The endurance of the European Song Contest and its place in the hearts of so many countries provides the ‘ideal lens for analysing cultural identities, memory, and heritage’, says Dr Bárbara Barreiro León.
The lecturer in Lecturer in Film & Visual Culture at the University of Aberdeen is currently writing a book exploring how identities are represented through film, music and other contemporary arts, including Eurovision.
She says each year of the content – which has been running since 1956 – offers ‘a truly inexhaustible source of research’ and she will attend the 2025 event as part of the press group and will present at an academic conference being held at the University of Basel.
“Comparing different years, countries, performances, and styles of hosting significantly enriches my research focus on memory, cultural heritage, and identity within Eurovision,” Dr León added.
“When I last attended in 2023, the UK hosted on behalf of Ukraine—a moment filled with symbolic weight. This year, Switzerland takes on the role, bringing the contest full circle as the country that hosted the very first Eurovision in 1956. Being behind the scenes in these contexts offers a unique form of fieldwork—one that is immersive, dynamic, and unlike any other.”
She said that the 2025 Eurovision Song Contest stands out as ‘a record-breaking moment for linguistic diversity in the competition’.
Dr León said: “Out of 37 entries, 24 feature lyrics in languages other than English. Some countries are embracing their native tongues for the first time in years—or even decades—like Germany.
“Others are showcasing regional dialects, such as Sweden’s entry, which is performed in Vörå, a unique blend of Finnish and Swedish. In a surprising twist, some nations are even singing in the native languages of other countries, with Estonia, for example, presenting a song in Italian.”
Dr León’s previous work has focused primarily on Ukraine but she has expanded this focus to encompass themes such as European belonging, diaspora and migration, and the visual politics of flag representation.
“It is a competition which may not always be taken seriously here but which has very different meanings across the countries taking part,” she added.
“It is still the biggest musical event in the world and was founded to bring Europe back together following the Second World War.
“There is nothing comparable which has run for so many years and which has such an enormous fan base crossing a huge number of national borders.
“From that perspective it is the ideal vehicle to look at more than seven decades of change in our societies and culture with each edition of the contest bringing fresh examples that continuously enrich and deepen the broader conversation.”
Further details of the conference at the University of Basel can be found at https://www.eurovisions.eu/programme-2025
Additional content:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PwJFOva0H5o - Dr Barbara Leon from the University of Aberdeen teaches a module on Eurovision where the competition is analysed from a visual culture perspective. In this film she speaks of her passion for the competition and how she brings the topic alive for her students.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zF73_6tDLxQ
– Eurovision 2025 – Who will win? Who will get 0 points? Dr Barbara Leon makes her predictions ahead of this year’s competition, reveals some interesting facts and has her say on the most bizarre entry she ever saw