bonus episode for paid members exploring Eurovision-adjacent TV, movies, books, and more. And if there is a season 2 of the American Song Contest... well... :::monkey's paw intensifies:::
Support The EuroWhat? Podcast: Eurovision News & Reviews
Links:
Intro clip: Björk and her TV - Definitive Restoration - YouTube
The History and Development of Broadcasting in Iceland by James Richard Williamson | Wayback Machine
Söngvakeppni Sjónvarpsins 1986 - Gleðibankinn - YouTube
Gleðibankinn - Iceland 1986 - Eurovision songs with live orchestra - YouTube
Hera Björk - Gleðibankinn & Til hamingju Ísland at the Eurovision Cruise 2012 - YouTube
Daði Freyr Pétursson Gleðibankinn (Live Cover) - YouTube
Minn hinsti dans - Iceland 1997 - Eurovision songs with live orchestra - YouTube
Páll Óskar - Björk dragshow MH 1995 - YouTube
41 min
March 17Episode 296: All Kinds of Everything
Boycotts, jury overhauls, technological shifts, major protests, religious and political violence, hot pants... Ireland had a lot to deal with when it hosted Eurovision for the first time in 1971.
All Kinds of Everything Summary
Ireland at Eurovision (0:39)
The State of Eurovison 1970-1971 (4:33)
RTE presenting Eurovision in Color (13:53)
Protests and Politics (22:29)
Wrapping Up (35:43)
Subscribe
The EuroWhat? Podcast is available wherever you get your podcasts. Find your podcast app to subscribe here.
Comments, questions, and episode topic suggestions are always welcome. You can shoot us an email or reach out on Bluesky @eurowhat.bsky.social.
Join the EuroWhat AV Club!
If you want even more EuroWhat? in your life, join the EuroWhat? AV Club on Patreon! You can join for free to get virtual high fives and a monthly newsletter featuring:
previews of upcoming episodes,
North America tour dates for Eurovision alumni
National Selection dates
Tidbits we can't get to on the main show
We also have the EuroWhat? AV Club Podcast, a monthly bonus episode for paid members exploring Eurovision-adjacent TV, movies, books, and more. And if there is a season 2 of the American Song Contest... well... :::monkey's paw intensifies:::
Support The EuroWhat? Podcast: Eurovision News & Reviews
Links:
RTÉ Archives | Entertainment | Eurovision In Ireland And In Colour
RTÉ Archives | Entertainment | Ireland Hosts Eurovision For 1st Time (in Black and White)
RTÉ Archives | Media | The Question Of Colour TV
Clodagh Rodgers, Northern Irish pop star who took Jack in the Box to the 1971 Dublin Eurovision
Look Around You: Water - YouTube
Eurovision in Dublin, 1971: hotpants, ‘women’s lib’ and boycotts – The Irish Times
— Brand New Retro Irish
40 min
March 10Episode 295: Eye-Catching
Romania returns from its Eurovision hiatus this year, hopefully with some things figured out. We review the country's history at the Contest, its qualification troubles, and how their strategy at the contest may be high risk, high reward.
Subscribe
The EuroWhat? Podcast is available wherever you get your podcasts. Find your podcast app to subscribe here.
Comments, questions, and episode topic suggestions are always welcome. You can shoot us an email or reach out on Bluesky @eurowhat.bsky.social.
Join the EuroWhat AV Club!
If you want even more EuroWhat? in your life, join the EuroWhat? AV Club on Patreon! You can join for free to get virtual high fives and a monthly newsletter featuring:
previews of upcoming episodes,
North America tour dates for Eurovision alumni
National Selection dates
Tidbits we can't get to on the main show
We also have the EuroWhat? AV Club Podcast, a monthly bonus episode for paid members exploring Eurovision-adjacent TV, movies, books, and more. And if there is a season 2 of the American Song Contest... well... :::monkey's paw intensifies:::
Support The EuroWhat? Podcast: Eurovision News & Reviews
Links:
Romania 🇷🇴 - Eurovision 2003 - Nicola - Don't break my heart - YouTube
Luminita Anghel & Sistem - Let Me Try (Romania) 2005 Eurovision Song Contest - YouTube
28 min
March 03Episode 294: Radio Friendly
The semi-final era has not been kind to Poland. Though the country has done okay at Eurovision the last few years, they haven’t reached the heights of their debut entry in 1994. We’ll be doing a deep dive on what worked 30+ years ago and identify where Poland may secretly have its finger on the pulse of what does well at the Contest.
Subscribe
The EuroWhat? Podcast is available wherever you get your podcasts. Find your podcast app to subscribe here.
Comments, questions, and episode topic suggestions are always welcome. You can shoot us an email or reach out on Bluesky @eurowhat.bsky.social.
Join the EuroWhat AV Club!
If you want even more EuroWhat? in your life, join the EuroWhat? AV Club on Patreon! You can join for free to get virtual high fives and a monthly newsletter featuring:
previews of upcoming episodes,
North America tour dates for Eurovision alumni
National Selection dates
Tidbits we can't get to on the main show
We also have the EuroWhat? AV Club Podcast, a monthly bonus episode for paid members exploring Eurovision-adjacent TV, movies, books, and more. And if there is a season 2 of the American Song Contest... well... :::monkey's paw intensifies:::
Support The EuroWhat? Podcast: Eurovision News & Reviews
Links:
Ultimate Love Song Collection Commercial - YouTube
the Snacks at Trader Joe's that Only Women Can See - YouTube
31 min
February 24Episode 293: Kehitellä
Finland's UMK is one of the premiere selection shows each Eurovision season, but it didn't start out that way. We explore the evolution of the format and how YLE continues to make the program must see TV.
Subscribe
The EuroWhat? Podcast is available wherever you get your podcasts. Find your podcast app to subscribe here.
Comments, questions, and episode topic suggestions are always welcome. You can shoot us an email or reach out on Bluesky @eurowhat.bsky.social.
Join the EuroWhat AV Club!
If you want even more EuroWhat? in your life, join the EuroWhat? AV Club on Patreon! You can join for free to get virtual high fives and a monthly newsletter featuring:
previews of upcoming episodes,
North America tour dates for Eurovision alumni
National Selection dates
Tidbits we can't get to on the main show
We also have the EuroWhat? AV Club Podcast, a monthly bonus episode for paid members exploring Eurovision-adjacent TV, movies, books, and more. And if there is a season 2 of the American Song Contest... well... :::monkey's paw intensifies:::
Support The EuroWhat? Podcast: Eurovision News & Reviews
Links:
Mitä teet täällä? | Patreon
36 min
February 17Episode 292: Marathon
Lithuania isn't exactly a Eurovision powerhouse, but their lengthy selection processes have been showcases for the country's music industry. We take a look at the Baltic nation and how their approach to the Contest may be serving a different purpose than competition.
Subscribe
The EuroWhat? Podcast is available wherever you get your podcasts. Find your podcast app to subscribe here.
Comments, questions, and episode topic suggestions are always welcome. You can shoot us an email or reach out on Bluesky @eurowhat.bsky.social.
Join the EuroWhat AV Club!
If you want even more EuroWhat? in your life, join the EuroWhat? AV Club on Patreon! You can join for free to get virtual high fives and a monthly newsletter featuring:
previews of upcoming episodes,
North America tour dates for Eurovision alumni
National Selection dates
Tidbits we can't get to on the main show
We also have the EuroWhat? AV Club Podcast, a monthly bonus episode for paid members exploring Eurovision-adjacent TV, movies, books, and more. And if there is a season 2 of the American Song Contest... well... :::monkey's paw intensifies:::
Support The EuroWhat? Podcast: Eurovision News & Reviews
37 min
February 10Episode 291: Dora Explorer
Croatia is very specific about how it chooses to represent itself on the Eurovision stage. We take a look at the country's history at the Contest via its long-running national selection format Dora.
Subscribe
The EuroWhat? Podcast is available wherever you get your podcasts. Find your podcast app to subscribe here.
Comments, questions, and episode topic suggestions are always welcome. You can shoot us an email or reach out on Bluesky @eurowhat.bsky.social.
Join the EuroWhat AV Club!
If you want even more EuroWhat? in your life, join the EuroWhat? AV Club on Patreon! You can join for free to get virtual high fives and a monthly newsletter featuring:
previews of upcoming episodes,
North America tour dates for Eurovision alumni
National Selection dates
Tidbits we can't get to on the main show
We also have the EuroWhat? AV Club Podcast, a monthly bonus episode for paid members exploring Eurovision-adjacent TV, movies, books, and more. And if there is a season 2 of the American Song Contest... well... :::monkey's paw intensifies:::
Support The EuroWhat? Podcast: Eurovision News & Reviews
Links:
Jacques Houdek - My Friend (LIVE) | Croatia 🇭🇷 | Grand Final | Eurovision 2017 - YouTube
Episode 187: Nostradamus Type Whatever
25 min

About The EuroWhat? Podcast: Eurovision News & Reviews

From the publisher's feed

The Eurowhat? Podcast launched in 2018 and features two Americans (Ben Smith and Mike McComb) attempting to make sense of the Eurovision Song Contest. The show tracks national selections and artist…