ABSTRACT

This chapter gives some insight into the Eurovision Song Contest (ESC) as an event that attracts a particular group of tourists – fans. It presents an overview of the ESC in relation to fandom and tourism, covering aspects such as hosting the ESC, the fan experience, LGBT travel and what it means to be an ESC tourist. The ESC is the longest running pan-European media event. For the ESC fans a common factor is that of a "milestone" event occurring in childhood or adolescence, such as one's own country winning or doing well or that the fan has been moved by or identified with a particular performance on a more private level. With a television audience of 204 million in 2016 and 182 million in 2017 the ESC can be regarded as a mega event, but despite its size it has maintained a certain intimacy – which may be partly due to the friendly atmosphere among the travelling fans.