Twenty-five acts will compete in the Eurovision Song Contest final in Vienna on Saturday, but political tensions over Israel's participation has cast a shadow over the 70th edition of the world's biggest live music event.
Spain, the Netherlands, Ireland, Slovenia and Iceland are boycotting this year's contest in protest against Israel's military campaign in Gaza, which was launched after the Hamas-led attacks on October 7, 2023.
Hours before the final was to get under way, several thousand people took to the streets in Vienna to protest Israel taking part, with the emergency services putting turnout at around 2,600 despite poor weather.
The demonstration passed largely peacefully, police said, with no arrests or major incidents reported. Pyrotechnics were briefly set off at the closing rally but the situation was quickly brought under control.
The protesters accused Eurovision organizers of hypocrisy for allowing Israel to compete, as Russia was excluded in 2022 for its invasion of Ukraine.
They carried signs reading "Free Palestine" and "Block Eurovision," and chanted chanted the contentious slogan “From the river to the sea — Palestine will be free.”
The Palestinian ambassador in Vienna, Salah Abdel Shafi, told protesters Israel’s inclusion was “an insult to art, to culture, to music and to humanity,” accusing Israel of genocide and ethnic cleansing.
The Israeli government rejects the accusations.
Finland brings the heat as favourite
Security around the event has been tightened, with police braced for further demonstrations. Access to the venue, the Vienna Stadthalle, as well as fan zones and after-show locations, is subject to strict security checks, and a no-drone zone has been imposed around event sites.
Bookmakers have tipped Greece and Australia as strong contenders to win the contest, which draws millions of television viewers across Europe and beyond. Australia has competed in Eurovision for years as a non-European guest nation.
But Finland has emerged as a standout favourite in betting markets and among fans, with duo Linda Lampenius and Pete Parkkonen’s song “Liekinheitin” (“Flamethrower”) blending classical violin and pulsing pop elements in a stage performance featuring jets of fire.
The winner is expected to be announced shortly after 1 am (2300 GMT) following Eurovision's traditionally lengthy voting process.
Austria secured hosting rights after countertenor JJ won last year's contest in Basel, Switzerland for his operatic pop ballad “Wasted Love.”
As host nation, Austria automatically qualified for the final alongside the so-called “Big Five” financial contributors — France, the United Kingdom, Italy, Spain and Germany — although Spain is not participating this year.
Eurovision tightens voting rules for SMS, apps
This year’s contest features revised voting rules. In the semi-finals, where 10 countries were eliminated, the outcome was no longer decided solely by public vote, with national juries once again accounting for half of the points — a system previously used only in the final.
In addition, the maximum number of votes per viewer via app, SMS and phone was reduced from 20 to 10. The European Broadcasting Union, which organizes the contest, said the move followed last year’s result, when Israel’s entrant Yuval Raphael secured second place on the back of a strong public vote, prompting speculation about coordinated voting efforts.
