The 70th Eurovision Song Contest Grand Final is underway in Vienna, with 25 countries competing for the title at the Wiener Stadthalle. The event opened with reigning winner JJ performing an act titled 'The Queen of the Night,' followed by introductions of this year's finalists. Denmark's Søren Torpegaard Lund kicked off the competing performances with 'Før Vi Går Hjem.'
Among the favourites are Australia's Delta Goodrem, performing 'Eclipse' in eighth place, and Finland's duo of violinist Linda Lampenius and pop singer Pete Parkkonen, who took the stage 17th with 'Liekinheitin' (Flamethrower). The UK entry, 'Look Mum No Computer' (Sam Battle), performed 'Eins, Zwei, Drei' in 14th place, while host nation Austria closed with COSMÓ's 'Tanzschein.'
The contest is overshadowed by one of the biggest political boycotts in Eurovision history. Ireland, Spain, the Netherlands, Iceland, and Slovenia have stayed away over Israel's participation, citing the war in Gaza. Hundreds of protesters marched past the venue before the final, shouting 'Free, free Palestine' and 'boycott Eurovision,' under heavy police presence.
Israel's Noam Bettan performed 'Michelle' without major disruption, though some chants and booing were heard. Four audience members were removed during Tuesday's semi-final after attempting to disrupt his performance. Czechia's Daniel Zizka faced technical difficulties during his 'Crossroads' performance, with a distorted picture that appeared to freeze.
The interval act featured a disco version of 'All Kinds of Everything' as part of a Eurovision classics medley performed by former winners. Eurovision director Martin Green acknowledged the challenging times, saying, 'We learn more about this event, and how we deal with that event as we go forward.'
