With the last of the national finals closing and the last songs of the year being revealed, we move on to a new part of the Eurovision season: pre-party season! Here’s your beginners guide to what to expect from this part of the Eurovision season.
So what actually is a pre-party?
A pre-party is the name given to a bundle of events that happen across Europe in the gap between selection season and actual Eurovision (hence the ‘pre-‘ part). At these events, attendees will be treated to performances by a variety of Eurovision artists, primarily from the current Eurovision year but also from years past, national selections and across the extended Eurovision multiverse.
Why should I care about pre-parties?
Pre-parties are an important part of the Eurovision season. They are a great chance for artists to experience performing in front of an audience and build momentum for their entry.
Although we’ll have already seen some artists performing at their national selections, for some internally selected artists, this will be one of their first chances to perform their Eurovision song live on stage and showcase their talents.
This can be both good or bad for artists. If it’s good, then it’ll solidify their reputation as a performer and win them new fans. For others, it may show flaws in their performance – but with a few weeks to go before the Semi-Finals, it also gives them chance to improve before hitting the Eurovision stage for real, and get valuable practice in front of a real audience.
As a fan, you might also find that an act you ignored on the recording really goes off live, or vice versa – so lots of things can change during this period. For example, I wasn’t wowed with Space Man when I heard the recording, but the live performance at the pre-parties really sold it to me. Be ready to adjust your top 10 regularly throughout the night!
Okay I’m in – where are they happening?
Pre-parties happen all over Europe, so with any luck there will be one happening near you! The pre-parties announced for the 2025 year so far are:
- MelfestWKND – Stockholm – March 7 & 8 – Tickets available now
- Nordic Eurovision Party – Oslo – March 22 – Tickets available 12th December 2024
- Barcelona Eurovision Party – Barcelona – March 27 to 29
- Eurovision in Concert – Amsterdam – April 5 – Tickets available now
- MancHagen Eurovision Festival – Manchester – April 10-12 – Tickets available now
- London Eurovision Party – London – April 13
- Pre-Party ES – Madrid – April 17 to 19 – Tickets available now
Of course, if there’s not one near you, you can always travel. I am definitely not enabling you in any way shape or form but psst, travel (please travel responsibly).
I’m hyped to attend. What can I expect?
It varies per event, but you can expect performances from artists (some of the bigger events do up to 20-30 artists in one night!). The majority of artists will play only their latest Eurovision track, but some will do more. Most shows also end up with a mini-euroclub as well, with DJ’s going long into the night. Keep an eye on the social media of each party to find out what their specific plans are.
Will all of this year’s artists attend?
Most artists will play more than one pre party, and some will play nearly every one! But not all artists will attend for a wide variety of reasons, so nobody is guaranteed until they are announced. Keep an eye on the show sites for details or find our articles of announced artists here.
Artists who attend from the current Eurovision year won’t necessarily be bringing their whole Eurovision act, so don’t necessarily expect it all. Backing vocalists, dancers, a band, and staging may be missing – it will vary artist by artist. Most of the parties take in concert venues, so expect a slightly more intimate affair than the huge arenas of Eurovision itself, but artists will still have plenty of space to be able to show off what they can do.
As an attendee, what practical information do I need to think about?
One thing to know about pre-parties: they’re often quite long. QUITE long. Smaller parties like MelfestWKND are more forgiving, clocking in at only a few hours of artist performances. But for the bigger ones like Eurovision in Concert, if you’re not fortunate enough to have a seated ticket, you can expect to be standing for about 5-6 hours in a crowded area. Comfy shoes and clothing is an absolute must!
Also, make sure to pace yourself if you’re drinking, eat a good meal before you go in, and as they often run until late at night, make sure you have a plan to safely get back to wherever you’re staying (Yes I’ll stop being your parents now). The aim is to have a great time – dropping the money on a ticket and not making it through the show is not the one.
Can I meet the artists?
It depends. Some shows offer packages which include meet and greet opportunities. But do keep in mind that this is a very busy and stressful time for the artists and not everyone may want to or have energy for meet & greets.
Some artists will be kind enough to hang about before or after the show to say hello and meet with fans though, so keep an eye out. You never know who you might bump into! (Shout out to Filip Baloš the party animal, who was still on the dancefloor dancing to “Zorra” at 3am at MelfestWKND 2024!)
What other benefits are there of attending?
Probably one of the biggest benefits of attending is to network and meet other Eurovision fans! Even if you go alone, if you would like to say hello to other people, the opportunity is there. Most eurofans are friendly and more than happy to chat with you, and if you’ve been following along on social media this is a chance to meet some of the faces behind the little round icons. There’s a strong feeling of community at these events.
And if you’ve not been to the city itself before, why not take a chance to do a little tourism on your visit too (and hey, maybe you’ll bump into others doing the same!)
I can’t attend in person. What does pre-party season mean for me?
Most of the other shows will put performances and photos from their shows out on social media after the event, so look out for the footage from your faves and enjoy it!
Press (including TES of course!) will also be in attendance at these events, and will be bringing you interviews and other content from the press centres, where interviews will be taking place (Look out for our content on our Youtube channel!). Plus there will be fan footage on social media as well, so you can get an idea of who performed well.
Also it’s a nice chance for the artists to meet each other, which I’m sure you’ll see on their social media. Some of the purest (and silliest) moments in eurofandom come from this, and you never know…artists might end up working together in the future!
Unfortunately I cannot stop the FOMO you will inevitably get if you decide not to attend and everyone else on your timeline does…
What comes next after pre-party season?
Oh my goodness will you look at the time, how did that happen? After the last Pre-Party ends, it’s almost time for the main event. Eurovision itself, when the competition really starts!
Are you looking forwards to Pre-Party season? Do you have more tips and tricks? As always, let us know what you think by commenting below. Also, be sure to follow ‘That Eurovision Site’ on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, Threads and Bluesky for all things Eurovision 2025!
Photo credit: MelfestWKND, Nordic Music Celebration, Barcelona Eurovision Party, Eurovision in Concert, London Eurovision Party and Pre-Party ES
Euan T