The Eurovision Song Contest commenced on Tuesday with its first semifinal in Vienna, as divisions over Israel's participation overshadowed the 70th edition of the flamboyant pop music event. Host city Vienna is adorned with hearts and the contest's motto, "United by Music," for a week where 35 countries compete for the continental musical crown. However, five nations—Spain, Ireland, the Netherlands, Slovenia, and Iceland—are boycotting to protest Israel's inclusion.
Security and Protests
Several pro-Palestinian demonstrations are planned in Vienna during Eurovision week. Security is tight, with police officers deployed from across Austria, supplemented by forces from neighboring Germany. Last month, a 21-year-old Austrian man pleaded guilty to plotting an attack on a Taylor Swift concert in Vienna in 2024, having pledged allegiance to the Islamic State group. Sylvia Mayer, head of Austria's DSN intelligence service, noted that "the terror threat posed by Islamist terror groups, as well as Iran-affiliated groups, is still at a high level."
Semifinal Competitors
Israeli singer Noam Bettan is among 15 acts vying for votes from viewers and national juries in Tuesday's semifinal at the Wiener Stadthalle arena. The top 10 will advance to Saturday's grand final, along with 10 from Thursday's second semifinal. The U.K., France, Germany, and Italy automatically qualify as major funders, while Austria, last year's winner, enters the final as host. Bettan aims to secure Israel's place in the final with the ballad "Michelle," following last year's competitor Yuval Raphael, who also practiced singing amid boos.
Finland is the bookmakers' favorite, featuring the intense "Liekinheitin" ("Flamethrower") by violinist Linda Lampenius and pop singer Pete Parkkonen. Other competitors include Greece's Akylas with the party-rap track "Ferto" ("Bring It"), Portuguese quintet Bandidos do Cante with the soulful "Rosa," and San Marino's Senhit performing "Superstar," a party anthem with Boy George.
Political Tensions
Eurovision, long a platform for national rivalries, has struggled to separate pop and politics in recent years. Russia was expelled in 2022 after its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The 2024 contest in Malmo, Sweden, and last year's event in Basel, Switzerland, saw pro-Palestinian protests calling for Israel's expulsion due to its war against Hamas in Gaza and allegations of a rule-breaking marketing campaign for votes. When organizers refused to exclude Israel, five countries announced in December they would not participate this year.
The European Broadcasting Union, which runs Eurovision, has tightened voting rules in response to vote-rigging allegations, halving the number of votes per person to 10 and enhancing safeguards against suspicious voting activity.
Dean Vuletic, author of "Postwar Europe and the Eurovision Song Contest," expressed confidence that Eurovision can weather the storms. "We'll see demonstrations, but we'll also see a lot of colorful events which will really represent what Eurovision is about—bringing Europeans together," he said. "If you look at the history of Eurovision, it's gone through so many crises, political challenges, and geopolitical changes in Europe, and it's always managed to survive."
