Every Real-Life Eurovision Cameo From Netflixs Eurovision Movie

Netflix’s “Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga” debuted with songs about volcanoes and lions and celebrity-filled scenes with Will Ferrell, Rachel McAdams, Dan Stevens and even Demi Lovato. However, true Eurovision fans are fanning out over the cameos from the real-life Eurovision winners and contestants.

After showcasing the vocal stylings of the fictional characters, hungry for the international acclaim from the song contest, director David Dobkin turned the lens on the real Eurovision stars for a talent-stuffed “song-along” scene. In the film, Ferrell and McAdams are members of the downtrodden band “Fire Saga.” The two Icelandic singers (named Lars Erickssong and Sigrit Ericksdóttir ) have but one dream: Win the Eurovision song contest. However their talents and funds have always been slightly lacking when competing against the country’s greatest pop star Katiana (Lovato). But with a little luck (and some elven prayers) the duo make it to the main stage and find themselves fully immersed amongst the Eurovision celebrities. It’s here the Netflix film allows the fans of this decades-long contest to revive their love for the greatest performers from Eurovision’s past.

For those of you not in the international know, we’ve wrangled every single Eurovision cameo that appeared during the “Eurovision” movie, along with a few details from their histories on the competition. It’s time to fully embrace the spectacle and glamour that is Bilal Hassani, Conchita Wurst, Jamala and all the other greats who have graced this global stage.

John Lundvik
Sweden’s John Lundvik reached the Top 5 in 2019’s contest. His song “Too Late for Love” finished with 334 points. Lundvik currently composes music for the TV show “Empire.”
Anna Odobescu
Anna Odobescu represented Moldova in the 2019 contest with her song “Stay.” However, Odobescu did not win that year and the title went to Duncan Laurence from the Netherlands.
Bilal Hassani
Bilal Hassani represented France in the 2019 Eurovision song contest with “Roi,” which means ‘king’ in French. Bilal was already a YouTube star in France by the time the singer reached the finals, although a popular entry, Bilal finished in 16th place.
Loreen
Swedish singer Loreen won the Eurovision Song Contest in 2012 with her song “Euphoria.” Loreen first shot to fame after competing in the Swedish version of “American Idol” in 2004, finishing third. Her win was the sixth for Sweden in the history of the contest. The country places second behind Ireland, who leads with seven total wins.
Jessy Matador
The French-Congolese singer placed 12th in 2010 when he represented France with his song “Allez Ola Ole.” Although he didn’t win (Lena from Germany would win with “Satellite,”) the single would become an international success. France is considered one of the “Big Five” countries along with Germany, Italy, Spain and the U.K. They are guaranteed a slot in the contest every year, along with the host country, which is typically the previous year’s winner.
Alex Ryback
Singer and violinist Alex Ryback’s 2009 Eurovision performance of “Fairytales” achieved the most points ever (387) since the contest’s inception. Salvador Sobral would later top that score several years later in 2017. Representing Norway, Ryback has become a bit of a staple in the Eurovision fandom.
Jamala
From Ukraine, singer/songwriter Jamala won the Eurovison in 2016 with a poweful ballad “1944.” Her lyrics “Where is your heart? Humanity rise. You think you are Gods. But everyone dies” were a commentary on the Crimean Tatars and their forced deportation. In the Netflix film, Jamala is seen singing from the ABBA song “Waterloo,” a reference to the iconic 1974 Eurovision performance that helped launched the band into international fame.
Elina Nechayeva
Elina Nechayeva represented Estonia in 2018 with “La Forza.” The title translates as “The Force” or “Strength” Nechayeva came in eighth place, but her solo’s operatic highs made her a star. Estonia has only won Eurovision once.
Conchita Wurst
Conchita Wurst won Eurovision in 2014 with the song “Rise Like A Phoenix.” From Austria, Wurst soared to fame with the song, earning 12 points (the max on the rebooted system) from six countries. The 2014 win put Wurst 52 points ahead of all the other competitors.
Netta Barzilai
Netta Barzilai won the 2018 contest with “Toy,” representing Israel. This was the fourth time Israel won the contest. “Toy” is a song about female empowerment and social justice.
Salvador Sobral
Although Salvador Sobral didn’t appear in the “song-along” he did have a lovely little solo while Ferrell and McAdams tour the Eurovision host city Edinburgh, Scotland. Sobral won the 2017 contest representing Portugal, scoring 758 points which was the highest points achieved in the history of the contest. His song “Amar Pelos Dois” means “To Love For the Both of Us.”

Must Read

Film
COVER | Sebastian Stan Tells All: Becoming Donald Trump and Starring in 2024’s Most Controversial Movie
By Andrew Wallenstein 3 weeks

Sign Up for Variety Newsletters

By providing your information, you agree to our Terms of Use and our Privacy Policy.We use vendors that may also process your information to help provide our services. // This site is protected by reCAPTCHA Enterprise and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

ncG1vNJzZmiukae2psDYZ5qopV%2BhtrTA0milnqyWoba5ecSuqaiumai2sLqMnJimnZ%2Boeri1y6Vkn52ip7KtuIyrmJyglaF6rq%2FAnZimq18%3D

Martina Birk

Update: 2024-02-20