The Head Of Contest for Eurovision 2022, Twan van de Nieuwenhuijzen has spoken to NPO radio explaining the rationale behind this year’s semi final running order. There was also and interesting insight into some of this year’s staging. This comes after the running order for the first and the second semi finals were announced.
Twan who was the Head Of Contest last year when the contest was held in Rotterdam, was personally invited by the Italian broadcaster RAI to oversee this contest also. Twan requested that the Italian broadcaster allow him to bring some of the crew they had in Rotterdam. RAI agreed, understanding that the crew needs to function.
Curtain up!
The topic of running orders was discussed in detail with regards to the first two songs in semi final one – Albania and Latvia. It would seem that based on past running orders that Latvia is at a disadvantage as song 2 doesn’t have the greatest of histories regarding results. However Twan has said that this is not the case. He goes on to say the following.
The most important thing is to make as attractive a TV show as possible. To have a running order that will appeal too much of the public. Then you look to variety in music, as you already said, but also to the execution part. But if I look to the start of the semi-finals: we open with Albania. That song starts off slowly, but after forty seconds, a strong beat appears (…)
But if you saw the performance during the Albanian national final, then you see a type of drama, it looks dark in the clothes, in the staging and in the use of lights. And then it’s nice if you then Follow @ number two, which is actually Latvia. If you come with something that looks very fresh, bright colours, funky, very white. So if you heard nothing, there is still visual contrast in light and in direction.
Water not welcome
There is one change from Rotterdam however and that is regarding the use of water. Water is OUT in 2022, Twan explains why.
Water on stage is just super complicated for us. There are some cables. Plus, the LED floors, which have been a given for years, are an incredibly slippery surface in their own right.
If there’s water on them, we also, within those 35 seconds, when we are already trying to build the set from Ukraine for example, have to mop it up. We did actually already decide last year that we cannot take that risk. We also have to guarantee the safety of all artists, who are in front of two hundred million viewers giving the performance of their lives. It’s impossible to make it safe [with water on stage].
Looking at the past and the future
Twan also gave a further insight to how ideas so from thoughts to pen to paper to documents. Before the acts arrive to the contest each delegation is required to submit ”look and feel” documents. These documents must reflect all the staging each delegation desires and as Twan also stated some are refused and told to tweak them for them to be accepted.
Last year Italy submitted at 88 page document for Måneskin’s staging, however the runners up France’s was far simpler for ”Voila”. This year Finland’s The Rasmus are first in semi final 2 as their staging is quite ambitious and Twan said to “look out” for the UK’s Sam Ryder in regards to impressive staging effects.
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