The Eurovision Song Contest Final kept viewers dancing along Saturday night as 25 contestants sang their hearts out in Malmo, Sweden for a shot at first place.
The Grand Final had been preceded by a rocky week, with a backstage incident leading to Dutch contestant’s Joost Klein’s disqualification and the organizers’ struggle to keep the contest from taking a political turn, due to issues surrounding Israel’s participation.
Ahead of the show, crowds gathered in the host city, waving Palestinian flags and protesting against Israel’s entry, chanting “Eurovision united by genocide”, a twist on the contest’s actual slogan “united by music”.
Protesters are detained by police officers during a demonstration against Israel’s participation in the 68th edition of the Eurovision Song Contest (ESC), amid the ongoing conflict in Gaza between Israel and the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, outside Malmo Arena, in Malmo, Sweden, May 12, 2024. TT News Agency/Johan Nilsson via REUTERS ATTENTION EDITORS – THIS IMAGE WAS PROVIDED BY A THIRD PARTY. SWEDEN OUT. NO COMMERCIAL OR EDITORIAL SALES IN SWEDEN.
Switzerland was hailed winner with Nemo’s catchy tune “The Code”. Nemo is the first non-binary artist to win the contest, giving their country its third win, the last being Celine Dion’s phenomenal performance of “Ne Partez Pas Sans Moi” in 1988. Last year’s winner, Loreen, handed the singer the crystal trophy, before Nemo performed their winning song one more time.
Nemo representing Switzerland reacts while being handed the Eurovision sculpture after winning during the Grand Final of the 2024 Eurovision Song Contest, in Malmo, Sweden, May 11, 2024. REUTERS/Leonhard Foeger
Crowd favorite “Rim Tim Tagi Dim” by Croatia was named runner-up, while Ukraine’s empowering “Teresa and Maria” came in third. France’s “Mon Amour” finished fourth, and Israel, with its entry “Hurricane”, received a mix of boos and applause after ending in the top 5.
Greek singer Marina Satti did not disappoint with her entry “Zari” (“Die”, the singular form of “dice”) and dazzled the audience. The singer gave an amazing performance, despite having been quite ill the past few days. She eventually secured a spot in 11th place, after receiving 41 points from the jury and 85 votes from the public.
Marina Satti, representing Greece, performs “ZARI” during the Grand Final of the 2024 Eurovision Song Contest, in Malmo, Sweden, May 11, 2024. REUTERS/Leonhard Foeger
Yesterday marked the end of this year’s tumultuous event, with fans eagerly heading to Switzerland next year to see who the winner of the world’s biggest song contest will be.
