https://feeds.thelocal.com/ Read the latest news and views from Norway in English en-us news@thelocal.com (TheLocal) webmaster@thelocal.com (TheLocal) TheLocal RSS Feed The Eurovision Song Contest is famous for celebrating everything from cross-dressing ballad singers to heavy metal bands in monster masks, but geopolitics is threatening its 70th anniversary edition. https://www.thelocal.no/20260426/geopolitics-threatens-70th-anniversary-of-eurovision Sun, 26 Apr 2026 13:03:11 +0200 geopolitics-threatens-70th-anniversary-of-eurovision Austria's JJ won the 2025 Eurovision Song Contest on Sunday, with his operatic song "Wasted Love" triumphing at the world's biggest live music television event. https://www.thelocal.no/20250518/austrias-jj-wins-eurovision-2025-with-opera-techno-fusion Sun, 18 May 2025 09:56:32 +0200 austrias-jj-wins-eurovision-2025-with-opera-techno-fusion Groans and giggles typically greet votes at the annual Eurovision Song Contest, loved and mocked for its kitsch music and seemingly partisan outcomes. But what are the voting patterns, and what external factors help explain them? https://www.thelocal.no/20250515/what-eurovisions-voting-patterns-can-teach-you-about-european-politics Thu, 15 May 2025 13:40:51 +0200 what-eurovisions-voting-patterns-can-teach-you-about-european-politics Norwegian twins Marcus and Martinus won an easy victory in the Melodifestivalen competition on Saturday night, and will represent Sweden at Eurovision 2024 in Malmö in May. https://www.thelocal.no/20240310/norwegian-twins-to-represent-sweden-at-eurovision Sun, 10 Mar 2024 11:35:07 +0100 norwegian-twins-to-represent-sweden-at-eurovision Sweden is the only Nordic country left standing ahead of Saturday's Eurovision Song Contest final. https://www.thelocal.no/20201006/nordics-knocked-out-in-eurovision-semi-finals Tue, 06 Oct 2020 11:51:37 +0200 nordics-knocked-out-in-eurovision-semi-finals Sweden is the only Nordic country left standing ahead of Saturday's Eurovision Song Contest final. https://www.thelocal.no/20160513/nordics-knocked-out-of-eurovision-semi-finals Fri, 13 May 2016 10:23:18 +0200 nordics-knocked-out-of-eurovision-semi-finals Agnete Johnsen, who is representing Norway at next week's Eurovision Song Contest 2016, has cancelled all public appearances ahead of the big show. https://www.thelocal.no/20160503/norway-eurovision-cancels-appearances-mental-hell Tue, 03 May 2016 16:03:10 +0200 norway-eurovision-cancels-appearances-mental-hell “This could go all the way,” Stian Malme, the head of Norway’s delegation told NRK, after Kjetil Mørland and Debrah Scarlett won wild cheers from the Eurovision audience with their most powerful performance yet. https://www.thelocal.no/20150521/norway-storms-into-eurovision-final Fri, 22 May 2015 01:18:58 +0200 norway-storms-into-eurovision-final Britain’s ’Dr Eurovision’ has tipped Norway as a possible “surprise winner” in this year’s song contest on Saturday, praising A Monster like Me as “a really classy and original song”. https://www.thelocal.no/20150520/uks-dr-eurovision-tips-norway-as-surprise-winner Wed, 20 May 2015 13:31:41 +0200 uks-dr-eurovision-tips-norway-as-surprise-winner Norway has again sent a slow orchestral ballad to Eurovision, defying all convention. But Monster Like Me’s gothic eccentricity has won enough fans to at least qualify as an outrider. Here’s everything you need to know about Mørland and Debrah Scarlett's dark, dark secrets. https://www.thelocal.no/20150520/we-kind-of-wanted-to-bring-something-new Wed, 20 May 2015 02:58:01 +0200 we-kind-of-wanted-to-bring-something-new It’s that time of year again! Norway’s Eurovision entry, A Monster Like Me, has been mocked mercilessly by a panel of Swedish pop experts, with Tess Merkel from schlager-masters Alcazar dismissing it as an “Adele rip-off”. https://www.thelocal.no/20150506/swedes-slam-norway-eurovision-entry Thu, 07 May 2015 00:30:34 +0200 swedes-slam-norway-eurovision-entry Norwegian skier Petter Northug has teamed up with a 17-year-old pop prodigy to record a 'world cup anthem' to help push him back to former glories at this year’s Nordic Skiing World Championships in Falun. https://www.thelocal.no/20150210/ski-legend-northug-fronts-new-world-cup-song Tue, 10 Feb 2015 09:38:00 +0100 ski-legend-northug-fronts-new-world-cup-song Norwegian fans voted overwhelming for Poland's buxom milkmaids to win the Eurovision song contest on Saturday, figures released on Sunday have revealed. https://www.thelocal.no/20140512/buxom-poles-won-norway-viewers-vote Mon, 12 May 2014 11:44:00 +0200 buxom-poles-won-norway-viewers-vote Everyone with half a heart knows that Eurovision is one of the best nights of the year. The music may be fairly mediocre, but it's not about that. It's about the gloriously camp costumes, the ridiculously sumptuous set design, the silly dancing – and the props, of course. https://www.thelocal.no/20140511/eurovision-2014-conchit-wurst-austria-wins Sun, 11 May 2014 13:33:00 +0200 eurovision-2014-conchit-wurst-austria-wins Two Italian researchers have proven statistically what you've always suspected: Nordic countries' voting in Eurovision is biased -- which means Norway's Carl Espen can expect to benefit from special treatment from Denmark, Sweden and Iceland at Saturday's final. https://www.thelocal.no/20140509/proven-nordic-voting-at-eurovision-is-biased Fri, 09 May 2014 16:32:00 +0200 proven-nordic-voting-at-eurovision-is-biased Bergen ex-bouncer Carl Espen Thorbjørnsen went through to the finals of Eurovision on Thursday night after a powerful and passionate performance of his song Silent Storm. https://www.thelocal.no/20140508/norways-carl-espen-sails-through-to-eurovision-finals Fri, 09 May 2014 00:55:00 +0200 norways-carl-espen-sails-through-to-eurovision-finals From Bobbysocks!'s 'Let it Swing' to 'Fairytale' by Alexander Rybak, Norway has a Eurovision history to be proud of. Here, on the day of Carl Espen's semifinal performance, is a Spotify and YouTube playlist of the country's finest moments. https://www.thelocal.no/20140508/a-spotify-guide-to-norways-eurovision-history Thu, 08 May 2014 18:26:00 +0200 a-spotify-guide-to-norways-eurovision-history Norwegian singer Carl Espen has dropped from third to eighth place in the list of the most likely competitor to win Eurovision, after a barnstorming performance by Sweden's Sanna Nielsen. https://www.thelocal.no/20140507/carl-espen-losing-ground-in-eurovision-stakes Wed, 07 May 2014 19:02:00 +0200 carl-espen-losing-ground-in-eurovision-stakes Last year's Eurovision winner, Emmelie De Forest, has declared her support for Norway's entry Carl Espen in this year's contest. https://www.thelocal.no/20140506/danish-eurovision-winner-backs-norways-carl-espen Wed, 07 May 2014 01:17:00 +0200 danish-eurovision-winner-backs-norways-carl-espen Norway has chosen the thick-set former bouncer Carl Espen to represent it at the Eurovision Song Contest in Copenhagen, betting on a piano-driven ballad rather than the usual frenetic Europop. https://www.thelocal.no/20140317/ex-bouncer-wins-norway-eurovision-contest Mon, 17 Mar 2014 12:59:00 +0100 ex-bouncer-wins-norway-eurovision-contest