Warwick cancels Eurovision piazza screening following safety concerns

The University of Warwick has cancelled the annual screening of the Eurovision finale in the piazza due to safety concerns, it has emerged.

Though neither the University nor the Students’ Union has issued a public formal statement, The Boar understands that the decision was made as a result of the ongoing demonstration in the piazza by protest group Warwick Stands With Palestine.

As previous years have seen the screening highly attended to the point of overcapacity, there were concerns that the protest group’s encampment would render the event unsafe.

It was additionally expected that the demonstrators would stage a protest or disruption of the event, because of their opposition to the inclusion of Israel in the competition.

Due to these concerns, the University has now decided to scrap the event, only a day before it was due to take place.

The announcement of this was included towards the bottom of the weekly Student Communications newsletter, and there was confusion throughout the day at the lack of any formal statement. At 7pm, members of staff in Senate House were still insisting that the screening would go ahead as planned.

Warwick Stands With Palestine themselves were quick to hail the news, declaring in an announcement: “Due to our encampment, the annual Eurovision watching party on the piazza has been cancelled!”

They went on to say that the group would be holding its own evening of “cultural events” on the night.

In a statement given to The Boar, the University said: “Unfortunately, we will not be able to show Eurovision on the Piazza this year. Here are other venues where you can watch live screenings of the Eurovision Song Contest Final 2024 on Saturday 11 May.

“You can join the Eurovision Festival at the Pump Room Gardens (Leamington Spa), with a live screening, a vibrant market and local performances. There are also Eurovision viewing parties at Glamorous (Coventry), The Cottage Inn (Kenilworth), The Old Joint Stock Pub & Theatre (Birmingham), and Sliced n Diced with a bottomless brunch (Birmingham).”