Eurovision preview parties are promotional, fan-led events held in the weeks leading up to the Eurovision Song Contest. They usually feature live performances from current contestants, former Eurovision acts and, sometimes, artists from national selections, giving fans an opportunity to see the performers and hear their entries before the main event.
The primary attractions are exposure, fan contact, media attention and the sheer pleasure of seeing a large chunk of the Eurovision cast in one room. They may also offer performers a useful opportunity to perform in front of different audiences before the high-pressure environment of the Contest. But these are not official Eurovision rounds, and there is no reliable evidence that appearing at a particular preview party improves an act’s result, betting position or chances of winning.
Key parties in 2023
Still to come were Amsterdam’s Eurovision in Concert on 15 April, with at least 20 announced 2023 contestants, and the London Eurovision Party on 16 April. The London event was due to take place at the 2,000-capacity HERE at Outernet, with Mae Muller announced as headliner and 17 contestants from the Liverpool Contest confirmed at the time.
Israel Calling was scheduled for 3 April at Hangar 11 in Tel Aviv, not Jerusalem. Its presenters, Dafna Dekel and Sigal Shachmon, had both hosted Eurovision when it was held in Jerusalem in 1999, while the 2023 event marked 50 years of Israel participating in Eurovision. Madrid’s PrePartyES was planned for 7 and 8 April at La Riviera, with Spanish acts and Benidorm Fest participants on the Friday and 20 announced Eurovision 2023 contestants on the Saturday. A new Polish party was due in Warsaw on 1 April at Praga Centrum, with roughly a dozen 2023 contestants alongside former Eurovision performers, national-final acts and Junior Eurovision winner Viki Gabor.
Amsterdam Calling, featuring former Eurovision performers, was scheduled for the Friday before Eurovision in Concert. So there was plenty for the dedicated fan to plan around — although, naturally, one might need a second fan and considerably more annual leave.
There is no definitive measure of what the preview-party circuit does for a Eurovision act. It can create publicity, help artists meet fans and give observers more chances to judge a song and performance, but it should not be treated as an established or measurable route to Contest success. The 2023 Eurovision Song Contest itself was still to come on 9, 11 and 13 May in Liverpool, hosted by the BBC on behalf of Ukraine.
Winners — or simply memorable examples?
There are numerous factors that contribute to success at Eurovision, so the following examples should not be read as proof that preview parties caused a strong result.
Conchita Wurst won Eurovision 2014 for Austria with “Rise Like a Phoenix”, taking both the public and jury votes. Her appearance at Eurovision in Concert is sometimes remembered by fans and media as part of the buzz around the entry, but that specific cause-and-effect claim is impossible to establish from the result alone.
Netta won Eurovision 2018 for Israel with “TOY”, scoring 529 points, while Duncan Laurence won for the Netherlands in 2019 with “Arcade”, scoring 498 points. Eleni Foureira finished second for Cyprus in 2018 with “Fuego”, scoring 436 points. All four were memorable performers with successful Eurovision entries; that does not demonstrate that preview-party appearances created their support or determined their final positions.
Why the parties still matter
It is tempting to regard a shaky preview performance as a warning sign, or a triumphant one as a prediction. The evidence does not justify that confidence. Contemporary audience reactions can be subjective, performances may change, and the Contest result ultimately depends on what happens on the night.
The more defensible case for the parties is that they create a pre-Contest community and give artists valuable opportunities for publicity and contact with fans. They may also provide a chance to experience different rooms and audiences before Eurovision proper, but any improvement in live performance or stage presence should be described as a potential benefit rather than a proven outcome.
Have you been to any parties — do you plan on going? How important do you think they turn out to be?
