The final of the Eurovision Song Contest began in the Austrian capital Vienna on Saturday night amid a boycott by five countries over Israel’s participation.
Spain, Ireland, the Netherlands, Iceland and Slovenia have pulled out of the world’s biggest live music competition, now in its 70th year, in protest at Israel’s participation.
“We will not be in Vienna, but we will do so with the conviction that we are on the right side of history,” Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said on Friday.
Controversy over Israel’s Gaza campaign casts shadow over Eurovision final
The contest, normally a glitzy competition that usually involves a lot of kitsch, upbeat pop acts, has been marred in recent years by controversy over Israel’s military offensive in Gaza.
This was a response to the Hamas-led attack on October 7, 2023, which killed approximately 1,200 people in Israel, resulting in the deaths of more than 70,000 Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.
The boycott meant there were only 35 entries in this year’s contest, the lowest since 2003. There will be only 25 acts in the final.
Television viewing figures are expected to be down from last year’s 166 million people, which was up from the 128 million who watched the Super Bowl.
Israel has condemned the boycott and claims it is the target of a global smear campaign.
“We are living through some challenging times at the moment,” Eurovision Song Contest director Martin Green said before the final began.
Which countries are tipped to perform well?
The Finnish duo of violinist Linda Lampenius and singer Piet Parkkonen is a huge favorite with their number “Likkinheitin” or “Flamethrower”.
Australia’s Delta Goodrem is also expected to challenge for the trophy with her song “Eclipse”. Goodrem is a household name in Australia, having sold 9 million albums in her home country, spawning number one singles and 17 top ten hits.
Following Eurovision’s voting process, the winner will be unveiled at 1am local time (2300 GMT).
Protestors accuse Eurovision organizers over Israel of hypocrisy
Hours before the start of the final, hundreds of people marched in Vienna shouting “Free, Free Palestine” and “Boycott Eurovision” under a heavy police presence.
He condemned Eurovision organizers, accusing them of hypocrisy for allowing Israel to compete, after Russia was excluded for its invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
Salah Abdel Shafi, the Palestinian ambassador to Vienna, told protesters that including Israel was “an insult to art, culture, music and humanity.”
Edited by: Rana Taha