I Volunteered at Eurovision — here's what it actually felt like

A story about expectations, community and some crazy singing

Eurovision Crowd (source Pinterest)

“I will see it live one day,” I told my mom while we were sitting on the couch, watching the Eurovision Song Contest (ESC). I think I was still in primary school. She smiled: “That’s a good wish.”

And it really was a good wish. One that came true this year.

On a Sunday night, May 18th Austria was pronounced a Eurovision winner. The song was called “Wasted Love” and was sung by JJ (an absolute icon if you ask me). For a third time in Austria’s history. But for the first time since I moved here.

Sometime around December the official information about the volunteer programme was out and I set a reminder, polished my CV and made 3 videos explaining why I am a perfect candidate.

And there I was a few months later. Standing just steps away from the stage, singing, dancing and cheering.

That was when the memory from the couch crossed my mind and all I could do was smile as my mom did back then.

I smiled because I knew the little girl would be proud to see we made it. I think she would even find me quite cool.

I had moved to Vienna and somehow became part of the very event I used to watch from my couch.

In the meantime the song contest became controversial, some winners disappointed me, others are still on my playlists, but mostly I finally made my wish come true.

Not just as a spectator, but as a volunteer.

So let me tell you how it actually felt.

JUST A LITTLE GLIMPSE INTO WHAT EUROVISION ACTUALLY IS

Before we start with my volunteer experience in Vienna, it would be cool to review all the information about the song contest a little bit:

• The first Eurovision took place on May 24th 1956, when only 7 countries participated and it is now the longest-running television music competition
• It was created in the aftermath of the Second World War to bring together service broadcasters across Europe and strengthen ties between nations
• There are now two semifinals and a final
• Voting is based on a combination of public vote and a professional jury
• It had some iconic winners like ABBA and Celine Dion
• This year the winner was Bulgaria with Bangaranga by DARA, which actually won both sets of scores for the first time in almost 10 years

BEFORE THE SHOW REALLY BEGAN

Now let’s return to my story.

I used to watch the Eurovision finale every year with my family. We would gather in front of the TV on this one very special Saturday night, criticise, laugh and choose our favorites.

Mine never won. I guess they never were “eurovisionary” enough. I was more of a fan of deep lyrics and pretty dresses, and not so much of all the crazy background scenes or extreme vocals that usually took over.

But I still watched it every year, waiting to discuss it in school the next day, adding new songs to my playlists and mostly being excited to see how each country decides to represent itself this year.

So when the opportunity came to experience it live this year I took it without hesitation.

I’m not going to bore you with too many details, but in case anyone is interested in joining someday, my selection procedure started online with the CV and answering 3 questions in the video format. After that I was invited to the interview, I chose my favorite role I would like to do and had a little talk about myself, my expectations and my experiences.

And to be honest, I thought it went horribly.

My German was rusty after 4 months of not speaking it, I was nervous and didn’t feel confident at all. I accidentally said “fuck” in the middle of my sentence.

So I was extremely surprised when I got the last email — saying I was officially selected to be this year’s volunteer.

Before we started with our first jobs we had the Kick-Off. I wished I could tell you more about it, but I had to miss it, because it was exactly on the evening before my math exam. And math and I were never a good combination.

The Opening Ceremony

At that time the city started reflecting the Eurovision’s colours. You could even see clear signs “UNITED BY MUSIC!” everywhere you went. Cafes were representing different themes, museums were opening new exhibitions and Vienna was slowly filling up with fans from all over Europe or even the world.

We had this place called “Volunteers Lounge” where we had different events for ourselves. The first time I joined was on a movie night.

And I’m really happy I did. There was something so easy and relaxed about meeting new people in this spirit. I’m usually not the type of person who would just walk up to someone, but this week this was never really a problem. I feel like all the amazing people that I’ve met were definitely the part that made the whole experience even more magical.

And after the turquoise carpet on the Sunday — when the singers would walk down the carpet, with their crazy outfits, taking pictures with fans and dancing — the Eurovision Week finally came.

THE SHOWS

Because I was working on all the other evenings I only joined the first pre-show on Monday. But it was enough. I was immediately hooked.

The atmosphere is so amazing you are not even bothered that the whole show is created for the TV viewers (yes sometimes performers go into a box and you have to settle for the big screens). People are raising their flags, dancing and singing the whole time, crying and hugging their neighbours or just quietly enjoying every moment of it. The stage was brilliant, fires were going out, dancers were dancing like their lives depended on it and the singers gave their all to represent their countries.

A moment from the Pre-Show

The live experience was definitely the highlight of my week.

But my work on the other hand wasn’t really what I expected.

The fact was that I was busy with university and couldn’t work as much as I would need to get a great backstage position. My original plan was to apply as a delegation host for Slovenia, but that one backfired (yes Slovenia decided to boycott Eurovision due to the performance of Israel).

So I received the position in the Eurovision Village as an Audience Services volunteer.

The truth is I didn’t really feel needed most of the time. Which wasn’t exactly what I had imagined when I applied.

There were a lot of people, actually working there, so we were kinda the extra help. I didn’t have any contact with the artists or experience the whole “behind the scenes” atmosphere. The weather was messy that week and some of my shifts were cancelled.

But it still had many positive aspects.

In the Eurovision Village, you could do anything you wanted. There were 3 karaoke stations, lots of games with prizes, a photobooth, food trucks, dance lessons, fashion shows and concerts. I got to learn the “Tanzschein” dance (the Austrian Eurovision Song 2026) every day and I was never really bored.

The other positive thing was the people. I had the same experience in the village as I did with other volunteers. People would come every day, dressed as their favorite singers, eager to try on all the boots, never annoyed to wait and always willing to talk.

A little sense of community was created, where everyone was welcomed to be exactly who they are.

Being different is celebrated and accepted. From that point of view, the ESC really has succeeded in its vision: for one week everyone is united by music.

SO WOULD I DO IT AGAIN?

Absolutely.

I was a fan of the contest before, but I feel like I fell in love with it even more.

Seeing it live, meeting all these people, who knew every song and would travel miles just to be able to raise their flag in the crowd was a unique experience.

I do wish political tensions would improve.

And probably for another position. To experience more of a backstage vibe next time, to have more contact with the show or be more important. But there is still time for that.

And as it is for this year I’m happy I did it. It will not only look good on my CV, but it was an experience I’m sure I’ll tell people about again and again.

So yes, I dreamt about being a part of Eurovision, I imagined myself meeting the artists, seeing every show and being important.

But I guess I discovered that isn’t the most memorable part of it at all. It wasn’t the artists, the backstage access, or just another shiny job experience. It was the people. The conversations. The feeling that, for one week, thousands of strangers came together because they loved the same thing.

We are finally on social media.. Come say hi…

Subscribe and follow our official social handles on **Instagram | X | Facebook**.

Feel free to mention / tag us on these social platforms whenever you want to promote or collaborate on your content. We love watching you grow with this community.

This story published on “**Pen With Paper” — a fresh space where writers bring their thoughts, stories, and ideas to life. Want to share your voice? Join our community, and together, “We Elevate Your Stories”**

[embed]Pen With Paper Submission Guidelines 2026 : A Brand New Way to Be Added as a Writer New submission guidelines, approval steps, writing rules, and how to get publishedmedium.com