Stockholm Revisited Part Five: Interval Acts

01 July 2016 at 19:00 CEST
The interval act, which takes place between the songs and the announcement of the results, is an established part of the Eurovision Song Contest. From bicycle acrobatics in 1963, to bagpipes and bhangra in 1998, to Petra Mede's Swedish Smörgåsbord in 2013, a diverse range of acts have taken to the stage to entertain us over the years. In part five of our Stockholm Revisited series we look back at the interval acts from this year. 

The live shows of the 2016 Eurovision Song Contest were slick and professional, and that includes the interval acts that took to the stage in Stockholm. The interval act in the First Semi-Final, The Grey People, was a spectacular dance performance choreographed by Fredrik Rydman which captured the internal and external struggles of refugees in the world. "We wanted to get people to stop and think," said show producer Sven Stojanovic. 

The interval act in the Second Semi-Final, Man vs Machine, told the story of artificial intelligence and its impact upon humans. Global megastar Justin Timberlake performed in the Grand Final whilst hosts Petra Mede and Måns Zelmerlöw took to the stage to perform a parody tribute to the Eurovision Song Contest; Peace, Peace, Love Love. 

Where as previously the interval act was often seen as filling time, some were even pre-recorded videos, broadcasters increasingly view the interval act as part of the show and as such they have become more sophisticated over the decades, as showcased in Sweden this year.

What is your favourite interval act in the Eurovision Song Contest? Let us know in the comments below!