In an era dominated by spreadsheets, streaming data, and betting markets, Bulgaria’s historic victory shattered the rulebook. @bensvision.bsky.social explains how DARA and her creative team transformed an overlooked mid-table entry into a record-breaking Eurovision champion in just four days.

The Bangaranga Story: How Bulgaria Came From Behind To Become Our Biggest Ever Eurovision Winner

DARA wins the 70th Eurovision Song Contest for Bulgaria, at the Wiener Stadthalle in Vienna, Austria (Photo Credit: Corinne Cumming/EBU)

escinsight.com

Thanks to the votes of over 3,600 fans, AUSTRALIA is the winner of the #Eurovision grand audience poll! As always, many thanks to: @escinsight.com @escgabe.com @thateurosite.bsky.social @escxtra.bsky.social @vdan.design n.design for your hard work! #Eurovision

The Audience Poll returns tonight! Here are the stats you need to remember to understand the bias properly?

ESC Insight@escinsight.com · 5mo ago

There have been nine Eurovision Audience Polls over the past three years. That gives us enough data to see if there is a long-term trend peering through the data, so we can read Audience Poll results even more wisely in the future. @bensvision.bsky.social dives into the statistics.

A statistical journey into my losing bet from last year’s Song Contest. And with that, I wonder if Eurovision voters nowadays vote more tactically than ever before.

ESC Insight@escinsight.com · 5mo ago

@bensvision.bsky.social placed a bet on #Eurovision 2025. The bet lost. If it had been the Grand Final, it would have won. Why is there such a difference between votes in the Semi Final and Grand Final? Let's have a look at the numbers, who's voting in each show, and the impact of fan favourites.

Vienna is hosting a big Eurovision experience Here is what they want all of you to know about the city before, and after, you visit for the Song Contest

ESC Insight@escinsight.com · 5mo ago

Over 100,000 visitors are expected to stay in Vienna during the upcoming Eurovision Song Contest. With this number of visitors and thousands of journalists on site from across the world, this is the opportunity for any host city to spread its narrative further. @bensvision.bsky.social explains.

Our latest pod is out now, considering the jury contenders. open.spotify.com/episode/1b3s... with @bensvision.bsky.social who kindly joins us from @escinsight.com

ESC2026 e07 - The Grand Final Pre-Rehearsals JV Prediction.

open.spotify.com

The big question from this study is…. Which song is this year’s Soldi?

ESC Insight@escinsight.com · 6mo ago

For Eurovision 2026, juries will be expanded from five to seven members. The EBU have made it a requirement that two juror members for 2026 need to be young music professionals from 18 to 25. Ben Robertson investigates what difference, if any, this change might make on the Eurovision scoreboard/

With Austria drawing out its Eurovision running order spot, our hosts will sing last. It's time to drop this random draw, argues @bensvision.bsky.social and have the host country automatically awarded the final slot in the running order for the good of the Contest. escinsight.com/2026/03/18/t...

The Host Country Should Always Perform Last In The Grand Final

Mae Muller, United Kingdom 2023 (photo: EBU)

escinsight.com

What a line up to be alongside ”Along the way, they chat with Pete & Linda, Erika Vikman, ESC Insight’s Ben Robertson, Euroviisutsomeksi’s Vilho, and JJ”

ESC Insight@escinsight.com · 7mo ago

What’s it like to go to a National Final? Join @itsginajones.bsky.social and Charlie Easterbrook on their recent trip to UMK to experience the show, meet the stars, and talk with the Song Contest community in the latest @escinsight.com podcast! escinsight.com/2026/03/09/e...

While Finland's Pete Parkkonen and Linda Lampenius celebrated victory with 'Liekinheitin', the fireworks in the Nokia Arena couldn’t mask the tension simmering outside. Ben Robertson reports from Tampere on a #Eurovision National Final caught between musical celebration and international protest.

Fanning the Flames: Israel and UMK’s Difficult Balancing Act

Promotonal image on how Finnish Euroviion selection show UMK handled the politics around a call for a boycott (photo:UMK)

escinsight.com

What sets UMK, Finland’s selection show for Eurovision, apart from the others is the quality of its staging concepts, argues @bensvision.bsky.social. Here, he speaks with Show Producer Matti Myllyaho to learn how Yle finds each act, the quality-over-quantity approach, and how it all comes together.

Half Excel, Half Imagination: UMK's Quirky Confidence And Rebellion

Promotional image for an article prvieiwng UMK 2026 (photo: Ben Robertson)

escinsight.com

Time for my favourite part of the #melfest season, revealing what all the sponsors are doing and giving away as we go around the six week tour!

Time for my favourite part of the #melfest season, revealing what all the sponsors are doing and giving away as we go around the six week tour!

Bookmark this article for when you see his performance tonight…and you don’t understand

ESC Insight@escinsight.com · 8mo ago

Junior Lerin is raising most eyebrows here at Sweden's first #melfest heat. While 'Copacabana Boy' has been critiqued musically, Junior Lerin's rise to minor celebrity status and beloved figure for Swedish society means he comes to Melfest as his boldest, bravest self. And that's good for Melfest

Watching the #melfest rehearsal now, final ten minutes are on. Artists no longer on stage and remain in the green room and no recap repeated. Still awkward interviews with each act, but time reduced to about 3 or 4 minutes. Better, but zero entertainment or climax to the show.

The new voting system at MelFest means a new way of presenting the votes, and many of the artists are not in favour of the highly visible way in which tension is being pulled out of them. @bensvision.bsky.social goes into more depth on the impact of the changes. escinsight.com/2026/01/30/m...

This has to change And has to change at the next rehearsal For the good of entertainment And for the good of the artists

ESC Insight@escinsight.com · 8mo ago

Melodifestivalen has changed their voting system...again. Here is everything you need to know about how it all works, including quotes from #melfest artists who do not like the new presentation changes tried out at Friday's rehearsal

Full article after the rehearsal, but these are #melfest heat voting rules: 🥇Most votes in first round 🥈Most points in age group voting after two voting rounds 3rd-6th places are decided by age group voting position. Finalkval spot goes to song from 3rd to 6th with most total votes

Instinct after first rehearsal at #melfest 1. Greczula 2. A*Teens 3. Indra 4. Jacqline 5/6 noll2/Junior Lerin

Junior Lerin #melfest rehearsal Starts alone on stage and is joined by four dancers with one dancer on the catwalk ”playing” the steel drums. Junior ends on the catwalk and will get the party going there in the middle of the arena. Song objectively awful and Junior quite out of key mind you

Jacqline #melfest rehearsal Legs. Lots of legs. Jacqline has great legs and gets to show them off at every opportunity. Prop on stage well used as a sort of bed/lounger for extra sultry seductiveness. Dancers in typical SJB formations Harmonies sound fine in arena.

Took a walk around #Linköping during the break, here is a thread of how the city is preparing for #melfest this weekend

More #melfest rehearsals start in ten minutes Or maybe not Fire alarm has gone off. And the firefighters are here (no, not Brandsta City Släckers, that’s next week)

A*Teens #melfest rehearsal Huge Shady Lady prop on steroids and it looks big budget on camera. A*Teens stay in boxes until the 2nd chorus and then break to front of stage, before 20 seconds of awkward audience shots as they climb their platforms. Executed well if lacking that je ne sais quoi

Indra #melfest rehearsal Starts on platform at front of stage with side lights reminding of Hold Me Closer. Colours change to deep orange for 2nd verse as Indra walks to main stage and is fully oximated by dry ice. BIG lights on key change and strong impact on ending. Needs camera tweaks but good

Noll2 #melfest rehearsal Two onstage throughout, mainly separated as green side and orange side standing on their boxes, singing to each other but also to camera. Lyrics on screen in same colours, perhaps a bit too childish? Despite the obvious fiddle melody, no one plays instruments.

Greczula #melfest rehearsal Clear 80s-esque motivs as the song slowly builds from quiet to this Queen/ABBA hybrid. Effective lights that come from ceiling all the way down, giving Cesar Sampson effect. Gimmick lift at end of catwalk for finish.

Home #melfest First rehearsals in 10 minutes

Next stop: Iconic Linköping Nu kör vi! #melfest

🇸🇪 60-second snippets of Melodifestivalen 2026's first heat entries have been released on SVT Play. Greczula, Jacqline, Noll2, Junior Lerin, Indra and A-Teens will compete on Saturday in Linköping. Listen here: www.svtplay.se/melodifestiv...