"Five nations including Spain, the Netherlands and seven-time winners Ireland have boycotted the event in protest at Israel's participation. The first semi-final on Tuesday saw chants of free Palestine echoing around the Wiener Stadthalle venue. The song contest's slogan, United by music, feels increasingly ironic. Hardly ideal preparation for the annual pop party's 70th anniversary. Still, the cheesy Euro-pop show must go on and Saturday night's grand final is primed to be as compelling as ever."
"Rather randomly, Boy George co-wrote San Marino's entry and provided guest vocals, but failed to make it through Tuesday's semi-final. Do you really want to hurt me? For voting viewers, it seemed the answer was yes. Nul points for you, former Culture Club frontman. An audience of 150 million is expected to tune in this weekend for ye olde blend of geopolitical point-scoring and surreal spectacle."
"Norway Ya Ya Ya by Jonas Lovv The title of the Norwegian entry is textbook Eurovision and carries through to the lyrics, approximately half of which are ya ya ya. Yet this is no novelty pop confection. Five years after Maneskin's triumph, moustachioed, tattooed hipster Jonas Lovv is trying the stomp-rock approach with a scuzzy gem full of driving riffs and singalong refrains. It's been compared to 00s indie anthems like The Hives' Hate to Say I Told You So. Ya ya and, if you will, ya."
"Finland Liekinheitin by Linda Lampenius & Pete Parkkonen Bookies' favourite at the time of writing is angsty techno-ballad Liekinheitin, which translates as flamethrower. Expect overly literal pyrotechnics and peroxide-blond classical violinist Lampenius wearing a Bacofoil dress and p"
Five nations including Spain, the Netherlands, and seven-time winners Ireland boycotted Eurovision 2026 in protest of Israel’s participation. Chants of “free Palestine” echoed around the Wiener Stadthalle during the first semi-final. The event’s slogan, “United by music,” contrasts with the surrounding geopolitical tensions. Despite controversy, the contest continued, and surprises appeared among the entries. Boy George co-wrote San Marino’s entry and provided guest vocals, but the act failed to qualify, receiving no points from voting viewers. An audience of about 150 million is expected for the grand final, alongside a mix of geopolitical scoring and spectacle. The piece also highlights several standout songs, including Norway’s “Ya Ya Ya” and Finland’s “Liekinheitin.”
Read at www.theguardian.com
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