‘I didn’t even know Eurovision was on, to be honest with you,’ said my taxi driver. ‘I’m much more excited for Leicester versus Liverpool on Monday.’
Inside Eurovision Village – the dedicated fan zone at Pier Head – it’s a very different story. Fans have assembled in their masses to sing along to coverage on outdoor screens, sip pints and take selfies. ‘We travelled here from Pakistan,’ says a pair of teenage boys. ‘Eurovision is life.’
There are people dressed head-to-toe in their country’s flags. Others, of course, are head-to-toe in glitter. There are fake-tanned, high-heeled Scousers, curious locals swigging from Fosters cans and at least a dozen Pride flag capes in my eyeline. It’s the most colourful, ridiculous mish-mash of people, and it’s brilliant.
Although locals aren’t going out of their way to get involved en masse, many are curious, and the contest’s presence can be felt throughout the city. Walking through the city centre, flags of participating countries are hanging from buildings, cheers are heard from inside pub viewing parties and the number of languages you hear in passing is like Duolingo has physically manifested itself on the pavement. It’s like Edinburgh when the Fringe is on, or London during the World Cup.
‘I’ve never seen the city like this,’ says Sharon Le Grand, a drag star from Merseyside, who hosted EuroCamp in the village earlier in the week. ‘It’s all a bit mad.’ The vibes will undoubtedly be turned up another notch on Saturday for the grand final.
Read more: What hosting Eurovision means to Liverpool’s LGBTQ+ community.
Plus: Meet the Ukrainian refugee women who made Liverpool their home.