In the Land of Fire – By Edward Till

I’ve watched Eurovision since I was very young and it was always an annual highpoint, but over the years there have been a few times when something truly extraordinary came out of the contest. One of the most notable was going to Baku in 2012.

My partner and I had already been to Athens and Düsseldorf, but nothing could compare us for what was going to happen in a crazy week spent on the shores of the distant Caspian Sea. My memory is filled with so many colourful images that it’s hard to pinpoint a single event, but I can only describe the whole experience as magical. The city came alive with Eurovision and international fans were made to feel so welcome as we wandered around in the hot sunshine.

We were part of the UK contingent, one of the largest groups of fans there but small enough that we continued to bump into each other throughout the week. It was actually like being back at University and we have built enduring friendships from the week. When we came together, particularly in our fancy dress, we became celebrities. Everyone wanted a photo with us and we obliged our public!

We did more than that though. We engaged with locals in a way that I have never done before or since. Many people there had rarely met foreigners before, let alone a bunch of crazy Eurovision fans. I am convinced we did some good, and in return we gained a perspective on a very distant corner of the world including some of the controversies of that region.

If ever there was an example of Eurovision bringing people together, it was that amazing week in the Caucuses. Since then, the contest has headed back to the more familiar climbs of Western Europe. While this has been great fun, I hope that Ukraine next year once again can bring something different and unexpected to our favourite week of the year.