While the actual 2020 Eurovision Song Contest may have been cancelled [1] due to COVID-19, Netflix's Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga [2], which was released on 26 June, is attempting to fill the international singing competition-sized void in our lives this summer. And thanks to a number of cameos from real Eurovision stars, the "song-a-long" that happens during the middle of the film truly embodies what makes the Eurovision Song Contest great [3]: the music.
Each of the singers featured in the film is either a winner or fan favourite from past competitions, including stars like Conchita Wurst, Netta, Alexander Rybak, Jamala, and last year's breakout star, John Lundvik from Sweden. There are even a few former contestants who you don't see on screen, but you can certainly hear them. The movie's creators tapped Swedish singer Erik Mjönes and former Junior Eurovision Song Contest winner Molly Sandén for the singing voices of Alexander Lemtov [4] (played by Dan Stevens) and Sigrit Ericksdottir [5] (played by Rachel McAdams [6]). Keep reading to see the complete list of all the contestant cameos in the film's song-a-long, along with videos of each of their Eurovision performances.
John Lundvik (Sweden)
John Lundvik is a Swedish pop singer and participated in the Melodifestivalen, much like My Marianne, winning third place in 2018. He then went on to compete in the 2019 Eurovision Song Contest in Tel Aviv with his song "Too Late For Love." This song earned him fifth place in the Grand Final. More recently, he was a songwriter for the French entry, "The Best in Me," for the postponed 2020 Eurovision.
Anna Odobescu (Moldova)
Anna Odobescu represented Moldova at the 2019 Eurovision Song Contest in Tel Aviv, singing "Stay." While she finished 12th in the Second Semi-Final and didn't move on to the Grand Final, she viewed her participation as "a very important step [8]" in her musical journey.
Bilal Hassani (France)
Bilal Hassani represented France at the 2019 Eurovision Song Contest in Tel Aviv, singing "Roi." He finished 16th in the Grand Final with his song of self-acceptance and hope. He is also a YouTube star who vlogs his daily life and starts every video with "Bonsoir Paris!" He is also known for his amazing sense of style — I mean, that fringe blazer in the song-a-long is amazing!
Loreen (Sweden)
Much like My Marianne and John Lundvik, Loreen also participated in the Melodifestivalen and ended up winning the chance to represent Sweden in the Eurovision Song Contest in 2012. Not only did her song "Euphoria [9]" earn her first place in the Second Semi-Final, but it also won Eurovision.
Jessy Matador (France)
Jessy Matador represented France at the 2010 Eurovision Song Contest in Oslo, singing "Allez Ola Olé." He was handpicked to compete by the French and finished 12th in the Grand Final that year. "Allez Ola Olé" is currently one of the most-viewed videos on the official Eurovision YouTube channel with over 61 million views.
Alexander Rybak (Norway)
Alexander Rybak represented Norway in 2009 with "Fairytale" and 2018 with "That's How You Write a Song." He won in 2009 and was the highest-recorded score in history at the time with 387 points, but he only placed 15th in the Grand Final in 2018.
Jamala (Ukraine)
Jamala represented Ukraine at the 2016 Eurovision Song Contest in Stockholm, singing "1944." She dedicated the song to her grandmother [10] and ended up winning the contest that year. The singer also shared some extremely adorable behind-the-scenes pictures [11] of her time filming Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga.
Elina Netsajeva (Estonia)
Elina Netsajeva represented Estonia at the 2018 Eurovision Song Contest in Lisbon, singing "La Forza." She finished eighth in the Grand Final with a song she hoped would spread the message that love heals and lifts us. The melody of "La Forza" was written specifically for her voice [12], and as seen in the song-a-long, she shines brightest when she can hit those high notes.
Conchita Wurst (Austria)
Conchita Wurst is possibly the most amazing winner to ever come out of the Eurovision. Granted, I may be biased because this sounds like a James Bond song and I actually watched Wurst win that year. Conchita Wurst, which is the stage persona of Thomas Neuwirth, represented Austria at the 2014 Eurovision Song Contest in Copenhagen, singing "Rise Like a Phoenix." Wurst won the contest and has since been invited to perform across the globe.
Netta (Israel)
Netta Barzilai, aka Netta, represented Israel at the 2018 Eurovision Song Contest in Lisbon, singing "Toy." Trust me, you'll have "Toy" stuck in your head for the rest of the day. Netta won the contest that year and has since been blessing us with beats.
