As the excitement is rising and Eurovision is approaching, the City of Stockholm is gearing itself to embrace the 2016 Eurovision Song Contest along with its 43 participating nations. A unique flag ceremony is scheduled to be held next to the Euroclub on Sunday 8 May. The flags of all 43 competing nations will be raised simultaenously in a regal ceremony.

Over forty countries are participating in this year’s Eurovision Song Contest. To mark the opening of the Eurovision week in its true spirit, the City of Stockholm will arrange a unique and solemn Flag Ceremony. On Sunday 8 of May at 08:00, in line with the Swedish flag tradition, soldiers from the Swedish Life Guards, one of the world’s oldest regiments still in existence will raise the flags of all 43 competing countries to the music of the Royal Swedish Army Band.

The Ceremony will kick off at 7.45 am in front of the Euroclub on Skeppsbron just next to the Royal Palace. Skeppsbron will be closed for traffic between 07.40-08.15 o’clock .

The ceremony will be graced by: the ambassadors from participating countries, Ms. Karin Wanngård (Mayor of Stockholm), Ms. Eva-Louise Erlandsson Slorach ( President of the City Council), Mr. Jon Ola Sand (EBU ESC Executive Supervisor) and prominent guests from SVT and the delegations.

The Royal Swedish Army band is the largest regiment orchestra in Sweden with 50 professional musicians. It is quite  unusual to see a ceremony like this in the heart of  Stockholm, where the flags of  43 countries will be simultaneously raised.

The 2016 Eurovision Song Contest is scheduled to be held on 10, 12 and 14 May at the Globe Arena in Stockholm.

Cover photo credit: Staffan Eliasson (visitstockholm.com)