Dan Shipton is confident Germany won’t finish at the bottom of the Eurovision scoreboard when he works with the country’s delegation this year. 

Shipton, his company Black Skull Creative, and fellow Eurovision Creative Director Marvin Dietmann, will lead the staging concept for Germany’s representative, Isaak, and his song, Always On The Run. 

Click to read this story at a glance…

• Dan Shipton and Black Skull Creative to lead staging concept for Germany’s Eurovision entry
• Confidence expressed in improving Germany’s Eurovision performance, aiming to avoid finishing at the bottom
• Shipton draws parallels between Germany’s current situation and UK’s past Eurovision struggles, expressing optimism for improvement
• Despite expecting a baby shortly after the Grand Final, Shipton and Ross Nicholson of Black Skull Creative will also oversee staging concepts for Austria and Cyprus at Eurovision this year

Speaking exclusively to The Euro Trip, Shipton said: “Isaak is a really interesting choice. 

“His final performance on their selection show wasn’t right; it wasn’t authentic to him as an amazing street performer.

“I didn’t feel like the whole package represented the man that he is. 

“When I was listening to the Eurovision playlist in the gym this morning, it stood out. I don’t think it deserves all the criticism.” 

Germany’s broadcaster invited Shipton to work on its staging for Eurovision this year before the national final took place earlier in February, so he only found out the song he would be working on at the same time as the public watching the show. 

“It’s up to us now. If we get it right, we have every chance to get Germany way further up the board than they have been.” 

Since 2015, Germany has come last in the Eurovision Grand Final on four occasions, placing second last another three times. Its only other result in the last eight editions of the contest was fourth in 2018. 

“I have been through the tough times with the UK and I can remember people telling me it was bad for my career. 

“Having stuck through it, look at what we’ve done. We have managed to change the face of United Kingdom Eurovision, and we’re on an upwards trajectory now.”

Shipton compared where the United Kingdom was with Eurovision five years ago to where Germany is now. 

“They have got such a drive to do more. They are really passionate about it. The team at the broadcaster want it so badly. Germany has all the potential and all the ingredients to do as well as the rest of the Big Five. They’re where we were a few years ago.” 

Shipton has been the Creative Director for a number of Eurovision performances over the last decade, and was the Lead Creative Director for the whole show in Liverpool last year. 

In 2022, Shipton was Creative Director for four countries’ performances, and in 2021 he worked with seven countries. 

Black Skull Creative, the company Shipton owns with his husband Ross Nicholson and other professional partners Jay Revell and Paul Gardner, will lead the staging concepts for Austria and Cyprus at Eurovision this year, as well as Germany. 

Marvin Dietmann will work with Black Skull Creative on all three of the company’s projects for Malmö. 

Shipton and Nicholson deliberately scaled back their Eurovision involvement this year as they’re expecting a baby together just four days after the Grand Final.