Eurovision Chat Over Coffee, with Performance Coach Francesca Aaen

Artist welfare is becoming an ever-more important part of the Eurovision Song Contest. How can delegations support their artists through multiple sources of pressure during the Song Contest rehearsals and live shows, performances through the preview season, dealing with online reviews and critique, and more? Performance coach Francesca Aaen joined the Luxembourg delegation in 2024 to support artists through the National Final process, and then worked with Tali in the run-up to and during Malmö 2024. She's still with the delegation, preparing Laura Thorn and the team for the 2025 Contest. Before she heads to Basel, she talks to Ewan Spence on the difference a performance coach can make. They talk about building up a performer's resilience; the importance of the preview parties; learning how to stay in control and deal with nerves; supporting artists through the toxicity of social media and the internet; coping with the feelings of a Semi Final victory and defeat; and preparing for the Grand Final. Ewan Spence and the ESC Insight team bring you the latest news from the world of the Eurovision Song Contest.