For those who’ve never made the annual pilgrimage to a Eurovision Song Contest in person, its scale is frankly baffling. While most of us dutifully tune in to drunkenly watch the grand final on Saturday night, when it comes to what IRL Eurovision entails, the hours-long broadcast barely scratches the surface. There are (at least) seven full-scale shows spread throughout the week to packed-out crowds, ensuring the three live shows beamed out to hundreds of millions around the world can be executed with military precision. Away from the arena, there’s so much more, too: a city centre festival with a non-stop schedule of events, including countless club nights hosting Eurovision performers past and present.
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For those who attend Eurovision religiously, it’s a week of celebration like no other. Dressing up, getting drunk and confusing locals in whichever city has been picked to host is part and parcel of the frivolities for those who flock here. And with COVID-19 having cancelled the 2020 edition - and 2021’s being a fairly social-distanced affair - this year saw a no-holds-barred return to the high camp carnage. Photographer Chris Bethell was down in the 2022 host city of Turin, Italy to capture the special blend of chaos that only comes with the annual song contest.
