MALMO, Sweden – Swiss singer Nemo won the 68th Eurovision Song Contest on Saturday night with “The Code,” an operatic ode to the singer’s journey to embrace his genderless identity.
Nemo won Croatia’s Baby Lasagna by earning the most points from a combination of national juries and spectators from around the world.
The victory in the Swedish city of Malmo followed a turbulent year for the pan-continental pop contest that saw massive street protests against Israel’s participation that turned the joyous musical celebration into a chaotic pressure cooker overshadowed by the war in Gaza.
Hours before the final, Dutch contestant Joost Klein was expelled from the competition due to a backstage brawl that was being investigated by police.
The 68th Eurovision Song Contest finally got down to musical work on Saturday in the Swedish city of Malmo, after days of protests and behind-the-scenes drama that turned the joyous musical celebration into a chaotic pressure cooker overshadowed by the war in Gaza.
A raucous Croatian rocker, a Swiss non-binary artist with a towering voice and – controversially – a young Israeli singer with a powerful ballad were among artists from 25 countries vying for the continent’s musical crown.
Before the final, thousands of pro-Palestinian protesters marched through Malmo to oppose Israel’s participation. Separately, Dutch candidate Joost Klein was expelled from the competition due to a backstage altercation that is being investigated by police.
Competition organizer the European Broadcasting Union said a woman from the production team made a complaint against the 26-year-old Dutch singer and rapper, who was a favorite with both bookmakers and fans with his song “Europapa”.
Dutch broadcaster AVROTROS, one of dozens of public broadcasters collectively funding and broadcasting the contest, said that when Klein walked off stage after Thursday’s semi-final, he was filmed without his consent and in turn made a “move threatening” towards the camera.
The broadcaster said Klein did not touch the camera or the camera operator and called his expulsion “disproportionate.”
The protests and dissent overshadowed a competition that became an over-the-top celebration of Europe’s varied – and sometimes bewildering – musical tastes and a forum for inclusion and diversity with a large LGBT following.
The contestants performed in front of a live audience of thousands of people and an estimated 180 million viewers worldwide. Each contestant had three minutes to combine catchy songs and eye-popping spectacle into performances capable of winning the hearts of millions of viewers. Musical styles vary between rock, disco, techno and rap – sometimes a mashup of more than one.
The winner will be decided by Eurovision’s famously complex jury and public voting system, with each act trying to escape the humiliation of obtaining “null points” – zero points.
The contest returned to Sweden, home of last year’s winner Loreen, half a century after ABBA won Eurovision with “Waterloo” – Eurovision’s most iconic moment. ABBA did not appear in person in Malmo, although their digital “ABBA-tars” from the “ABBA Voyage” concert did.
A trio of former Eurovision winners – Charlotte Perrelli, Carola and Conchita Wurst – took to the stage to sing “Waterloo” as votes were cast and counted.
Entrants from Sweden, identical twins Marcus and Martinus, opened the competition with their upbeat-titled song “Unforgettable,” followed by Ukrainian duo alyona alyona and Jerry Heil with “Teresa & Maria,” a powerful tribute to their war-torn country.
After German balladeer Isaak and Luxembourg singer Tali, Israeli singer Eden Golan took the stage in front of a wall of sound – boos mixed with applause – to perform the powerful ballad “Hurricane”. Golan rocketed up the odds table throughout the week, despite the protests his appearance sparked.
Eurovision organizers have ordered a change to the original title of their song, “October Rain” – an apparent reference to the October 7 Hamas attack that killed around 1,200 people in Israel and triggered the war in Gaza.
The show was typically Eurovision eclectic: Lithuania’s Silvester Belt was an affable young singer, while Estonia’s 5Miinust x Puuluup offered a zombie pop-folk hybrid featuring the talharpa, a traditional string instrument. Greek singer Marina Satti and Armenian Ladaniva fused folk songs and dance elements with power pop, while Brit Olly Alexander performed the upbeat dance track “Dizzy”.
Competitors also included the silly 90s nostalgia of Finland’s Windows95man, who emerged from a giant egg on stage wearing very little clothing. Irish goth Bambie Thug summoned a demon on stage and brought a scream coach to Malmo, while Spanish Nebulossa bravely reclaimed a term used as an insult to women in “Zorra”.
Favorites included Swiss singer Nemo – who would be the first non-binary Eurovision winner if operatic song “The Code” topped the voting – and Croatian Baby Lasagna. Their song “Rim Tim Tagi Dim” is a fun rock number that addresses the issue of young Croatians leaving the country in search of a better life.
Although Eurovision’s motto is “united by music”, this year’s event has proven to be controversial.
The tensions and nerves were palpable in the hours leading up to the final. Several performers were absent from the Olympics-style performers’ entrance at the start of the final dress rehearsal, although they all appeared in the final.
The announcers who were supposed to read the results from Norway and Finland backed out at the last minute, citing external events.
Powerful French singer Slimane interrupted his ballad “Mon Amour” at dress rehearsal to give a speech urging people to be “united by music, yes – but with love, for peace.” He did not repeat his speech during the night’s final.
Several contestants made reference to peace or love at the end of their performances.
Pro-Palestinian protesters argue that Israel should not be allowed to participate in a war that has killed nearly 35,000 Palestinians, according to the health ministry in Hamas-controlled territory.
Thousands of people marched for the second time this week on Saturday through Sweden’s third-largest city, which has a large Muslim population, to demand a boycott of Israel and a ceasefire in the seven-month war.
A smaller group gathered outside Malmo Arena before the final, with some shouting “shame on you” at arriving music fans and braving police blocking their way. Climate activist Greta Thunberg was among those escorted by police.
Loreen, last year’s Eurovision champion, said world events were “traumatizing” but appealed to people not to shut down the “loving community” that is Eurovision.
“What heals trauma… Does trauma heal trauma? Does negativity cure negativity? It doesn’t work like that,” she told the Associated Press. “The only thing that truly heals trauma – that’s science – is love.”
This story originally appeared on Time.com read the full story
