Eurovision will officially ‘celebrate diversity’ this year
Eurovision will officially ‘celebrate diversity’ this year… as if it ever does anything else.
The 62nd annual Eurovision Song Contest is set to take place in Ukrainian capital Kyiv in May, following the victory of Ukraine’s Jamala last year.
The camp pan-European music contest has long been a celebration of LGBT equality, with some entries in recent years featuring specific tributes to equality and diversity.
Execs have announced that this year’s show will make it official – carrying the slogan “Celebrate Diversity”.
The Public Broadcasting Company of Ukraine and the European Broadcasting Union unveiled the new branding for this year’s contest last week, unveiling a bead-shaped logo bearing the slogan ‘Celebrate Diversity’.
Eurovision exec Jon Ola Sand said: “The notion of celebrating diversity is at the heart of Eurovision values: it is all-inclusive and all about countries around Europe, and beyond, joining together to celebrate both our common ground and our unique differences, as well as some great music”.
A release added that “Celebrating Diversity will be the key theme in all aspects of the Eurovision Song Contest from the communications, production and even the artists themselves.
“This year Ukraine will celebrate a collaboration of culture, technology and the individual creative flare of all 43 artists.”
Executive Producer Oleksandr Kharebin added: “This year, artists from over 40 different countries will come to Kyiv and contribute their music and culture to the show and we will add our unique Ukrainian flavour, together creating a celebration of Diversity and an amazing and truly memorable 2017 Eurovision Song Contest.”
The announcement comes at a poignant time, as US President Donald Trump comes under heavy criticism for a hasty order stopping resettlement plans for refugees, whom he refers to as “bad dudes”.
Though the event is strictly non-political, last year Eurovision featured an overt tribute to refugees titled The Grey People, though the segment was not aired in the UK.
The Grand Final of the Eurovision Song Contest takes place on May 13.
