This year sees the 66th running of the Eurovision Song Contest, and it’s in Italy for the third time. How are the different songs shaping up for this spectacular show to be held in Turin, and which ones are among the favorites to win the event this time around?
A Look at Some of the Favorites
Italy is hosting the 2022 version of this contest thanks to its win in 2021 with Zitti e buoni by Måneskin. The Eurovision odds 2022 list has them in second place currently at 9/2, behind only the Ukrainian entry and ahead of Sweden, the UK, and Spain. The Italian song is Brividi by Mahmood and Blanco, and it goes straight to the final.
The other countries that skip the semi-finals are the UK, Spain, France, and Germany. This easier route to the final on May 14 helps to partly explain why most of these nations are among the favorites in the current odds.
For example, the British song is currently priced as the fourth favorite to win the event. The country is represented this time by Sam Ryder, with his song titled Space Man. Hopes are high that he’ll provide the sixth British victory and the first since 1997. In this case, the UK would be joint-second with Sweden in terms of total wins, behind only Ireland.
However, the favorite at the time of writing is the Ukrainian entry, Stefania, by Kalush Orchestra. As Ukraine isn’t one of the nations that go straight to the final, they’ll need to make it through the first semi-final on May 10.
The second semi-final will be held on May 12, and six-time winner Sweden is hot favorite to win this stage. Hold Me Closer is their entry, and it’ll be performed by Cornelia Jakobs, who secured her place in Turin by winning the Melodifestivalen 2022 contest.
What Can We Expect from the Show?
With 40 countries taking part and 25 of them qualifying for the final, this is set to be an action-packed show at the PalaOlimpico in Turin. Italian television presenter Alessandro Cattelan is the main host, with guests like singers Laura Pausini and Mika also having a big part to play in the presentation.
The design for this show is inspired by the history of the host nation, with the overall theme of The Sound of Beauty. For example, the green, white, and red colors from the Italian flag are going to feature heavily in the design, together with a water cascade and green room based on the Italian garden. The stage design has been called The Sun Within and will feature a kinetic sun.
As always with Eurovision shows, the contest will be broken up with guest performances. Presenters Pausini and Mika will sing together, while Il Volo and Diodato are a couple of the other acts set to make special appearances on the stage.
The stage is set for a memorable Eurovision Song Contest in Italy, with several of the entrants in with a great chance of winning the event and taking next year’s contest back to their country.