BBC Radio 2 will be bringing the spirit of Eurovision to listeners, and all the programmes are also available on BBC Sounds.
On Ken Bruce’s mid-morning weekday show, the featured album of the week will be Eurovision 2020 – the official compilation album of the artists and songs from the contest – plus clips from previous winners and their entries will be broadcast (Monday 11 May, 9.30am-midday).
Ahead of his tv show on Saturday night, in the morning Graham Norton will be getting listeners into the Eurovision spirit by playing some of contest’s finest songs, both past and present (Saturday 16 May, 10am-1pm). And later that night is another chance to hear Graham Norton, Douze Points in which he looks back on his first ten years as UK Commentator of the Eurovision Song Contest. From Moscow in 2009, to last year’s show in Tel Aviv, he remembers the big winners and the artists the UK sent, from Blue to Electro Velvet. Along with super fan Paddy O’Connell, he also recalls the controversies and triumphs, shocks and surprises… and that infamous stage invasion in Lisbon, 2018 (Saturday 16 May, 9-10pm).
Afterwards, Rylan Clark-Neal presents Eurovision Kings and Queens of Pop where he’ll be selecting his choice of the greatest Eurovision moments from the history of the competition and his favourite songs that would have been a part of this year’s event in Rotterdam. Also packed with nostalgic tracks the show features Eurovision favourites including Abba, Sandie Shaw, Bucks Fizz, Måns Zelmerlöw, Netta, Celine Dion, Gina G, Dana International, Katrina and The Waves, Conchita Wurst, and last year’s winner Duncan Laurence who triumphed for the Netherlands with his song, Arcade. Plus there are joyous hand-picked archive clips from the BBC vaults (Saturday 16 May, 10pm-midnight).
Additionally, there will a Eurovision Collection broadcast on Radio 2 and on BBC Sounds, featuring fantastic programmes from the archive. In From ABBA To Azerbaijan (56 Years Of Eurovision), Maria McErlane is the listeners’ tour guide to 56 years of the Eurovision Song Contest (Saturday 16 May, 3-4am); Ken Bruce’s Ultimate Eurovision Chart celebrates 60 years of the Eurovision Song Contest, counting down the Top 40 all-time favourite Eurovision winning songs as voted for by Radio 2 listeners (Sunday 17 May, 2-4am); and Let’s Abba Party marks the twentieth anniversary of hit stage musical, Mamma Mia!, with Nicki Chapman presenting a two-hour special featuring a non-stop mix of classic hits, covers, and selections from the cast recordings and film soundtracks (Sunday 17 May, 5-7pm).