Just hours after Eurovision 2024 kicked out one of its most promising opponents, the track contest topped a brand new winner: Swiss singer Nemo, with a story work on their embrace of their nonbinary id entitled “The Code.”
Even earlier than Nemo and their competitors from 24 different international locations hit the stage, Eurovision 2024 was rocked by controversy. The contest, which was held this yr in Malmö, Sweden, confronted protests from its first day over the choice to incorporate a participant from Israel, given growing dismay over the toll its warfare in opposition to Hamas has taken on civilians in Gaza.
Eden Golan, a 20-year-old who—per the Associated Press—practiced for her Eurovision slot by singing her track “Hurricane,” whereas being booed, took fifth place. Her track was initially entitled “October Rain” as a reference to the October 7 assault on Israel, till Eurovision organizers ordered a reputation change.
As Golan and her fellow singers carried out, hundreds of pro-Palestinian protesters gathered outdoors to show in opposition to each the warfare and Golan’s Eurovision inclusion. Among them was local weather activist Greta Thunberg, The Wrap experiences. Thunberg had tweeted, “Malmö says NO to genocide! People from all over Sweden are gathering in Malmö this week, where Eurovision is taking place, to protest against Israel’s participation in the competition,” the day earlier than the finale, and had been noticed at protests in opposition to the competition earlier within the week.
Meanwhile, French contestant Slimane broke with Eurovision’s “no politics” rule from contained in the competitors, the BBC experiences. During the ultimate, audience-attended costume rehearsal on Saturday afternoon, he stopped mid-song to say, “Everybody, I just need to say something. Every artist here want[s] to sing about love and sing about peace. We need to be united by music, yes, but with love for peace.”
“United by music, yes, but with love for peace. Thank you so much. Thank you, Europe.” The singer was awarded fourth place within the contest for his track “Mon Amour.”