The Swedish embassy in Washington, D.C., will organize a Eurovision Night After Dark party in the USA on October 24. Organizers promise “an evening filled with live performances and presentations, video screenings, karaoke and music, music, music – a night of glitter and European hits to remember”.

The party will feature a live performance by Swedish singer Anna Sahlene (who represented Estonia in 2002 and tried her luck twice in the Swedish selections), a Eurovision karaoke, a meeting with “Sweden's Eurovision guru” Christer Björkman and music journalist Fred Bronson, and dancing to Eurovision tunes with music by DJ K-Tell. Tickets ($20) must be purchased in advance at www.ticketweb.com

One day earlier, October 23, for the ninth year in a row, the Consulate General of Sweden in New York sponsors a pop music seminar. Bronson will be the moderator for all of the panel discussions. “This year, we will be doing a panel on Melodifestivalen and Eurovision,” Fred declares. “I will be interviewing Christer Björkman about MF and ESC for a 90-minute super-panel. It's a one-on-one interview with Christer, and we'll be explaining what MF and ESC are to an American audience.” Fred attended his first Eurovision in Dublin in 1995 and has been to 11 more since, covering the song contest for Billboard magazine.