Eurovision 2017 – Thousands of Eurovision fans have been left shocked this evening as it has been revealed that Kyiv will offer none of the expected special packages for members of the ESC official fan clubs. Every year up to 2,500 tickets are usually made available to fan clubs to distribute to members of the fanclub, with the lucky fans buying a single package for all 6 main shows.
Fans who attend all 6 shows every year now have no guarantee of getting any tickets tomorrow for any show in the online scramble. Many are saying they will not go all the way to Kyiv for only one or two shows or if it means they will miss the final.
Each club was formally asked to submit numbers of packages today at the request of the agent and host broadcaster so this sudden U-turn it seems to have come as a shock to everyone involved in OGAE and brings into question the assertions at today’s emergency press conference after the resignation of 21 people that everything is on track.
The UK OGAE fanclub has just posted the following:
Dear all,
This is a very disappointing and unfortunate post to have to write. We have now received communication from the OGAE International Bureau, who have been informed tonight that, regrettably, there will be no special arrangements for OGAE members, and you are advised to try in the public sale which gets underway tomorrow evening.
This is obviously hugely disappointing, as the international OGAE network has had regular discussions with the EBU (who have been very supportive) and the host broadcaster, and we were seemingly on track for an OGAE pre-sale. In fact data about ticket requests from each club was formally submitted today at the request of the agent and host broadcaster, so to have this news come just a few hours later is a huge shock and disappointment.
In further disappointing news, we have received confirmation that there will be no “F2”-style accreditations, and OGAE members will not have access to Euroclub (which we understand will be a small and not necessarily Eurovision-themed venue).
Please understand that we had been hoping right up to this afternoon to have a great ticketing arrangement for fans. All of us on the OGAE UK Committee (who, let us make clear, will try in the public sale like everyone else) would like to thank the OGAE International Bureau for all their strenuous events, which have included visits to Kyiv.
An email will go out this evening to all those who were in the ticket ballot.
Sorry for such disappointing news after many years of successful ticket allocations for OGAE members.
The OGAE UK Committee
The Eurovision Times 
What a joke of a contest this year
They run the risk that the prominent ‘front of stage’ section of the audience doesn’t provide the riot of colour and national flags that in the last few years has been a signifier of the Eurovision look and feel on TV.
To be honest i’m glad if that is true, each year you can’t “breath” of hard eurofans! :/
OAGEs don’t own ESC and I wonder what their contribution has been during last years besides being a hype creating marketing tool for some entries.
Well said!
I’m with the fans on this.Without the hardcore fans there we would only watched bored locals and VIPS.
*watch
I am on the fence concerning this isssue because on the one hand, I have always thought that the limited range of taste characterising OGAEs around Europe (schlager, europop, big ballads) has somewhat prevented a free development of and more diversity in ESC. On the other hand, I fear that the atmosphere in the arena won’t be as enthusiastic without countless OGAE members present.
One thing is beyond doubt though: ESC 2017 has been a terrible mess so far.
I have attended 2 ESC, and i don’t think I will come again to some ESC Arena, (never say never, but I doubt) cause I don’t ,like many of fans to be honest..some are good though..but some are annoying tbh..beieve me..why should be 3000 places reserved for OGAE? I don’t see the reason..
It’s not 3000, it was 1500 this year, and it’s to a) make sure there’s a good atmosphere of flag waving fans who love Eurovision down the front and b) because unlike other money driven business run events, ESC has always been about fans and community and family whilst I’ve been going, and recognising the support of those fans in making ESC what it is. The Ukraine has just told us it doesn’t want us there. Whether it is for money reasons or other (we all have our own ideas) I for one think it is a sad day for Eurovision and the contest will be the worser for it this year. Still, at least there will be 1,500 more tickets per show for the ticket touts to snap up tomorrow on the bad website with no security checks on it.
Well, ok I feel sorry for you and normal Eurofans, but I was in Malmo and Belgrade, and i saw many things i personally dislike, U have a right to express my opinion… or no? :)
Or maybe I just had a bad luck to sit with Irish fans in Belgrade dressed in Dustin the Turkey feathers and so on.. :D :P
haha oh poor you!
I have to admit to somewhat mixed feelings about this. On one hand: for those who are members of the OGAE clubs and who are used to buy these packages, and fully understand their frustrations. Plus it’s an awful time to post such news. I mean, I suppose a lot of fans have booked hotels and tickets and all that long tome ago. They should have either made it clear after announcing Kyiv as the host city, or kept the ticket packages.
On the other hand, as a more “neutral” viewer I have sometimes felt that the special treatment of hardcore fans made it look a bit like a contest just for them, and so viewers who just watch it as an interest, or as they watch other TV programs may feel a bit alienated. Before the 90’s there wasn’t really the fan culture we have today, it was just a TV show.
In any case, the timing is really bad.
(* I fully understand…)
Suddenly OGAE members have to pass taste litmus tests according to some here to get ticket even…Comments on the forum hit new lows daily..
Anyway this is quite dissapointing, OGAE members were providing the vibrancy needed in front of the stage that gave the contest this celebratory festival mood. It will be a pity if Ukraine decimates that.
Things are not going well so far thats for sure.
Trivia quiz of the day: Musicians and cakes: https://www.sporcle.com/games/timmylemoine1/musical-artist-cakes?sjm=1
Another good one: https://www.sporcle.com/games/lt2009/lmbai
I can only give you my own experience of it and I absolutely loved the whole atmosphere when I was in Malmö, genuinely loved it. Apart from the booing here and there it was just overall a very loving and heartwarming audience and crowd. Personally im very sad to hear this, cause they all really make the contest unique each year. So I am very surprised that Ukraine made this change.
I wonder what the politics behind this were. Has NTU the power to define who and how gets the tickets?
*does
Probably not.
Update: OGAE has access to around 2500 tickets from each show (reserved) after the drama from yesterday.
Why should OGAE fans get preferential treatment. When we bought tickets for the Duesseldorf contest the only tickets available were on the stand (still great to be there live), but I don’t see why a limited group of people are the only ones who get the chance to be there near the stage.
IMO it’s not preferential treatment, it’s a loyalty scheme. Anyone can join OGAE and have access, it is a fully open-to-all fanclub, at very little cost, and it rewards fans’ loyalty and helps in some way to make ESC the fan community it is.
There’s also no guarantee all OGAE members get tickets, e.g. the UK has a ballot every year, you don’t get priority in the first year etc. It’s still a lottery every year for OGAE members too.
Also not all OGAE tickets are at the front. In Malmo ours was at the back and was awful and I have refused to stand ever since as I paid over 300€ to see absolutely nothing. That’s my choice but I just want to correct the notion that all OGAE people get to swan around on the front row. Those people standing at the very front have usually had to queue for 3-5 hours outside to get down there, then stand another 5 hours for the show. They don’t just waltz in and have it easy. OGAE seating ticket blocks could be anywhere in the arena.
I’ve seen so much negativity on social media in the last 48 hours against OGAE members. I don’t understand why people are so against fans who love the contest wanting to go every year and support the contest and create a great fan buzz in the arena, especially people who themselves rarely or never go. Why is there the bitterness towards those fans that do want to try and go to all the shows? I don’t get it. Why does it affect people who are not going so much?
Nothing stops any individual joining OGAE (it’s not a secret exclusive club) and doing the same if they are lucky enough to get an OGAE package. If you want to go to more than one show and definitely want to go to the final it makes complete financial sense to try and get the package if it’s available. We didn’t get an OGAE package last year and we won’t have one this year as we are doing our own thing again due to costs, but I in no way envy those that do, good luck to them. There is a system available to all to use to reward loyal fans… so why not use it?
I appreciate others will have different views but my other main reason is this… At least genuine ESC fans get the tickets and not the touts.
IMHO well said, I mean I’ve watched the ESC since 1976, when I was at primary school, I think before that, we watched it too, from a personal point of view, ie my dad was in teatro real in Madrid in 1969, my Danish cousin sang in1990 etc, but like everything in those days if you admitted you were a fan of ESC, everybody thought you were crazy and nobody took you seriously, I remember once voting in 1988 for my favourite song via some kind of postal service where you had to write your favourites and send them via post, thus these days, the essence of a true ESC fan (a once a year phenomonen, let’s not forget), is to pay and be there, what other event could ever match that?, I so admire true fans who will year in and out, still pay to go to ESC wherever around Europe and they should be considered as such because OGAE means all round ESC loyalty not just from Jan- May commments via a website, sweetie here won’t get on to Leicester just yet :-(
I agree.I’m not an OGAE member and many times i don’t share their love for certain songs but they’re an integral part of the contest.They bring so much fun and their frolic mood which is great.I couldn”t imagine eurovision without them.Besides,EBU counts,in part,on them to keep the contest alive all year round.
Latest update:
UPDATE FROM OGAE International
16:15 GMT 14/2/17
Dear all,
We now have the latest update, passed to us from OGAE International who have been holding talks with various officials all day.
OGAE has been told that there will be a separate sale of tickets to OGAE members starting in a few days (we do not have exact details). The front of the standing zone and one whole block will be reserved for us and will not go on sale this evening. Exact details will follow when we receive them, but we expect 1000 standing and 850 seated tickets for the six shows, NOT packages.
As far as we are aware, OGAE International is still awaiting written confirmation of this, however this is the latest information we have.
It is for individual members to decide whether they try the public sale tonight, or wait for the OGAE sale. OGAE will not be making a formal recommendation, and cannot be held liable for any losses incurred.
I appreciate this isn’t the most helpful of updates but I do hope it is a sign that things are moving in the right direction. If there is further news this evening, we will post an update.
Thank you for your continuing patience and understanding.
The OGAE UK Committee.
gotta be good right? so admire full on fans every year, I couldn’t do it
Btw. I just received the two peixe:avião CD’s today that I have purchased :-)
<3 <3 <3
Enjoy!
Their "Pele e Osso" is among my 10 most favourite songs I got to vote for in either ETSC or FdlC.
Norwegian songs are out in full!
http://www.esctoday.com/141014/norway-listen-mgp-2017-entries-full
Since i struggled a bit here is the direct link to the songs: https://www.nrk.no/mgp/na-kan-du-hore-alle-mgp-latene-1.13377190
well, it’s not AS bad a line-up as the snippets let you imagine. I genuinely liked three songs, by Amina, Jenny and Elin & The Woods and I did not mind Jowst. I was indifferent to most, but do think that In Fusion is vile and by far the most useless and annoying and just flat out awful song in thsi line up. True, I think NMGP has weaken the past few years but this is a new low for them.
I think there are no clear favorites, with anyone with a big live in capacity of winning in the end. I think that based on Norway’s usual runs, I think the rockband has a bit of Wig Wam in them, or the schlager “Mama Boy” if the live supports it. They could have their Jon moment and vote for Elin & The Woods!
Let’s see!
My favorites are Elin & The Woods, Amina Sewali, and Jenny Augusta. I really don’t know who’ll win, but I kinda have a small suspicion it’ll be Ulrikke or JOWST (hope not), but there really is no clear favorite.
Also “Mamma Boy” kinda scares me a little
Betting odds say Elin & The Woods is the favorite. I sure hope so.
do you realize you named the same 3 as me? :p
Well, great minds think alike
On Norway: Songs 3,6 and 7 stand out for me.Somehow i feel the Sami song won’t be great live,though.Song 10 sounds like an MF entry that would qualify to AC.
The full versions are much better than the snippets. :)
Off Topic: My running order for semis (considering average positions in the running order in the past)
Semi 1:
1) Georgia
2) Australia
3) Sweden
4) Albania
5) Azerbaijan
6) Belgium
7) Montenegro
8) Finland
9) Portugal
=
10) Iceland
11) Greece
12) Poland
13) Armenia
14) Cyprus
15) Latvia
16) Slovenia
17) Moldova
18) Czech Republic
Semi 2:
1) Romania
2) Denmark
3) Russia
4) Malta
5) Austria
6) FYR Macedonia
7) Ireland
8) Serbia
9) Hungary
10) Netherlands
=
11) Norway
12) Belarus
13) Lithuania
14) Estonia
15) Israel
16) Bulgaria
17) Switzerland
18) Croatia
19) San Marino