The epic annual campfest known as the Eurovision Song Contest is set to spread its pageant of artistic excellence and international rivalry to new and distant shores this year. For the first time since its 1956 debut, fans across the world will be able to take in the pinnacle of European pop culture in real time, thanks to a global livestream on Eurovision's official YouTube channel.
The expansion comes just in time to mark the 60th anniversary of the contest, which, its organizers note, is the most watched non-sporting event in the world, with recent audiences reaching between 100 million and 600 million. In the U.S., the contest may be best known for launching the careers of Celine Dion and ABBA.
Eurovision found a considerable boost in interest outside the 52 participating countries last year with the victory of Austria's Conchita Wurst, the bearded drag queen who dedicated the night to "everyone who believes in a future of peace and freedom."
The 2015 Eurovision Semifinal, held in Vienna, begins on Tuesday, May
19th at 4 p.m. EST, and the competition reaches its conclusion at the
same hour on Saturday, May 23rd
