Eurovision fans have converged on Vienna for what is being hailed as the most contentious contest in the event's seven-decade history. The slogan for tonight's pan-European musical extravaganza is 'United by Music', but the lead-up to the Eurovision Song Contest in Vienna has been anything but harmonious.
This year's competition has been plagued by discord over Israel's ongoing involvement. Five nations—Spain, Ireland, the Netherlands, Slovenia, and Iceland—have chosen to boycott the event in protest of Israel's inclusion. During the first semi-final on Tuesday, Israeli entrant Noam Bettan, a bookmaker's favourite, faced boos and chants of 'Free Palestine' and 'stop the genocide' from the audience, referencing the Gaza conflict. Austria's broadcaster ORF later confirmed that several audience members were removed by security.
The 28-year-old Bettan is reportedly under protection from Israel's Shin Bet, Mossad, and elite Austrian units during his stay in Vienna. Across the Austrian capital today, pro-Palestine protesters have taken to the streets, waving Palestinian flags and holding signs reading 'don't mention Palestine' and 'united by genocide'. One protester, Viktoria Eibensteiner, stated: 'I think it's very important to show a symbol of Austria being against war crimes, about not offering a stage for Israeli crimes in Palestine, in Lebanon, wherever. We want to take a stance against genocide, against war crimes, and that's why we're here today.'
Jamil Sawalmeh, Country Director for ActionAid Palestine, added: 'Justice cannot be a song Europe sings for some and silences for others.' Despite the controversy, the show must go on, and fans from across the continent have descended on Vienna's Wiener Stadthalle for the 70th anniversary contest.
The bookmakers' favourite to win is Finland's Linda Lampenius and Pete Parkkonen, performing a pop-rock number featuring an impressive violin solo by Lampenius. Australia's Delta Goodrem has also emerged as a frontrunner with her epic ballad 'Eclipse', which propelled Australia to the grand final for the first time in three years. Other strong contenders include Greece, Israel, Romania, and Bulgaria. The United Kingdom's entry, Look Mum No Computer (real name Sam Battle), brings a zany performance titled 'Eins, Zwei, Drei'.
Earlier this week, Rylan Clark was praised for directly addressing the controversy during the semi-final commentary. He noted that five countries had withdrawn due to Israel's participation, leaving 35 acts competing. Fans lauded him on social media for acknowledging the issue. The competition has been overshadowed for a third year by calls for Israel's exclusion over its conflicts in Gaza and elsewhere.
Spain announced its boycott in December, followed by Ireland, Slovenia, the Netherlands, and Iceland. Spain's broadcaster RTVE will air a tribute to its musical history instead, featuring Tony Grox and Lucycalys, who would have represented Spain. Ireland's national broadcaster will show a Eurovision-themed episode of 'Father Ted', while Slovenia will broadcast a program about Palestinians. The boycotts represent a financial blow to Eurovision, which relies on participating broadcasters for funding.
Eurovision has struggled to separate pop and politics in recent years. Russia was expelled in 2022 after its invasion of Ukraine. Tensions escalated after Hamas' October 7, 2023, attack on Israel and Israel's subsequent Gaza campaign, which has left over 70,000 dead. The last two contests saw pro-Palestinian protests, prompting organisers to tighten rules on political flag-waving. The European Broadcasting Union has also toughened voting rules after allegations of vote-rigging, halving votes per person to 10 and tightening safeguards against suspicious voting activity.
The grand final will feature 25 countries: Albania, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czechia, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Israel, Italy, Lithuania, Malta, Moldova, Norway, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Sweden, Ukraine, and the UK. BBC One's coverage begins at 8pm tonight.
