It is now 60 years since the Eurovision Song Contest first started bringing joy to the continent and what better way to celebrate the anniversary than with a concert celebrating its greatest hits, or "the best of classic and contemporary Eurovision songs", as the organisers put it.
The event, to be broadcast from London tomorrow night, will be co-hosted by a bearded Graham Norton and, yes, Johnny Logan will be on hand to do a medley of his 1980 and 1987 winning efforts. There will also be Riverdancing.
This addition to "Eurovision season", as RTÉ Media Sales calls it, will be followed by the documentary 60 Years of Eurovision on May 11th, this year's semifinals on May 19th and 21st and the final from Vienna on May 23rd.
RTÉ is selling one 30-second advertising spot in the two semifinals and the final, as well as a premium spot during 60 Years of Eurovision, for €25,000 if Ireland qualifies for the final and €20,000 if Ireland fails to make it through.
The main shows allow time for only two commercial breaks averaging about 90 seconds, limiting the amount of cash that RTÉ can generate from the pan-European songfest.
RTÉ Media Sales tells advertisers that Eurovision ads, as they are so few in number, “deliver exceptional cut-through for advertisers and will allow creativity to shine through”.
Indeed, creativity has a habit of shining through in unique style at Eurovision.
