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THE Eurovision song contest is just around the corner and is a long-established singing competition dating back to 1956.

This year the show is being held in Tel Aviv, Israel, from May 14 to 18, following the country's victory last year – here's all you need to know about how to make the perfect Eurovision party…

How to throw a Eurovision party

It’s a long-standing tradition for many people to host or go to a Eurovision party, and with hours of entertainment, it’s worth making an effort.

If you’re hosting, one quick and easy way to spruce up your living room is with bunting.

Virtually any material or pattern will do, but if you’re feeling particularly proud you could go for the Union Jack, or flags of the world would go down a treat.

Some bits of sparkle help jazz up a room, and party poppers make a great addition which you can leave out for guests.

What food can I make for a Eurovision party?

Website Mission Eurovision has a host of themed food and drink ideas.

If you’re cooking en masse you might want to stick to simple recipes which you can make a lot of.

One of these is pizzas, and you can buy plain bases then add on toppings to theme them by country.

If you want to make an effort but are a bit wary of new recipes, you could opt for an English theme and put on a spread of afternoon tea sandwiches.

But if you really want to impress, here’s a selection of Eurovision recipes.

For a German twist, try Bratwurst sausages and onions, which you can make into hotdogs by adding finger rolls.

Or to keep it authentic, try frying potatoes to have on the side.

Another country in the final, France, can easily be replicated with a selection of cheeses.

Try whipping up a cheese board or baking a camembert with bread for guests to dip and share.

Spain also makes up the final contestants, and a selection of tapas is also easy to recreate.

From patatas bravas, Spanish tortilla, paella, croquettes to calamari, you can go as diverse as you like.

If you want minimal effort over drinks, you could get a selection of beers from each country.

But if you want to go all out, you can make Eurovision inspired cocktails.

Mission Eurovison has invented the Storm in a Martini Glass, in homage to the UK’s entry.

Containing gin as its key ingredient, it also features cloudy lemonade and egg whites, with the full recipe here.

And saluting Sir Cliff Richard, who has been the UK’s entry twice, the Stiff Richard cocktail includes gin and sweet vermouth, with the full recipe here.

What Eurovision drinking games can I play?

Drinking is a big deal at Eurovision parties, with numerous rules invented to keep guests sipping their drinks.

According to the website, few classic themes to drink include:

  • A contestant wearing feathers
  • A contestant wearing sequins
  • A glitter cannon
  • Thanking the host country for a wonderful evening
  • A wind machine
  • Token / novelty act
  • Someone wearing a hat
  • The UK gets 1 point from a jury vote
  • A song about love
  • Rapping
missioneurovision.co.uk5
You can get professional help with your games

Another way to spice up the evening is to play Eurovision bingo, where you cross off when things such as fire, sequins or fake rain appear.

You can decide on rules and prizes, and Mission Eurovision will be playing along under the hashtag #missioneurovisionbingo.

You’ll need to start this game at the beginning of the night, but Eurovision sweepstakes is another classic choice.

Depending on how many friends you have you may need to double up, but get everyone to pick a finalist country out the hat then whoever has the winning country wins a prize.

The BBC also had a sweepstake sheet to download and a grand final scorecard so you can play along at home.

If you want some pre-show fun you can make a playlist from the previous winners or contestants.

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What Eurovision costume can I wear?

While there’s no dress-code for a Eurovision party, there are a few routes you could take.

Going all-out on the glitter and sparkles is a tried and tested outfit which never fails to disappoint.

Or you could go for red carpet glam, putting on your best dress and heels.

But if you want to fully embrace the Eurovision style, try copying some looks from the contestants.

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