When and where Eurovision Song Contest 2024 is taking place

Fans of the iconic Eurovision Song Contest are getting ready to indulge in their ultimate guilty pleasure of the year. The international singing competition has returned for 2024, with a host of countries participating in the iconic event.

The BBC will have live coverage of the biggest and most watched song competition in the world. This year follows the 67th Eurovision Song Contest which was hosted by the BBC in Liverpool, on behalf of Ukraine in May 2023.

And following Loreen’s victory in Liverpool with the song Tattoo, the 68th edition will be taking place in Sweden, with the Grand Final broadcasting live from Malmö Arena. This year will be the seventh time Sweden hosts contest and will see Hollywood star and an Eurovision-veteran Malin Åkerman and Petra Mede lead the three broadcasts.

READ MORE: Manchester cinemas to screen Eurovision 2024 final - here’s how to watch it

Singer Olly Alexander revealed during the final of BBC One’s Strictly Come Dancing last year that he would be representing the United Kingdom in 2024. Olly's UK Eurovision song is called Dizzy and is co-written with Danny L Harle. The BBC then confirmed in a statement that he would be the act representing the UK. They said: "One of the world's most pioneering and multi-award winning music superstars, Olly Alexander, will represent the United Kingdom at the 68th Eurovision Song Contest in Malmö, Sweden in May 2024."

And the BBC announced that for the very first time, artists from five countries - France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the United Kingdom - plus host nation Sweden - will each perform their entries in full, live during the semi-finals. Olly will perform his song on the first semi-final.

The Years and Years frontman recently appeared on the Graham Norton Show, telling the UK Eurovision commentator Graham Norton it has been his dream to be picked for Eurovision. He said: "I threw my hat in the ring. I really wanted to do it last year while making my new album. I called my mom afterwards, and I called my boyfriend. I think I just went home and talked to my cats about it.

“I’ve always loved Eurovision. There’s just nothing else like Eurovision. Growing up, there was this one night of the year that was just this night of insane craziness — a chaotic mix of fun and all these different musical styles, all these amazing performances.”

“It’s a bit exciting. It’s literally a competition where everyone is there to pull every little detail apart and judge you against all the other performances. They literally rank you. It’s not something that you would necessarily face as an artist, but I think that’s really fun. I quite like that element of risk, and I also think it’s really iconic. It doesn’t matter where you place; if you come last, it’s quite iconic. I want to be a memorable performance on stage. I want to leave an impression, and I want people to be kind of a little bit surprised.”

The semi-finals will take place on Tuesday, May 7 and Thursday, May 9, with the final on Saturday, May 11. All three live programmes - both Semi Finals and the Grand Final - will once again be broadcast live on BBC One and BBC iPlayer in 2024.