Eurovision Song Contest reaches its final with tensions around Israel and doubt over Dutch contender

MALMO, Sweden. It’s time for many people to don sequins and sequins (and for others to pick up protest banners and Palestinian flags) for Saturday’s final of the 68th Eurovision Song Contest.

The competition that pits nations against each other for pop music glory is coming to an end in the Swedish city of Malmo, with Croatia and Switzerland among the candidates to take the trophy, and Israel at the center of a political storm.

Although the contest’s motto is “united by music,” this year’s event has attracted large protests from Palestinians and their supporters, who say Israel should be excluded because of its conduct of the war against Hamas.

Thousands of people are expected to march for the second time this week 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. In Finland, a group of about 40 protesters broke into the headquarters of public broadcaster YLE on Saturday morning, demanding that it withdraw from the song contest due to Israel’s participation.

Several miles (kilometers) from the center of Malmo, at the Malmo Arena, 26 artists, whittled down from 37 participants by two semi-final heats, will perform three-minute songs in front of a live audience of thousands and around 180 million viewers. the world.

However, Dutchman Joost Klein’s participation was in doubt after he failed to perform at two dress rehearsals on Friday. The contest’s organizer, the European Broadcasting Union, said it was investigating an “incident” involving the singer, whose song “Europapa” is a favorite with bookmakers.

All of this makes for a messy climax to an event that draws both adoration and ridicule with its campy, campy spirit and passion for pop.

Dean Vuletic, an expert on the history of the contest, says that despite this year’s divisions, “there is no other cultural event that unites Europeans like Eurovision does.”

“Just this moment when everyone is watching the same television show, which is broadcast live in 37 countries, is something very special.”

This year’s offerings range from the emotional to the eccentric. They include the ridiculous ’90s nostalgia of the Finnish Windows95 man, who emerges from a giant egg on stage wearing very little clothing. Ireland’s Bambie Thug summons witchy spirits on stage and has brought a scream coach to Malmo, while Spain’s Nebulossa boldly revives a term used as an insult to women in “Zorra”.

Favorites include Swiss singer Nemo, who would be the first non-binary Eurovision winner if his operatic song “The Code” tops the vote, and Croatian Baby Lasagna. Their song “Rim Tim Tagi Dim” is a fun rock song that addresses the problem of young Croatians leaving the country in search of a better life.

Vuletic says that despite the reputation of the disposable gum contest, Eurovision often addresses “political and social issues such as feminism, European integration and gender identity.”

“And I think they are very interesting songs to pay attention to, especially because they are the highest ranked by the bookmakers,” he said.

Sometimes, however, the songs go against the contest’s prohibition on making overtly “political” statements. Eurovision organizers told Israel to change the original title of its song, “October Rain,” an apparent reference to the Oct. 7 Hamas attack that killed about 1,200 Israelis and sparked the Gaza war.

Israeli singer Eden Golan has raised the odds since performing the power ballad, now titled “Hurricane,” in Thursday’s semifinal. Golan faced some boos at dress rehearsals, but viewers around the world voted him into the final.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu praised Golan, 20, for acting despite “facing an ugly wave of anti-Semitism.”

Protesters argue that Israel should not be allowed to participate in the midst of a war that has killed nearly 35,000 Palestinians.

“I don’t think they should be part of it at all because they are committing crimes against humanity,” said local resident Lorenzo Mayr, who attended a demonstration Thursday.

Contesting musicians are feeling the pressure, inundated with messages and abuse on social media and unable to speak due to contest rules. Italian contestant Angelina Mango made a statement as she entered the Eurovision press center on Friday and performed John Lennon’s “Imagine” as dozens of journalists gathered around her.

Swedish singer Loreen, last year’s Eurovision champion (and one of only two artists to win the contest twice) urged people not to shut down the “community of love” that is Eurovision.

“What is happening today in the world and in different places is distorting and traumatizing all of us,” he told The Associated Press.

“What heals trauma…. Does trauma cure trauma? Does negativity cure negativity? It does not work like that. The only thing that really heals trauma (this is science) is love.”

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Associated Press writers Hilary Fox in Malmo, Sweden, Jari Tanner in Helsinki and Jan M. Olsen in Copenhagen, Denmark contributed to this report.