Olly Alexander's home town hosting Eurovision party

Olly Alexander grew up in the small market town of Coleford in the Forest of Dean

Olly Alexander's home town is to hold a watch party as he competes in this year's Eurovision Song Content.

Alexander, who grew up in Coleford, Gloucestershire, will represent the UK at competition in Malmö, Sweden on 11 May.

The watch event, to be held at the Studio Cinema, will be free for local residents.

Coleford mayor Nick Penny said: "Coleford Town Council is extremely proud of Olly, and all that he has achieved."

Mr Alexander duetted with Elton John at the 2021 Brit Awards

The pop star, actor and LGBT+ activist will perform his brand new single Dizzy at the competition.

The Years & Years singer announced the news on the grand final of Strictly Come Dancing in December 2023.

"When we heard that he was to be the official UK entry for Eurovision 24, we immediately set about planning an event to help the town get behind Olly and hopefully celebrate the success of his performance," Mr Penny continued.

Mr Penny added they "want the evening to be fun", and are encouraging residents to pick a country and arrive in themed fancy dress.

The council is looking for a host to provide entertainment throughout the evening.

Ms Thornton says she is "incredibly proud" of her son

Performing in Coleford is not a new thing for Alexander, who first began his musical journey by winning the Coleford Music Festival talent competition in the early 2000s, before going on to perform on various stages at the event.

The singer is now a seasoned performer with a large fan base, having had five UK top 10 singles and two number one albums over the past decade with his band Years and Years.

'Incredibly proud'

As he embarks upon the first release under his own name, the town in which he forged his path to stardom will be watching.

"I am so incredibly proud of Olly for many, many reasons," said Olly's mum, Vicki Thornton.

"It makes me really happy to know that his hometown of Coleford will be in support of him on May the 11th.

"I shall be there in spirit but in reality, I shall be screaming from the rooftops at the Eurovision in Malmo - come on Olly!"

Tickets will be available on a first-come, first-served basis to residents with a GL16 postcode- though proof of address is required.

These are to be collected in person from Studio Cinema on Saturday 27 April, between 11.00 and 13.00 BST.