“I’m in love with Eurovision.” Erdi Tejeci has travelled all the way from Kosovo, even though his home country isn’t taking part. But he wants to change all that.
They’ve come in their thousands, from Malmö to Madrid, decked out in national colors — and for a week Eurovision fans have taken over the Austrian capital, Vienna.
Andres Putting/EBU
But one man stands alone, having made a solitary pilgrimage to the Austrian capital. Erdi Tejeci is the ultimate fan, travelling some 700km from his home in Kosovo, despite the fact his country is not even taking part.
And Tejeci is a man on a mission — he wants to see Kosovo in the Eurovision song contest.
"I'm in love with Eurovision," Tejeci told BuzzFeed News, his enthusiasm infectious — and it's hard to disagree. For starters, he has been granted special fan accreditation, reserved by Eurovision for the most dedicated supporters, giving them access to rehearsals and press conferences.
Through this, Tejeci has already attracted the attention of some of this year's biggest Eurovision stars by bringing his blue, yellow and white flag along to the red-carpet opening ceremony. "Not everyone knows the Kosovar flag, so being there with it, and being the only Kosovar there was good," he said.
It might seem to hard hard to believe for those who see Eurovision as little more than the continent's annual cheesefest, but securing entry is a big deal for Kosovo.
Thomas Hanses/EBU
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