Swiss contestant Nemo lifts the Eurovision trophy.
Provided by Getty Images
Swiss performer Nemo has won the 68th Eurovision Song Contest, perhaps the most divisive contest in history, beating runner-up Croatian artist Baby Lasagna.
Switzerland's leading non-binary singer won with her song “The Code”, receiving 591 points from music industry judges from participating countries and the global public. At the tournament held in Malmö, Croatia came in second place with 547 points, followed by Sweden in third place with 453 points. Rounding out the top five were France and Israel with 445 and 375 points respectively.
Eurovision is back, offering everything fans are used to seeing from Europe's most eccentric night of music this year. Dancers in corsets and knee-high leather boots curl up to Spain's “Kylie Minogue,” while horned Irish goth gremlins scream in the darkness. A tale of witchcraft and clever camera work that hides the genitals of his Windows95Man from Finland (his denim shorts were quickly delivered to the stage by rope).
Hosted by Swedish-American actress Malin Akerman (27 Dresses, The Proposal) and presenter Petra Mead, the four-hour spectacle featured performances from 25 countries and even 1974 They wowed the audience with a virtual avatar of the legendary ABBA performing their 2019 hit song 'Waterloo'. ”
Despite the most raucous development of any contest to date, the show was relatively uneventful (there was probably a lot of nudity, but it was as lively and colorful as you'd expect).
Eurovision organizers have come under fire for their handling of the contest in the lead-up to the grand final. Reports were circulating on social media of widespread anxiety among contestants and national delegations. Contestants missing rehearsals, flags being lowered and claims of backstage cheating have disrupted the usually lively Eurovision preparations. It didn't help that Dutch contestant Joost Klein was disqualified on Saturday for allegedly threatening Swedish police by a female member of the production staff.
Eurovision bosses have long believed their event to be apolitical, but in recent years the competition has more clearly reflected geopolitical opinions across Europe. Russia, for example, was banned from the 2022 contest following the invasion of Ukraine. In a show of solidarity, Ukrainian participants Karrueche Orchestra were voted winners that year (despite not giving the strongest performance, as many critics pointed out).
But the contestant at the center of this year's controversy, Israel's Eden Golan, ended up receiving strong public support. Golan's participation was met with widespread criticism, including being booed during rehearsals this week, but she came in a very impressive fifth place in the public vote, which is better than outside reactions over the past week. This suggests that a favorable impression among voters may have led observers to believe him.
The only concrete evidence that Golan was not well-received was the extremely low reaction from the crowd at the final match – and Israeli press officials agreed. Attendees reported a barrage of jeers that may not have been picked up by television microphones. Martin Österdaal, executive supervisor of the Eurovision Song Contest, received a chorus of boos from the entire arena during his speech, presumably following Klein's exclusion.
Golan has called the Israeli war on Gaza, which has left nearly 35,000 Palestinians dead, most of them women and children, since an October 7 Hamas attack on Israel killed about 1,200 people. It has become a lightning rod for widespread criticism.
Israeli President Isaac Herzog ordered “necessary adjustments” to Golan's first appearance to ensure his country could compete. The lyrics of “October Rain” seem to refer to the Hamas attack. Instead, the 20-year-old performed a romantic ballad called “Hurricane.” But even Eurovision's most ardent fans spoke out against the missile attack on Gaza and vowed to boycott this year's event.
However, the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) has repeatedly defended its decision to include Israel, winner of Eurovision in 1978, 1979, 1998 and 2018, in a statement urging viewers not to exploit Golan. announced. The young singer was under police protection this week.
“We would like to emphasize that all decisions regarding participation are the responsibility of the EBU governing body and not the individual artists,” the EBU said. “We firmly oppose all forms of abuse and harassment of our participants, both online and offline, and are committed to promoting a safe, respectful and inclusive environment.”
British newcomer Olly Alexander, who fronted British pop band Years & Years before starting out under his own name, also faced pressure to leave. More than 450 queer artists, individuals and organizations have asked him not to perform during the Gaza conflict. He rejected this, saying that while he “wholeheartedly” supported a ceasefire in Gaza and the return of all hostages, he added: “My current belief is that excluding myself from the contest does not bring us any closer to the common goal. '' he posted a statement explaining.
Pro-Palestinian demonstrations continued outside the Eurovision venue. On Thursday, local police reported that more than 10,000 people, including Swedish environmental activist Greta Thunberg, marched through the city in a protest directly demanding that Eurovision organizers exclude Israel from the contest. Another 15,000 people gathered before Saturday's finale.
Bumby Thug from Ireland at Eurovision 2024.Provided by Getty Images
Individuals from some delegations refused to participate in the Eurovision final. Hours before the show began, former Eurovision contestant Karja resigned as spokesperson for the Finnish jury, saying it was “not appropriate” to distribute points. He did not elaborate further.
Dutch broadcaster Avrotros quickly followed suit, disqualifying Klein. After consulting with spokesperson Nikki de Jagge, the company wrote about the X: “Like Nicky, we envisioned tonight as something completely different.”
This year's competition is set in new host Switzerland, but this year's political turmoil has certainly left a sour taste in the mouths of spectators and organizers alike. Perhaps it's a taste that will linger long after Malmö de Eurovision and return to normal.