The 68th Eurovision Song Contest commenced in Sweden on Tuesday amid the shadow cast by the conflict in Gaza over the glitzy pop extravaganza.
Performers representing countries across Europe and beyond took the stage in the first two semifinals in the Swedish city of Malmo. It and a second semifinal on Thursday will winnow a field of 37 nations to 26 who will compete in Saturday’s final against a backdrop of both parties and protests.
Ten of the 15 acts performing Tuesday were voted through to the final by viewers, including Croatian singer-songwriter Baby Lasagna, whose infectious electro number "Rim Tim Tagi Dim" is the current favorite to win, and Ukrainian duo Alyona Alyona and Jerry Heil, flying the flag for their war-battered nation with the anthemic "Teresa & Maria."
Goth-style Irish singer Bambie Thug, 1990s-loving Finnish prankster Windows95man and Portuguese crooner Iolanda also made the cut. Iceland, Azerbaijan, Poland, Moldova and Australia were eliminated.
Other bookmakers’ favorites who will perform Thursday include nonbinary Swiss singer Nemo, Italian TikTok star Angelina Mango and the Netherlands’ Joost Klein with his playful pop-rap song "Europapa."
Security measures
Security is tight in the Swedish city, which expects an influx of some 100,000 Eurovision fans, along with tens of thousands of pro-Palestinian protesters. Israel is a Eurovision participant, and demonstrations are planned on Thursday and Saturday against Israel’s relentless bombing of the Gaza Strip, which has left almost 35,000 Palestinians dead.
Israel’s government warned its citizens of a "tangible concern" that Israelis could be targeted for attack in Malmo during the contest.
Organizers told Israel to change the lyrics of its entry, originally titled "October Rain." The song was renamed "Hurricane," and Israeli singer Eden Golan was allowed to remain in the contest. However, they excluded Russia following its attack on Ukraine in 2022.
Jean Philip De Tender, deputy director-general of Eurovision organizer the European Broadcasting Union, told Sky News that banning Israel "would have been a political decision, and as such (one) which we cannot take."
Police from across Sweden have been drafted for Eurovision week, along with reinforcements from neighboring Denmark and Norway.
Sweden’s official terrorism threat level remains "high," the second-highest rung on a five-point scale, after a string of public desecrations of the Quran last year sparked angry demonstrations across Muslim countries. The desecrations were not related to the music event.
Eurovision’s motto is "United by Music," but national rifts and political divisions often cloud the contest despite organizers’ efforts to keep politics out.
Flags and signs are banned, apart from participants’ national flags. That means Palestinian flags will be barred inside the Malmo Arena contest venue.
Performers are feeling political pressure, with some saying they have been inundated with messages on social media urging them to boycott the event.
One who knows how Eurovision unity can collide with bitter reality is singer Manizha Sangin, who represented Russia at the contest in 2021. The country was expelled the following year over its invasion of Ukraine.
Manizha, who performs under her first name, spoke out against the war. As a result, her performances were canceled in Russia, and her music was banned from public spaces. The singer remains in Russia but has found it impossible to work.