The Eurovision Song Contest featured many well-known personalities throughout its history. Petra Mede and Malin Åkerman will be the leading hosts of all three live ESC 2024 shows. The 68th edition of the most splendid European musical event will transpire in Malmö. In 2023, Loreen won the contest for the second time in her career, and Sweden received a chance to organize the event again.
Sweden hosted the Eurovision Song Contest six times – in 1975, 1985, 1992, 2000, 2013, and 2016. This year’s arena, Malmö Arena, can accommodate up to 15,500 spectators and takes the number two spot on the grandest Swedish multi-purpose indoor venues list. In addition, Malmö already hosted the Eurovision Song Contest in 2013.
The Most Famous Eurovision Hosts and Personalities
Below, we will cover the most recognized hosts of the Eurovision Song Contest, as well as this year’s leading figures.
The Eurovision Song Contest 2024 Hosts – Petra Mede
As mentioned, P. Mede and M. Åkerman will challenge themselves to host the most prestigious European musical event in 2024. P. Mede is already an icon of the Eurovision Song Contest, as it will be her third time hosting the show. After challenging herself to host the 2013 contest alone, she made her way back in 2016.
Throughout her career, P. Mede demonstrated she is much more than a host, as she can dance, make jokes, and sing. The fact that the Swedish legend will have three distinct contests in her pocket is incredible. In addition, she is the only active individual in the entertainment world to host the ESC three times. The only person who hosted the show on more occasions is the British Katie Boyle, who did that in 1960, 1963, 1968 and 1974.
The Eurovision Song Contest 2024 Hosts – Malin Åkerman
M. Åkerman is a Swedish actor who starred in over forty films and approximately thirty television series. Nevertheless, when M. Åkerman was only two years old, her parents moved to Canada, where she spent most of her childhood.
In her youth days, she used to compete as a professional figure skater, but then her modelling career began. Later, modelling opened many doors for her, and she dropped out of college to pursue her filming career. M. Åkerman worked alongside superstars such as Tom Cruise, Jennifer Aniston, Sandra Bullock, and The Rock.
Katie Boyle
An actor, radio announcer, writer, and a true legend of the Eurovision Song Contest was born in Florence, Tuscany, Italy. She hosted the musical event four times – three in London and one in Brighton. In 1946, she moved to England, and before the start of her acting career in the 1950s, K. Boyle worked as a model.
In 1998, when the Eurovision Song Contest took place in Birmingham, K. Boyle returned to the contest as a notable guest of the BBC. She remains the only person who presented the ESC four times. K. Boyle left our world in 2018 when she was 91 years old.
Mika
One of the most recognized people in the musical industry is the host of the Eurovision Song Contest 2022 – Michael Holbrook Penniman Jr. One of the most interesting facts about his life is that he was born in Beirut, Lebanon. However, after nearly 12 months, Mika and his family had to leave war-torn Lebanon and move to Paris. Afterwards, they made another switch and went to London, where his career took off.
Mika turned into a superstar when, in 2007, he released his contagious pop anthem ‘Grace Kelly’. At a young age, he brought comparisons with music superstars like Elton John, Prince, and Freddie Mercury. He is one of the most charismatic hosts of the ESC in the past few decades, and his performance in the contest’s grand final was remarkable.
Gigliola Cinquetti and Toto Cutugno
Gigliola Cinquetti and Toto Cutugno must have a place on this list. They deserve that not only for their musical impact but also for their achievements in the Eurovision. Both G. Cinquetti and T. Cutugno won the Eurovision Song Contest during their careers. Italy’s first victory came in 1964, and it was just the ninth time the Eurovision Song Contest was being held. G. Cinquetti has grabbed a win in Copenhagen with the song ‘Non Ho L’età’.
After 26 years of waiting, Toto Cutugno won the second Eurovision title for Italy. It occurred in 1990 in Zagreb, Yugoslavia, and the following year, in 1991, the ESC contest was held in Rome. Toto Cutugno’s winning song ‘Insieme: 1992’ allowed Italy to merge the winners of two editions and make them the leading presenters of the Eurovision Song Contest 1991. It is one of the most extraordinary musical contests because two former winners of the ESC were the front faces.