Israel has moved onto the grand final of Eurovision 2024, amid controversy and protests (Picture: Jessica Gow/TT/Shutterstock)
The finalists for the 2024 Eurovision Song Contest were announced following the second semi finals.
Contestants hailing from sixteen different countries battled to reach the grand final in Malmo, Sweden, on May 11, but only ten made it through to the grand final.
The finalists are: Latvia, Austria, Netherlands, Norway, Armenia, Greece, Estonia, Switzerland, Georgia, and – controversially – Israel.
Stand out performances included Switzerland’s Nemo, who many social media users predicted will win the entire competition, and Greece, who was also a fan favourite among viewers.
But the most resounding sentiment online was outrage at Israel being allowed to compete in Eurovision amid the country’s continued attacks on Palestinians in Gaza.
Greece was among the lucky ten to move onto the grand finale (Picture: AP)
The war against Hamas has killed more than 35,000 people in Palestine, and injured a further 77,000 in Gaza, according to figures obtained by Al Jazeera.
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Many fans took to social media to speculate that the contest intentionally censored boos and chants of ‘Free Palestine’ during Israel’s performance, after the country’s contestants were nearly drowned out by booing at the Jury Show on May 8. Eurovision has denied these accusations.
Pro-Palestine protests have clogged the streets of Malmo since the competition began, adding a decidedly political backdrop to this year’s contest.
The final will take place amid continued backlash on May 11, with a total of 26 countries competing.
The UK, France, Spain, Germany, and Italy are known as The Big Five and automatically get to compete in the final, as they contribute the most money to the competition. Sweden will also automatically move on thanks to their 2023 win.
Switzerland’s Nemo was among fan favourites at the second semi finals(Picture: EPA)
In the first semi finals, ten countries secured their spots in the competition while six went home.
The first semi final saw Serbia, Portugal, Slovenia, Ukraine, Lithuania, Finland, Cyprus, Croatia, Ireland, and Luxembourg moving on to the finals.
It was a night full of stirring moments, including the UK’s Olly Alexander performing a jaw dropping rendition of his song Dizzy surrounded by scantily-clad dancers.
Even more notably, Ireland’s act Bambie Thug blew minds with an iconic performance, qualifying Ireland for the grand finale for the first time in six years.
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