Eurovisioning in NL/BE
March 28, 2024 8:54 AM Subscribe
I'm traveling with my wife and a friend in early May, so instead of sitting on our Kentucky couch watching the Eurovision Song Contest, we'll be on the road in continental Europe, which seems like it could probably be a more fun way to experience it, if we know where to go!
So we're pretty into the delightful cheeseball experience that is Eurovision, and left to our own devices we'd usually be at home inviting friends over to watch and cheer and laugh and (if really called for) boo the performances. But this year a fun European vacation has just happened to overlap Eurovision, which seems like it could be really fun: I imagine, by analogy to sports, that there will be people going out to watch in a crowd in pubs and whatnot, and I'm hoping there are obvious good places to do this in our visited cities. I might well be overthinknig this and the answer might well be "go to literally any bar which has a TV and just have fun", but I'd rather ask if there are particular places which it'd be better/worse to go to take it in.
For the evening of May 7th (the first semifinal) we'll be in Amsterdam, a little ways west of the center, near the Rembrandtpark. By the 9th (the second semifinal) we'll be in Ghent near the Gravensteen. And on the 11th (the finals) we'll be in Ieper/Ypres. So we're going to end up needing three different Eurovision hangouts!
So we're pretty into the delightful cheeseball experience that is Eurovision, and left to our own devices we'd usually be at home inviting friends over to watch and cheer and laugh and (if really called for) boo the performances. But this year a fun European vacation has just happened to overlap Eurovision, which seems like it could be really fun: I imagine, by analogy to sports, that there will be people going out to watch in a crowd in pubs and whatnot, and I'm hoping there are obvious good places to do this in our visited cities. I might well be overthinknig this and the answer might well be "go to literally any bar which has a TV and just have fun", but I'd rather ask if there are particular places which it'd be better/worse to go to take it in.
For the evening of May 7th (the first semifinal) we'll be in Amsterdam, a little ways west of the center, near the Rembrandtpark. By the 9th (the second semifinal) we'll be in Ghent near the Gravensteen. And on the 11th (the finals) we'll be in Ieper/Ypres. So we're going to end up needing three different Eurovision hangouts!
Best answer: These five cafes (link in Dutch) broadcast the finals in Ghent last year, so check out their socials as the date approaches to see if some of them will run the semifinals too. Vol Pension definitely did.
posted by pendrift at 8:36 PM on March 28
posted by pendrift at 8:36 PM on March 28
No response.
I have to say; I regret spending the time and effort to investigate this for you.
posted by jouke at 8:07 AM on March 30
I have to say; I regret spending the time and effort to investigate this for you.
posted by jouke at 8:07 AM on March 30
Response by poster: Gay bars are definitely a good lead --- obvious in retrospect, but I didn't know to what extent Eurovision was regarded as "queer culture" in Europe versus something widely appreciated enough that, say, a football pub will switch over to for those three nights of a year. Hopefully a straight couple's welcome to come on out and bay with the crowds.
Looking specifically for gay clubs which have done it in the past led me to Prik, which has already created a Facebook event for the 2024 screening. Blend XL has events listed on Facebook through early May but not Eurovision in particular (but they seem to advertise special events via posts, not events). The Exit Café doesn't seem to post events in advance.
It looks like in Amsterdam somewhere on the Reguliersdwarsstraat is going to be a good place to get our Eurovision on. If there's useful event info in advance, we'll try to plan out a place to go, but otherwise I imagine we could do worse than just walk down the street and find a comfortable-looking bar on the Reguliersdwarsstraat.
In Ghent, Vol Pension is definitely good to know; it's quite close to our lodgings, too! From that link it looks like, as tourists, we're likely to be underdressed for the occasion but not maliciously so.
Ypres we'll just have to see about. It is a considerably smaller city and might have fewer options, but, following the leads thus far, maybe I'll focus the search on gay nightlife.
Two out of our three cities look like they've got really good options. Thanks!
posted by jackbishop at 3:07 PM on March 30
Looking specifically for gay clubs which have done it in the past led me to Prik, which has already created a Facebook event for the 2024 screening. Blend XL has events listed on Facebook through early May but not Eurovision in particular (but they seem to advertise special events via posts, not events). The Exit Café doesn't seem to post events in advance.
It looks like in Amsterdam somewhere on the Reguliersdwarsstraat is going to be a good place to get our Eurovision on. If there's useful event info in advance, we'll try to plan out a place to go, but otherwise I imagine we could do worse than just walk down the street and find a comfortable-looking bar on the Reguliersdwarsstraat.
In Ghent, Vol Pension is definitely good to know; it's quite close to our lodgings, too! From that link it looks like, as tourists, we're likely to be underdressed for the occasion but not maliciously so.
Ypres we'll just have to see about. It is a considerably smaller city and might have fewer options, but, following the leads thus far, maybe I'll focus the search on gay nightlife.
Two out of our three cities look like they've got really good options. Thanks!
posted by jackbishop at 3:07 PM on March 30
Response by poster: Some followup information for anyone looking this up themselves as the time approaches.
Bar Blend in Amsterdam is screening all three nights at all three of their venues.
Exit Cafe in Amsterdam likewise has three events.
Dutch broadcaster AVROTROS is apparently doing some sort of Eurovision pop-up cafe thing in Amsterdam. Entry (one ticket for all three nights) is €7.50 for AVROTROS members only, and a membership costs €17.50.
Bar Beenhouwer in Ghent is typically closed on Tuesdays, which means they wouldn't be screening the first semifinal unless they open specially for the purpose, but they might screen the second semi or the final. No event posted to their Facebook page about it.
bed in Ghent has Facebook events for all three evenings.
posted by jackbishop at 6:18 AM on April 29
Bar Blend in Amsterdam is screening all three nights at all three of their venues.
Exit Cafe in Amsterdam likewise has three events.
Dutch broadcaster AVROTROS is apparently doing some sort of Eurovision pop-up cafe thing in Amsterdam. Entry (one ticket for all three nights) is €7.50 for AVROTROS members only, and a membership costs €17.50.
Bar Beenhouwer in Ghent is typically closed on Tuesdays, which means they wouldn't be screening the first semifinal unless they open specially for the purpose, but they might screen the second semi or the final. No event posted to their Facebook page about it.
bed in Ghent has Facebook events for all three evenings.
posted by jackbishop at 6:18 AM on April 29
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I used dutch search terms "eurovisie kijken cafe amsterdam"
posted by jouke at 10:58 AM on March 28