Austria is hosting the Eurovision Song Contest finale in Vienna on Saturday, which has faced a boycott from five countries protesting Israel’s participation amid recent military actions in Gaza. The Eurovision Song Contest is a grand celebration of pop music and diversity, now in its 70th year, featuring songs from various countries, including Australia. Notable past winners include ABBA’s “Waterloo” from Sweden in 1974 and Celine Dion’s “Ne partez pas sans moi” from 1988 while representing Switzerland. Sweden and Ireland hold the record for the most titles, each with seven.
To win the contest, each of the 25 finalist songs receives points based on public votes and votes from a jury in each participating country. The public can vote online, by text, or by phone up to 10 times, and the jury also selects its top 10 songs, with points awarded accordingly. Countries cannot vote for their own entries.
This year’s controversy centers on Israel’s participation, resulting from backlash against its military actions. The public broadcasters from Spain, Ireland, the Netherlands, Iceland, and Slovenia are boycotting the event. Concerns have also been raised about Israel’s efforts to manipulate public voting, leading to organizers limiting public votes and addressing promotional practices. Some favorites this year include Finland’s “Liekinheitin,” Australia’s “Eclipse,” Greece’s “Ferto,” and Israel’s “Michelle,” which is perceived as less controversial than last year’s entry.
With information from Reuters
