Police stand guard as people queue in line for the second dress rehearsal for the first semifinal at the Eurovision Song Contest in Malmo, Sweden, Monday, May 6, 2024. , with the war in Gaza casting a shadow over the sequin-spangled pop extravaganza.
Other bookmakers’ favorites include nonbinary Swiss singer Nemo, goth-style Irish singer Bambi Thug, Italian TikTok star Angelina Mango and the Netherlands’ Joost Klein with the playful pop-rap song “Europapa.” Organizers told Israel to change the lyrics of its entry, originally titled “October Rain” in apparent reference to Hamas’ cross-border Oct. 7 attack that killed some 1,200 Israelis and triggered the war. The song was renamed “Hurricane” and Israeli singer Eden Golan was allowed to remain in the contest.
Sweden’s official terrorism threat level remains “high,” the second-highest rung on a five-point scale, after a string of public desecrations of the Quran last year sparked angry demonstrations across Muslim countries and threats from militant groups. The desecrations were not related to the music event.
Performers are feeling political pressure, with some saying they have been inundated with messages on social media urging them to boycott the event. One person who knows how Eurovision unity can collide with bitter reality is singer Manizha Sangin, who represented Russia at the contest in 2021. The country was expelled the following year over its invasion of Ukraine.
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