Editing Eurovision Song Contest (section)

== Interval acts and guest appearances ==
[[File:Riverdance cast, 2019 crop.jpg|thumb|alt=Photograph of Riverdance cast|''[[Riverdance]]'' (cast pictured at the Gaiety Theatre, Dublin in 2019) was the interval act at the 1994 contest.]]

Alongside the song contest and appearances from local and international personalities, performances from non-competing artists and musicians have been included since the first edition,<ref name="Iconic intervals" /><ref>{{Cite web |date=18 March 2015 |title=Star percussionist revealed as Eurovision interval act |url=https://eurovision.tv/story/star-percussionist-revealed-as-eurovision-interval-act |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191223021251/https://eurovision.tv/story/star-percussionist-revealed-as-eurovision-interval-act |archive-date=23 December 2019 |access-date=29 June 2020 |publisher=Eurovision Song Contest}}</ref> and have become a staple of the live show.{{sfn|O'Connor|2010|p=216}} These performances have varied widely, previously featuring music, art, dance, and circus performances, and past participants are regularly invited to perform, with the reigning champion traditionally returning each year to perform the previous year's winning song.<ref name="Iconic intervals" /><ref>{{Cite web |last=Siim |first=Jarmo |date=29 April 2015 |title=Conchita Wurst & a magical bridge to open the Eurovision Final |url=https://eurovision.tv/story/conchita-wurst-a-magical-bridge-to-open-the-eurovision-final |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200926223803/https://eurovision.tv/story/conchita-wurst-a-magical-bridge-to-open-the-eurovision-final |archive-date=26 September 2020 |access-date=1 April 2021 |publisher=Eurovision Song Contest}}</ref>

The contest's opening performance and the main interval act, held following the final competing song and before the announcement of the voting results, has become a memorable part of the contest and has included both internationally known artists and local stars. Contest organisers have previously used these performances as a way to explore their country's culture and history, such as in "4,000 Years of Greek Song" at the {{Escyr|2006||2006 contest}} held in Greece;<ref>{{Cite book |last=Polychronakis |first=Ioannis |title=Made in Greece: Studies in Popular Music |date=2019 |publisher=[[Routledge]] |isbn=978-1-315-74907-5 |editor-last=Tragaki |editor-first=Dafni |chapter=Singing Greece's Contemporary Socio-Cultural History |access-date=29 June 2020 |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=xjVlDwAAQBAJ&q=4000+Years+of+Greek+Song&pg=PT52}}</ref> other performances have been more comedic in nature, featuring parody and humour, as was the case with "Love Love Peace Peace" in {{Escyr|2016}}, a humorous ode to the history and spectacle of the contest itself.<ref name="Love Love Peace Peace">{{Cite web |last=Jordan |first=Paul |date=17 June 2016 |title=Stockholm Revisited Part Three: Writing the Script |url=https://eurovision.tv/story/stockholm-revisited-part-three-writing-the-script |access-date=29 June 2020 |publisher=Eurovision Song Contest}}</ref> ''[[Riverdance]]'', which later became one of the most successful dance productions in the world, first began as the interval performance at the 1994 contest in Ireland; the seven-minute performance of [[Irish traditional music|traditional Irish music]] and [[Irish dance|dance]] was later expanded into a full stage show that has been seen by over 25 million people worldwide and provided a launchpad for its lead dancers [[Michael Flatley]] and [[Jean Butler]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Riverdance: The Journey |url=https://riverdance.com/the-show/the-journey/ |access-date=29 June 2020 |website=riverdance.com |archive-date=22 April 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220422001416/https://riverdance.com/the-show/the-journey/ |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=29 January 2015 |title=Amazing facts about the Irish dance phenomenon 'Riverdance' |url=https://www.irishcentral.com/culture/entertainment/amazing-facts-about-the-irish-dance-phenomenon-riverdance |access-date=29 June 2020 |website=IrishCentral.com}}</ref>

Among other artists who have performed in a non-competitive manner are Danish [[Europop]] group [[Aqua (band)|Aqua]] in {{Escyr|2001}},<ref>{{Cite web |last=Collins |first=Simon |date=7 October 2018 |title=Aqua ride the highs and lows ahead of 2019 Australian tour |url=https://thewest.com.au/entertainment/music/aqua-ride-the-highs-and-lows-ng-b88965837z |access-date=29 June 2020 |publisher=[[The West Australian]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=22 December 2009 |title=The end of a decade: Copenhagen 2001 |url=https://eurovision.tv/story/the-end-of-a-decade-copenhagen-2001 |access-date=29 June 2020 |publisher=Eurovision Song Contest}}</ref> Finnish cello metal band [[Apocalyptica]] in 2007,<ref>{{cite web |title=Apocalyptica to Accordion at Eurovision Shows |date=13 April 2007 |url=https://yle.fi/a/3-5781853 |publisher=Yle |access-date=19 August 2024}}</ref> Russian pop duo [[t.A.T.u.]] in {{Escyr|2009}},<ref>{{Cite web |date=26 December 2016 |title=Russian army choir – Eurovision 2009 interval act – loses 64 members in plane crash tragedy |url=https://eurovision.tv/story/russian-army-choir-eurovision-2009-interval-act-loses-64-members-in-plane-crash-tragedy |access-date=29 June 2020 |publisher=Eurovision Song Contest}}</ref> and American entertainers [[Justin Timberlake]] and [[Madonna]] in {{Escyr|2016}} and {{Escyr|2019}} respectively.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Jordan |first=Paul |date=9 May 2016 |title=Justin Timberlake makes world premiere live performance in the Eurovision Song Contest! |url=https://eurovision.tv/story/justin-timberlake-makes-world-premiere-live-performance-in-the-eurovision-song-contest |access-date=29 June 2020 |publisher=Eurovision Song Contest}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Picheta |first=Rob |date=19 May 2018 |title=Eurovision: Madonna mixes politics with a classic hit during performance |url=https://edition.cnn.com/2019/05/18/europe/madonna-eurovision-israel-scli-intl/index.html |access-date=29 June 2020 |publisher=CNN}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Belam |first=Martin |date=19 May 2019 |title=Madonna was excruciating: what we learned from Eurovision 2019 |url=https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2019/may/19/madonna-was-excruciating-eurovision-2019 |access-date=29 June 2020 |website=[[The Guardian]]}}</ref> Other notable artists, including [[Cirque du Soleil]] ({{ESCYr|2009}}), [[Alexandrov Ensemble]] ({{ESCYr|2009}}), [[Vienna Boys' Choir]] ({{ESCYr|1967}} and {{ESCYr|2015}}) and [[Fire of Anatolia]] ({{ESCYr|2004}}), also performed on the Eurovision stage,<ref>{{Cite web |date=15 May 2009 |title=Cirque du Soleil! |url=https://eurovision.tv/story/cirque-du-soleil-opener-for-the-final |access-date=18 May 2021 |publisher=[[European Broadcasting Union]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=15 May 2009 |title=Cirque du Soleil: opener for the final! |url=https://eurovision.tv/story/cirque-du-soleil-opener-for-the-final |access-date=29 June 2020 |publisher=Eurovision Song Contest}}</ref> and there have been guest appearances from well-known faces from outside the world of music, including actors, athletes, and serving astronauts and cosmonauts.<ref name="Decade Kyiv 05">{{Cite web |date=27 December 2009 |title=The end of a decade: Kyiv 2005 |url=https://eurovision.tv/story/the-end-of-a-decade-kyiv-2005 |access-date=29 June 2020 |publisher=Eurovision Song Contest}}</ref><ref name="Decade Riga 03">{{Cite web |date=24 December 2009 |title=The end of a decade: Riga 2003 |url=https://eurovision.tv/story/the-end-of-a-decade-riga-2003 |access-date=29 June 2020 |publisher=Eurovision Song Contest}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=24 May 2008 |title=Russian singer wins 2008 Eurovision Song Contest |publisher=[[CTV News]] |agency=[[Associated Press]] |url=https://www.ctvnews.ca/russian-singer-wins-2008-eurovision-song-contest-1.297954 |access-date=29 June 2020}}</ref><ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Fry |first=Naomi |date=21 May 2019 |title=Eurovision's Sanitized Vision of Israel |url=https://www.newyorker.com/culture/culture-desk/eurovisions-sanitized-vision-of-israel |magazine=[[The New Yorker]] |access-date=29 June 2020}}</ref> Guest performances have been used as a channel in response to global events happening concurrently with the contest. The {{Escyr|1999||1999 contest}} in Israel closed with all competing acts performing a rendition of {{esccnty|Israel|y=1979|t=Israel's 1979}} winning song "[[Hallelujah (Milk and Honey song)|Hallelujah]]" as a tribute to the victims of the [[Kosovo War|war in the Balkans]],{{sfn|O'Connor|2010|pp=156–159}}<ref>{{Cite web |title=Jerusalem 1999 |url=https://eurovision.tv/event/jerusalem-1999 |access-date=29 June 2020 |publisher=Eurovision Song Contest}}</ref> a dance performance entitled "The Grey People" in 2016's first semi-final was devoted to the [[2015 European migrant crisis|European migrant crisis]],<ref>{{Cite web |date=1 July 2016 |title=Stockholm Revisited Part Five: Interval Acts |url=https://eurovision.tv/story/stockholm-revisited-part-five-interval-acts |access-date=29 June 2020 |publisher=Eurovision Song Contest}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Åberg |first=Erik |date=11 May 2016 |title=Mellanakten hyllas av Eurovision-tittarna |url=https://www.aftonbladet.se/nojesbladet/a/zLk891/mellanakten-hyllas-av-eurovision-tittarna |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200629201422/https://www.aftonbladet.se/nojesbladet/a/zLk891/mellanakten-hyllas-av-eurovision-tittarna |archive-date=29 June 2020 |access-date=29 June 2020 |website=[[Aftonbladet]] |language=sv}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=11 May 2016 |title=The Grey People (Interval act Semi – Final 1 of the 2016 Eurovision Song Contest) |url=https://eurovision.tv/video/the-grey-people-interval-act-semi-final-1-of-the-2016-eurovision-song-contest |access-date=29 June 2020 |publisher=Eurovision Song Contest}}</ref> the {{Escyr|2022||2022 contest}} featured known anti-war songs "[[Fragile (Sting song)|Fragile]]", "[[People Have the Power]]", and "[[Give Peace a Chance]]" in response to the [[Russian invasion of Ukraine]] that same year,<ref>{{Cite web |last=Farren |first=Neil |date=11 May 2022 |title=Live From Turin: Semi-Final Two Jury Show |url=https://eurovoix.com/2022/05/11/live-from-turin-semi-final-two-jury-show/ |access-date=14 May 2022 |website=Eurovoix}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=14 May 2022 |title=Eurovision 2022: All about the Grand Final |url=https://eurovisionworld.com/esc/eurovision-2022-all-about-the-grand-final |access-date=14 May 2022 |website=Eurovisionworld}}</ref> and an interval act in {{Escyr|2023}}'s first semi-final alluded to the [[Ukrainian refugee crisis (2022–present)|refugee crisis]] caused by the aforementioned invasion.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Marshall |first=Alex |date=2023-05-12 |title=How Liverpool Put on a Song Contest for Ukraine |language=en-US |work=[[The New York Times]] |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2023/05/12/arts/music/eurovision-liverpool-ukraine.html |access-date=2023-07-13 |issn=0362-4331}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Butterworth |first=Benjamin |date=2023-05-12 |title='Ukrainian officials have been planning Eurovision with us from bunkers' |url=https://inews.co.uk/culture/eurovision-2023-behind-scenes-ukraine-planned-bunkers-2335543 |access-date=2023-07-13 |website=inews.co.uk |language=en}}</ref>

{{wide image|File:ESC2016 Grand Final Interval Act 18.jpg|800px|alt=Photograph of performance of "Love Love Peace Peace" at the 2016 final: Petra Mede and Måns Zelmerlöw perform on stage surrounded by performers dressed in costumes of past Eurovision acts|"Love Love Peace Peace" at the 2016 final, performed by presenters [[Petra Mede]] and [[Måns Zelmerlöw]], depicted several memorable moments from Eurovision history}}