The most controversial edition of Eurovision has come to an end and Switzerland has been crowned the 2024 winner. Here’s what you need to know.
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After an edition of Eurovision marred in controversy over Israel’s inclusion and anti-Israel protests, as well as the Netherlands’ last-minute exclusion, Switzerland and its representative Nemo has emerged victorious over the 25 songs selected for the final.
Favourites for victory included Croatia, Ukraine, Ireland and Portugal, but Switzerland reigned supreme.
Nemo’s song ‘The Code’, which was one of our favourites here at Euronews Culture, was an immediate winner, and everything tonight – from the theatrical performance and delivery – was perfect. It was quite the unanimous pick from the juries and garnered enough points from the public to pip Croatia to the post.
This is the third victory for Switzerland, who previously won the very first edition back in 1956, and in 1988 with Celine Dion.
Find out more about Nemo here.
Here is the Top 5 in the score board:
- Switzerland – 591 points
- Croatia – 547 points
- Ukraine – 453 points
- France – 445 points
- Israel – 375 points
Israel got a shock 338 points from the audience, which temporarily put them in the lead. They ended up fifth.
The bottom 5 were Georgia, Spain, Slovenia, Austria and last place to Norway. (The UK was the only country to have received nul points from the audience.)
As you can see, we didn’t do too badly with our predictions – with 3 of our 5 picks making the Top 5. 12 points to Euronews Culture, and all that.
So, United By Music, as the Eurovision slogan goes? Not so much this year. Controversy reigned throughout, even during the final ceremony.
Martin Österdahl, Eurovision's executive supervisor, was booed by the audience as he confirmed that tonight's voting had been verified – due to the EBU's decision to eliminate the Dutch contestant Joost Klein earlier in the day. And when Israel announced its points, the audience were audibly booing.
Earlier in the day; police were pushing back pro-Palestinian demonstrators around the Malmö Arena. More than a hundred demonstrators waved flags and chanted “Free Palestine”. Climate activist Greta Thunberg was among them - but stayed clear of the altercations between the most aggressive protesters and the large police contingent.
But a winner has been crowned, and we can wave goodbye to arguably the most tumultuous Eurovision in recent history. At least we got that ABBA ‘Waterloo’ cover from past Eurovision winners Charlotte Perelli (1999), Conchita Wurst (2014), and Carola (1992). That did make things better, even if it would have been nice to see ABBA grace the stage. Instead, we got a pre-recorded message from the band, represented by the ABBA-tars from their virtual Voyage concert in London.
"Eurovision too requires occasional adjustments."
The atmosphere turned tense when attendees were informed that non-binary flags were prohibited from entering the venue—an edict Nemo strongly opposed during a press conference held after their victory.
Nemo, the inaugural non-binary champion in Eurovision annals, expressed disbelief at this stance.
"I had to discreetly bring my flag because Eurovision forbade it, but I proceeded nonetheless, hoping others did the same," they explained. "Yet, this glaringly exposes a double standard."
The vocalist, who accidentally damaged their trophy upon being crowned victor, added: "The trophy can be mended—perhaps Eurovision too requires occasional adjustments."
Nemo garnered spirited applause and cheers from the assembled journalists in the conference chamber.
They went on to describe their experience as "profoundly testing," acknowledging that it wasn't entirely smooth-sailing.
Addressing the press, Nemo reflected: "There were numerous occasions devoid of love and unity, which deeply saddened me, yet paradoxically... there was also an abundance of love here."
Nemo advocated for "greater compassion" and "empathy," dedicating their triumph to "those bold enough to embrace their true selves and those whose voices must be acknowledged and understood."
Hidden messages and Palestine protests
Eurovision enthusiasts believe they've uncovered a hidden message from Ireland's Bambie Thug during her performance in the Eurovision final.
The "ouji pop" artist, who presented the gothic piece "Doomsday Blue," amassed 136 points, securing a respectable sixth place.
Prior to the competition, Bambie expressed concerns about the decision not to exclude Israel, likening it to Russia's exclusion two years earlier.
They accused organisers of failing to support them amidst a dispute with Israel during the event.
"Yeah, so Kan, the broadcaster, incited violence against me twice, three times. We raised this issue with the EBU. They assured us they would investigate," Bambie remarked.
Israel's performance was also marred with booing from audience members, with Greta Thunberg, who had joined pro-Palestinian protests outside the arena in Malmö, being removed by police.
Here are the key takeaways – and plenty of pics - from Euronews Culture’s live-blog of the 2024 Eurovision Song Contest:
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Live ended
Hello how are you
Thank you for joining us tonight! This was fun. See you again next year? Amber oh, oh, oh-ver and out.
🇨🇭SWITZERLAND WINS THE EUROVISION CONTEST 2024!
Nemo wins for 'The Code'!
Croatia takes the lead with public vote results...
IT'S ALL CHANGED. Suddenly Baby Lasagna's 'Rim Tim Tagi Dim' has taken over the top spot...
Did you know that the song to receive the highest Eurovision score ever was Salvador Sobral's 'Amar Pelos Dois' in 2017, racking up a mind blowing 758 points (thirty sets of twelve points!) and marking Portugals' first ever victory after 53 years of participation.
Switzerland takes the lead as public votes roll in
Finding Nemo in the number 1 spot on the scoreboard.
Switzerland leads votes
🇨🇭Switzerland, 🇫🇷France, 🇮🇹 Italy lead. We'd say it could all change now that the public votes are coming in, but Switzerland have totally got this, ah woah oh oh.
🇪🇪 Poor Estonia with the nul points. 😪
5MIINUST x Puuluup of Estonia perform the song (nendest) narkootikumidest ei tea me (küll) midagi, during the Grand Final of the Eurovision Song Contest in Malmo
Every country to Sweden before giving their votes...
The results begin to roll in for Eurovision 2024...
🇨🇭Switzerland's in the lead so far... But there's a long way to go.
Nemo from Switzerland is celebrating their points
Are you throwing a Eurovision party tonight? If so, tell us all about it over @euronewsculture!
While we wait for votes to be counted, here are some Eurovision facts:
🎤 It all started with just 7 participating countries in 1956.
🎤 Over 1,500 songs have taken part in the Eurovision Song Contest (not including the 7 songs that didn’t make it in the 1996 pre-qualification round).
🎤 Ireland and Sweden tie as the most successful countries at the contest, with 7 victories each. Luxembourg, France, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom have all won 5 times.
Us being carried to bed tonight after making it through the scores. #Eurovision pic.twitter.com/prGxQB1GPU
— Euronews Culture (@euronewsculture) May 11, 2024
Waterloooo 🎶
Did you know the song that won ABBA the Eurovision song contest 50 years ago was originally going to be called 'Honey Pie'?
Votes are being counted at the song contest
A reminder that voting remains open for up to 40 minutes after the last song has been presented.
National juries voted last night and their results will be announced shortly.
🇦🇹 Austria: Kaleen – 'We Will Rave'
Last performance of the night and phew, we feel exhausted.
🇫🇷 France: Slimane – 'Mon amour'
C'est fin! Almost. One more to go.
France has not won since 1977 but came close in 2021, when Barbara Pravi finished just 25 points behind winner Maneskin.
🇬🇪 Georgia: Nutsa Buzaladze – 'Firefighter'
OK, but how long must it have taken to get those shoes laced up?! 😮
🇭🇷 Croatia: Baby Lasagna – 'Rim Tim Tagi Dim'
"Don't cry, just dance! Rim tim tagi digi dim tim."
This one is a clear favourite and it's easy to see why. Great lyrics, great energy, great country boy recognition. As Euronews Culture's Jonny Walfisz said:
"Mr. Lasagna says the song is about young rural men leaving the countryside for opportunity in foreign countries. It’s time this young rural man is allowed to return home from Malmö, bringing the Eurovision Song Contest with him for 2025."
Also, can we take a moment to appreciate how Nemo did that performance while live singing?! Incredible.
🇨🇭 Switzerland: Nemo – 'The Code'
Such a tune, woah oh oh! Also Euronews Culture's Theo Farrant's fave:
"A big part of the magic is the stunning vocal performance by non-binary 24-year-old Nemo, who I anticipate we'll be hearing a lot more from after the competition. The song reflects their journey of self-discovery and acceptance through a simple metaphor of binary computer code."
🇨🇾 Cyprus: Silia Kapsis – 'Liar'
Overheard at a Eurovision party with my (Amber Bryce's) family:
"She looks like a young, non-bald Britney"
"Why do they all hold their crotch?"
"She's not that bad."
🇵🇹 Portugal: Iolanda – 'Grito'
THAT FINAL NOTE! 😲
iolanda of Portugal performs the song Grito during the Final.
🇮🇹 Italy: Angelina Mango – 'La noia'
Angelina Mango's costume choice was the main thing of her performans.
Mango, the 22-year-old daughter of the late singer-songwriter Pino Mango, had won the 74th edition of the Sanremo Festival in Italy with her song 'Noia (Boredom)
🇫🇮 Finland: Windows95man – 'No Rules!'
We prefer Windows Vista.
Which reminds us, have you fallen down the rabbit hole of reading about the current Frutiger Aero aesthetic that's taken hold of Gen Z?
🇳🇴 Norway: Gåte – 'Ulveham'
Yes! 🤘Let's rock. We love the horror vibes, too.
It's unlikely it'll win. Norway hasn't had the best luck at Eurovision in the past, sitting at the bottom of the scoreboard eleven times. It has, however, won on three occasions: 1985, 1995 and 2009.
Gate of Norway performs the song Ulveham during the Final.
Norway has won the contest three times, but it is better known for having scored zero points on four occasions.
🇬🇧 UK: Olly Alexander – 'Dizzy'
Extra points just because Olly did a shout out to his cats Fanta and Sprite! Feline it.
Nebulossa of Spain performs their hit ‘Zorra’ during the Grand Final.
The Spanish dance electro pop group Nebulossa emerged victorious during the preliminaries in February.
But the song has divided Spanish society, with many clutching their pearls in dismay. The ‘zorra’ is the Spanish word for 'vixen', but it is almost always used as an insult, similar to ‘bitch’ or ‘slut’ in English.
🇱🇻 Latvia: Dons – 'Hollow'
"I'd like to wear that top under my shirt on the beach" - the person updating this live blog's dad.
🇮🇪 Ireland: Bambie Thug – 'Doomsday Blue'
Ahhhh things move fast here! IRELAND. This was our resident critic David Mouriquand's favourite to win:
"If there’s one thing the devil can do, it’s boogie. And Eurovision could do with a bit more darkness, a soupçon of despair dispelling, and far more witch screams over pop choruses and guitar riffs. Vote Bambie Thug."
🇪🇸 Spain: Nebulossa – 'Zorra'
It's song number 8 - but also not really but we're apparently still counting it as 8 despite the Netherlands now missing.
ANYWAY, it's giving sexy Patrick Star.
Wait. You can't be over the age of 40 to perform at Eurovision?!
🇮🇱 Israel: Eden Golan – 'Hurricane'
Song 6, and the most controversial act of tonight. A catchy ballad, it's likely to do quite well with voters...
A reminder that 'Hurricane' is the result of Israel having to change two previous song proposals that were deemed too political and therefore contravening political neutrality rules. More on that here.
TALI of Luxembourg performs the song Fighter during the Grand Final. Luxembourg has won the Eurovision Song Contest five times along with the United Kingdom, the Netherlands and France.
Sweden and Ireland are leading with seven wins each.
Police block a man during a protest against the participation of Israeli contestant Eden Golan ahead of the final of the Eurovision Song Contest in Malmo
🇩🇪 Germany: Isaak – 'Always on the Run'
Sorry, Isaak, but our eardrums are on the run from this one, too.
ISAAK of Germany performs the song Always On The Run
🇺🇦 Ukraine: alyona alyona & Jerry Heil - 'Teresa & Maria'
Wind machine, prop cliff, fire lighting! Eurovision, baby!
Alyona alyona & Jerry Heil of Ukraine perform the song Teresa & Maria during the Grand Final
Eden Golan of Israel enters the arena during the flag parade for the Grand Final.
Golan has become one of the favourites among bookmakers to win this year's Eurovision Song Contest after she made it through the semi-finals on Thursday despite boos during her performance and protests outside the venue in Sweden.
Who will win Eurovision 2024? Here are Euronews Culture's predictions
HERE WE GO! So, who's your favourite to win? Here are our predictions! (Ignore the inclusion of Joost Klein, who was disqualified earlier today.)
Marcus & Martinus of Sweden pose during the flag parade of the Grand Final
It's showtime! Here's a reminder of how to vote. ⤵️
Voting is OPEN for the Rest Of The World 📷 For more info visit https://t.co/3FhxXbUJn8 #Eurovision2024 pic.twitter.com/mfEJIAt72g
— Eurovision Song Contest (@Eurovision) May 11, 2024
The Eurovision final starts in less than two hours. What to know:
- 26 of the 37 countries that entered this year's Eurovision have made it through to compete tonight. However, only 25 of them will perform after the Netherland's contestant Joost Klein was dramatically expelled after a backstage incident that is under investigation.
- Despite the best efforts of Eurovision's organisers to keep politics out of the competition, global tensions have threatened to overshadow this year's show with thousands protesting in Sweden over Israel's contestant Eden Golan.
- Tonight's final will be broadcast on publicly owned stations across Europe.
Who is playing and when tonight?
Here is the setlist for tonight's final in Sweden.
- 🇸🇪 Sweden | Marcus & Martinus – Unforgettable
- 🇺🇦 Ukraine | alyona alyona & Jerry Heil – Teresa & Maria
- 🇩🇪 Germany | ISAAK – Always On The Run
- 🇱🇺 Luxembourg | TALI – Fighter
- 🇮🇱 Israel | Eden Golan – Hurricane
- 🇱🇹 Lithuania | Silvester Belt – Luktelk
- 🇪🇸 Spain | Nebulossa – ZORRA
- 🇪🇪 Estonia | 5MIINUST x Puuluup – (nendest) narkootikumidest ei tea me (küll) midagi
- 🇮🇪 Ireland | Bambie Thug – Doomsday Blue
- 🇱🇻 Latvia | Dons – Hollow
- 🇬🇷 Greece | Marina Satti – ZARI
- 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | Olly Alexander – Dizzy
- 🇳🇴 Norway | Gåte – Ulveham
- 🇮🇹 Italy | Angelina Mango – La Noia
- 🇷🇸 Serbia | TEYA DORA – RAMONDA
- 🇫🇮 Finland | Windows95man – No Rules!
- 🇵🇹 Portugal | iolanda – Grito
- 🇦🇲 Armenia | LADANIVA – Jako
- 🇨🇾 Cyprus | Silia Kapsis – Liar
- 🇨🇭 Switzerland | Nemo – The Code
- 🇸🇮 Slovenia | Raiven – Veronika
- 🇭🇷 Croatia | Baby Lasagna – Rim Tim Tagi Dim
- 🇬🇪 Georgia | Nutsa Buzaladze – Firefighter
- 🇫🇷 France | Slimane – Mon Amour
- 🇦🇹 Austria | Kaleen – We Will Rave
Norwegian spokesperson withdraws, calls Eurovision motto "empty words"
The spokesperson set to announce the points of the Norwegian jury during the finals this evening has pulled out, saying that the Eurovision's motto "united by music" were "empty words".
In a video posted on social media, Alessandra pointed to the situation between Israel and Gaza as she explained why she would not attend.
Alessandra represented Norway at Eurovision 2023 and reached 5th place with 268 points.
Ingvild Helljesen, a television presenter at NRK, will replace her.
🇳🇴Alessandra withdrew from being the spokesperson on behalf Norway because of the going situation with Israel. pic.twitter.com/BlfFULhZgu
— Eurovision News (@EurovisionNewZ) May 11, 2024
EBU Director General defends Israel's participation
EBU Director General Noel Curran insists that the decision to let Israel compete was the right one, as thousands of protests have erupted in Malmo against Israel's involvement.
Curran told SVT "I cannot look back and say that the EBU has made the wrong decision."
He added that he was confident the show would go smoothly and was not worried about safety.
Dutch broadcaster calls Klein's disqualification 'disproportionate'
Dutch broadcaster AVROTROS has released a new statement saying that Joost Klein was filmed despite "repeatedly" saying he didn't want to be - leading to him making a "threatening movement" towards a camera woman.
They have said "an exclusion order is not proportional to this incident" and they had proposed several solutions to the EBU.
France pauses dress rehearsal to call for peace
French contestant Slimane paused his usual performance by stepping back from the microphone and calling for peace.
“Everybody! I just need to say something. Sorry I don’t speak English very well but when I was a child I dreamed about music, I dreamed about this dream, to be a singer and to sing peace here. Every artist here want 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" insisted the French singer.
The EBU has rules barring political messages during Eurovision performances, but has yet to release a statement on whether France would be penalised.
Slimane just made a speech DURING his performance #Eurovision pic.twitter.com/oKgL08pM0s
— Daniel (@danieladomako) May 11, 2024
Irish act Bambie Thug skips dress rehearsal after calling on Israel to be disqualified
Irish artist Bambie Thug has posted an apology on Instagram to her fans, calling on EBU to address comments made about her on Israeli television.
On Tuesday a commentator on the Israeli public service broadcaster Kan, warned TV viewers with children that Bambie Thug’s performance of Doomsday Blue, would be "the most scary" of the night.
Thug has asked the EBU to address the comments and said Israel should be barred from the competition.
"There’s a lot more anger and a lot more drive in me now," Bambie Thug told RTÉ News.
🇮🇪 Bambie Thug have posted a statement on their Instagram regarding their absence from this afternoon's Grand Final dress rehearsal.
— ESC Discord (@ESCdiscord) May 11, 2024
"There was a situation [...] which I felt needed urgent attention from the EBU"
Notably, Nemo and Marina Satti were also not present. pic.twitter.com/bi6c45Iyb8
