Lisbon 2018: What to expect from the Eurovision online channels ?

26 April 2018 at 18:24 CEST

Lisbon will host the 2018 Eurovision Song Contest RTP

Over the next few days the 43 contestants, nearly 1,500 journalists and thousands of fans will travel to Lisbon for the final stretch of preparations for the 2018 Eurovision Song Contest. As of this weekend, the Eurovision online team will be right there to cover everything that is happening in the run-up to the two Semi-Finals and the Grand Final. Brace yourself — this is what you can expect!

All Aboard — wherever you are!

... that is our motto for the Eurovision Song Contest's official online channels for the next two weeks. We want to make sure you don't miss anything, whether you are in Lisbon, at home, at school or at work.

As the tension rises...

From this Sunday, 29th of April, until Sunday, 6th of May, each of the 43 contestants will rehearse twice on the Eurovision stage at the Altice Arena in Lisbon; once for 30 minutes, once for 20 minutes. We will cover the first rehearsal, which is closed for press, with a sneak preview video of what is happening on stage, a photo gallery and a story including the artist's first reaction after their rehearsal.

Team Eurovision.tv will continue to follow the acts as they perfect their stage performances during the second round of rehearsals. As of Thursday, 3rd of May, we will cover everything that's happening on stage and backstage throughout the day in an ongoing live blog. After each second rehearsal we will also treat you with an exclusive 30-second clip straight from the OB truck.

On Monday, 30th of April, at 12:00 CEST we will reveal the names of the 215 music industry professionals who will determine 50% of the result of this year's Eurovision Song Contest.

On Sunday, 6th of May, we will be on the Blue Carpet as of 18:00 CEST to talk to the participants and to get to know more about their dresses, hair cuts, suits and shoes. You can also follow the Blue Carpet live on YouTube.com/Eurovision.

The live shows

The best viewing experience is of course via your national public broadcaster, featuring your national commentator(s) and on-screen voting information. You can also watch the live shows on our YouTube channel, without commentary. After the shows, we will also live stream the press conferences with the Semi-Final qualifiers and, after the Grand Final, with the winner of the 2018 Eurovision Song Contest.

Before, during and after the three live shows, we will cover everything that is happening inside the Altice Arena, both from within the audience as well as from behind the scenes. For each of the three shows we will run a live blog, featuring exclusive backstage photos a selection of the best from social media. The video of each live act will be available on YouTube.com/Eurovision within minutes after the performance.

Speaking of the Grand Final... After two Semi-Finals, we will know the 26 acts that will compete in the Grand Final. In the early hours of Friday, 11th of May, we will exclusively reveal the running order for the Grand Final as determined by the producers of the show.

If you thought this is it... nope! Stay tuned for more exclusive coverage on Eurovision.tv in the weeks to come.

Are you #AllAboard?

As of this Sunday, the Eurovision online team will not only provide ongoing coverage from Lisbon via Eurovision.tv, but also on social media via Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. During the live shows, our Snapchat team will take you to places behind the scenes very few people can go.

From now until the day of the Grand Final the Eurovision Song Contest social media team will be scouring Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for your best, brightest and funniest Eurovision posts. Whether you want to show the world your jaw-dropping collection of Eurovision memorabilia, the classy outfit you'll be wearing during the shows, selfies with Eurovision legends or just a heartfelt message of support for your favourite participant — just make sure you add the hashtag; #AllAboard.

You can also expect several Facebook Live sessions and Instagram takeovers.

Stay tuned for more social media news and the upcoming Eurovision Song Contest!

Download the app

You can also follow everything that is happening in Lisbon via the official app. During the live shows, the app becomes a second screen with continuous live updating information about what you see on TV. In the app you can mark your favourites and eventually support them with your vote. If you vote via the app, you will be treated with an exclusive thank-you video from your favourite participant.

Missed something? Don't worry!

As of Sunday, we will wrap up every day with a Daily Digest of the best stories, photo galleries and videos, as well as a Daily Update vlog on YouTube.com/Eurovision. If you signed up to the Eurovision Fan Mail you also get the Daily Digest in your inbox every evening.