On the go in my Eurovision shoes … a fan’s journey to Lisbon.
Anni Jowett (United Kingdom) reporting.
I’ve been a fan of the Eurovision song contest for as long as I can remember, and I always hoped I would actually get to go to experience the contest in the host city someday. So when Alexander Rybak was selected to represent Norway for a second time in March 2018 I had no doubt that this year would be THE year to pack my bags and head for Eurovision in May.
Alexander Rybak, the hero of Moscow Eurovision made it to Lisbon not without good reason
Source: mk.ru Published: 23.04.2018, Text: Artur Gasparjan Published in the paper issue №27673 “Moskovsky Komsomolets” on the 27th April 2018.
Translated by Mónika Menyhért, revised by Karina Solberg and Anni Jowett
Any day now, the first rehearsals of the Eurovision Song Contest-2018 will start in Lisbon. The current theme of the musical “Olympics” “All Aboard” symbolises not only the completion of the nightmare for the organisers because of last year’s squabbles around the “Crimean greetings in a wheelchair” from Russia, which led to a boycott by the very same Russia of the contest in Kiev, but it has other, more pleasant meanings: for example, a record number of countries – 43 –, including the same Russia with the same Julia Samoylova, who will finally realise her pink dream of participating in the contest, as well as the presence of extremely iconic characters of the Eurovision circus. One of these cherries on the cake was the appearance of the famous Norwegian-Belarusian Alexander Rybak among the contestants.
-I feel like Peer Gynt. Now I have my “Solveig” to come home to, tells Alexander Rybak, who also reveals that he has a trollish dream…
Source: paper issue of “Her og Nå”, published 15.5.18. Text: Tommy Halvorsen. Photo: Tomy Halvorsen, Lasse Eriksson and NTB Scanpix. English translation by Jorunn Ekre, revision by Anni Jowett.
Alexander Rybak at the opening ceremony of the Eurovision Song Contest ESC 2018 Lisbon
The opening ceremony took place 6th of May on the Lisbon riverside, next to MAAT, the Museu de Arte, Arquitetura e Tecnologia.
With the theme of the 2018 Eurovision Song Contest revolving around the oceans, the organisers chose to replace the traditional red carpet with a spectacular blue carpet.
Alexander and his team were nr 30 to walk the carpet, but were the last one to finish 3 hours after they started, and it was already dark. Most of the interviews made on the Blue Carpet, you’ll find in the playlist below.
Photo by Vyacheslav ProkofyevTASS via Getty Images
Eurovision royalty graces the Blue Carpet in the form of Alexander Rybak!
Alex is also wearing the male uniform of black trousers and black shirt, but he wears a dark teal jacket to match with his team and give him a more distinctive look. His tie is noteworthy, as it was especially made for the occasion by the Norwegian fashion designer Peter Løchstøer. information from ESCTODAY.com
Alexander Rybak’s first stage rehearsal in Lisbon 1.5.2018.
There will be many interviews, pictures and articles from the 1st rehearsal. Below we will gather most of them so you easily can get an overview of what is written about Alexander’s first rehearsal. This post will be updated with more information during the day 🙂
Eurovision has provided us a 45 second video from the rehearsal and a photo gallery. There will also be several interviews with the many ESC groups that is present. This post will be updated during the week.
And the video:
The review from the many who followed the rehearsal was a wow!. And he got applause in the press centre.
Two exciting weeks for Norway, Alexander Rybak and his fans.
Eurovision Song Contest 2018 has already started in Lisbon and will end with the Grand Final the 12th of May.
Eurovision.tv. is ESC’s official website. Follow them also on:
On Eurovision.TV’s social media you will find everything you need to follow the happenings in Lisbon. They post a Daily Digest and upload a recap of the day on YouTube. There are plenty of ESC websites worth following, and we have listed some of them further down in this post. Continue reading Updated — Follow Alexander Rybak in Eurovision Song Contest 2018→
The last preparation before leaving for Eurovision
The Norwegian broadcaster NRK’s “Lørdagsmagasinet” (The Saturday magazine) dropped by when Alexander did his last preparation before leaving for Eurovision.
Alexander Rybak is a guest in “Senkveld” Friday 4. of May.
Alexander Rybak, Solveig Kloppen, Fredrik Skavland and Jon Nesbø are the guests in this second last show of “Senkveld”, broadcast on Friday 4th of May at kl 22.15 CET on TV2 , a Norwegian pay-TV.
If you subscribe on TV2 SUMO you may be able to watch it from the archive laterHER
Since Alexander and the MGP-team are travelling to Lisbon 30rd of April, this show is most likely recorded before he leaves, or maybe TV2 taks the trip to Lisbon. Who knows 🙂
Alexander has several times been a guest in “Senkveld”, and if you want to take a look back, just click on the links below 🙂
Alexander Rybak is one of the biggest stars in the Eurovision Song Contests, and the thrill is huge when he now returns to the worlds biggest music competition. We take a look back at his impressive career and follow him on his way to Eurovision in Lisbon.
NRK has made a 50-minute documentary about Alexander to be broadcast before the semi-final 10th of May. In this we will become better acquainted with the artist, songwriter and person Rybak. There will also be glimpse from the many preparations, and the two weeks in Lisbon.
Broadcast Thursday 10th May at 20.10 – 21.00 CET on NRK1, Norway.
The show will be available to watch from abroad at least from the archive.
Alexander’s violin jam of some Eurovision 2018 songs
Another masterpiece from this fantastic musician
“Some Eurovision songs are so irresistible for the violin, that I can’t keep my hands off them. Tell me which one of these jams did you like the most? I’m curious “, Alexander
Svetskaya Zhizn (Social life) in Norway – visiting Alexander Rybak.
With the song “Fairytale” Alexander Rybak set a record, winning the Eurovision Song Contest. So far, no one has been able to collect so many points! This year the Norwegian singer of Belarusian origin again takes part in the song contest. “Svetskaya Zhizn” went to Oslo to find out why and how the famous singer lives.
How does the famous bachelor live and why does he return to Eurovision again?
This is how they work with Alexander Rybak’s stage show in Lisbon
Source: Published 20.04.2018 onescNorge.net in Norwegian Text: Anders Maritinius Tangen. Translated by TessaLa, revision Anni Jowett
It’s just about week before Alexander Rybak and the rest of the Norwegian delegation have their first rehearsal on the stage in Lisbon. We at escNorge have checked out a little about how the preparations are going, how the stage show will be and what Alexander Rybak will do to raise awareness for the Norwegian entry “That’s How You Write a Song”. Continue reading Alexander Rybak’s preparations for Eurovision in Lisbon→
Alexander in the Ukrainian TV-show “Svetskaya Zhizn” (Social life)
Last week a TV-team from Ukraine visited Alexander in his apartment in Oslo and also his mother home at Nesodden and made an interview . Saturday 21. April at 23.10 (local time) the interview will be broadcast on “1plus1.ua”.
What great news! Alexander is taking part in MGP 2018
Alexander Rybak was presented as one of the 10 artists/composers who will take part in Melodi Grand Prix, the Norwegian selection for Eurovision 2018.
The presentation was broadcast and streamed live and below you’ll find a playlist of videos with subtitles from the presentation and several interviews made at the press conference. And of course his song 🙂
Some fans were in the audience at this event and gave us the inside scoop from the studio on this very exciting day! Please click HERE to read their report.
I’ve been a fan of the Eurovision song contest for as long as I can remember, and I always hoped I would actually get to go to experience the contest in the host city someday. So when Alexander Rybak was selected to represent Norway for a second time in March 2018 I had no doubt that this year would be THE year to pack my bags and head for Eurovision in May.
