It’s what would have been Eurovision week, and so far we’ve had plenty of alternative entertainment. However, we will get something very different to what we’ve had thus far hitting the airways Friday at 20:00 GMT. The Eurovision Drag Contest is bringing together some of the best names on the UK drag scene, covering their favourite tracks from contests in the past. The event is hosted by trio The Vixens, and will be shown online tonight.
Which songs will we hear at the Eurovision Drag Contest?
Some of the songs we’ll be hearing on the night include Aminata Savadogo’s “Love Injected”, Sertab Erener’s 2003 winner ‘Everyway That I Can’, and Katrina and the Wave’s ‘Love Shine a Light’. The latter is certainly apt, given the EBU’s replacement show on Saturday night, ‘Europe Shine a Light’.
Of course no drag-based Eurovision show would be complete without a cover of Conchita Wurst’s ‘Rise Like a Pheonix’. The iconic performance given by Conchita for Austria in 2014 is seen as a huge moment of success for inclusivity in the contest.
Who’s taking part?
Contestants include RuPaul’s Drag Race UK stars Vinegar Strokes and Sum Ting Wong — the latter being from the last UK city to host Eurovision, Birmingham. There’s also fellow queens on the scene, such as Miss Penny, Poppycock, and London icon Rose Garden.
There’s a touch of London’s West End Theatre scene involved too, with up-and-coming star Jade Justine on the show also, who has worked with Broadway and London legend Kerry Ellis amongst others. We won’t know which queens are performing which tracks until the night, so we won’t know what to expect, or how extra they’ll make the performances.
The judging panel
There will be a judging panel consisting of various faces form the world of Eurovision. These include our very own William and Tom. It also won’t just be Jade Justine bringing a touch of the West End to proceedings. British Eurofan favourite and West End leading lady Lucie Jones – who represented the UK at Eurovision in Kyiv 2017 – is a judge on the jury, giving out points to her favourite acts. There’ll also be a performance from her. Will we hear her Emmelie De Forest-penned ballad ‘Never Give Up On You’? Or will she give us a taste of her favourite contest track, ‘Shady Lady’ by Ani Lorak like she has performed at Eurovision events of past?
Sticking with the theatrical theme, there’ll also be points given by Jade Ewan – the last person to hit the Top 5 for the United Kingdom back in 2009 with her huge ballad ‘It’s My Time’. She was of course joined on stage by Andrew Lloyd Webber on stage in Moscow.
The United Kingdom’s act from last year Michael Rice will also be making an appearance, chipping in his opinion on the acts. He wowed us in yesterday’s Wiwi Jam at Home, performing his Eurovision track ‘Bigger Than Us’, as well as his new single ‘Think of Me’. Michael first gained public recognition from competing in BBC singing competition All Together Now. We will also see one of his judges from the show, Paulus on the panel.
Joining the crew is also 2006 entrant Daz Sampson. We’re sure he’ll be bringing his touch of cheekiness and humour to the show. His rap/pop track ‘Teenage Life’ came 19th at the contest in Athens. However, it remains a cult-staple for British fans. He tried to represent Belarus by entering their national final with Nona in 2019, with their song ‘Kinky Boots’.
We can’t wait to see the performances of Eurovision classics on the show. Will you be tuning in to the Eurovision Drag Contest? Which queen are you most excited to see? Let us know in the comments below.
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