Conservative groups hope to force local referendums in potential host cities for 2025 song contest

Conservative groups are threatening to block Switzerland from hosting next year’s Eurovision by forcing budget referendums on potential host cities, saying the song contest is a “propaganda event” that “celebrates satanism and occultism”.

Switzerland won the right to host the world’s largest live music event after the Swiss singer Nemo triumphed in Sweden with The Code . The cities of Zurich, Geneva, Bern and Basel have all filed applications to host the five-day spectacle.

Former teacher alyona alyona and singing partner Jerry Heil are favourites at this year’s contest – and they’re using their rousing song Teresa & Maria to help children who have lost their childhood

‘When you know how a country sounds,” says Jerry Heil, talking of representing Ukraine at Eurovision, “you can feel more empathy for them”. Alongside rapper alyona alyona, she is speaking from Malmö. It is the morning after the first semi-final, where they safely secured a slot in Saturday’s grand final, but they have not had time to celebrate. “We are like old people,” says alyona alyona. “No party, no drink, no nothing.”

No partying and no nerves before performing either. “When we first rehearsed with the audience here in Sweden, I immediately got the feeling that they’re so supportive and so warm – in all senses!” says Heil. “I’m freezing all the time, but on stage at Eurovision, it’s like a sauna. The audience really give you the power and the energy, and you give it back, so it’s like the energy is circulating.”

While Europe’s lingua franca remains dominant, there has been a definite shift since a Portuguese song triumphed in 2017

There was a time when in order to win Eurovision you had to “fly on the wings of love”, “take me to your heaven” or “sail into infinity while reaching for divinity”. This year, however, there’s a fair chance the winner will estar comiendo el mundo ( be eating the world), ridere in queste notti bruciate (laugh in these burnt nights) , or even drukkje min broderѕ blod (drink my brother’s blood) .

The metaphors may have been mixed, but for the first two decades of the 21st century, the English language reigned supreme at the Eurovision song contest. In the run-up to the millennium, the so-called language rule restricted English songs to countries that counted it among their official languages, such as Britain, Ireland and Malta. But when the rule was scrapped in 1999, the floodgates opened.

Singer says her country needs the opportunity to remind Europe of Russia’s invasion

Ukraine’s former Eurovision winner Jamala has said her country “cannot afford” to boycott the song contest because it needs the opportunity to remind Europe of Russia’s invasion.

There have been calls for artists to refuse to participate over Israel’s inclusion in the music competition while the war in Gaza continues.

The former Years and Years singer and star of It’s a Sin signed a joint response affirming a stance against ‘all forms of hate, including antisemitism and Islamophobia’

Britain’s Eurovision competitor Olly Alexander and several other entrants have rejected calls to boycott this year’s Eurovision song contest owing to its inclusion of Israel among the competitors, stating their belief in “the unifying power of music, enabling people to transcend differences and foster meaningful conversations and connections”.

Maxine Peake and the author Sarah Schulman were among a list of more than 450 queer artists, individuals and organisations who signed an open letter as Queers for Palestine calling on Alexander – the former Years and Years singer and star of Channel 4’s It’s a Sin – to pull out of the contest in solidarity with Palestine.

Maxine Peake and Sarah Schulman among signatories of open letter asking singer to withdraw from contest

More than 450 queer artists, individuals and organisations have called on the UK’s Eurovision contestant, Olly Alexander, to boycott this year’s competition in solidarity with Palestine.

The actor, Maxine Peake, and Sarah Schulman, the novelist and playwright, are among the signatories of the open letter calling on the singer to withdraw from the contest in May due to the ongoing conflict in Gaza.

(Polydor)
You could easily believe the prosaic Dizzy to be the work of AI: what if the Pet Shop Boys did Eurovision?

The UK has a weird relationship with Eurovision . We put forward focus-grouped no-hopers (whither “Joe and Jake”???) then get indignant when they inevitably lose. For years, although fans have suggested we follow the rest of Europe and put forward, you know, an actual pop star , that has never happened, for whatever reason – probably because the risk of losing is even higher and even more embarrassing for a known entity. Tap Management, which looks after the likes of Lana Del Rey, Ellie Goulding and formerly Dua Lipa, stepped in to run things in 2022 and steered the UK to No 2 with Sam Ryder – its highest position since 1998 – but stepped away after Mae Muller came second to bottom last year, putting the choice back in the hands of the BBC.

Step forward Olly Alexander , an extremely likable musician who sometimes seems to be on retainer at the Beeb, helming glitzy New Year’s Eve celebrations and the like. It feels as if there is more at stake for him here than just acing Eurovision: his entry, Dizzy, is his first song under his own name after ditching the Years and Years sobriquet. What was a band, on 2015’s lithe Communion and 2018’s more complex Palo Santo, became a de facto solo project after his bandmates left, and 2022’s Night Call failed to catch fire. He was excellent in Channel 4’s 2021 drama It’s a Sin, and heavily – incorrectly – rumoured to be the new Doctor Who, but hasn’t acted since. His music can seem caught between two impulses, with brilliantly heady queer aesthetics and intentions hamstrung by quite sanitised, crowdpleasing synth-pop: a bit CBBC Perfume Genius. There’s the sense that this era really needs to work.

Isaac Herzog said ‘haters try to drive us off every stage’ as lyrics to October Rain scrutinised by organisers

Israel’s president, Isaac Herzog, wants to ensure the country competes in the Eurovision song contest after the event’s organisers said they were examining whether the lyrics sung by the Israeli contestant were too political.

“I think it’s important for Israel to appear in Eurovision, and this is also a statement because there are haters who try to drive us off every stage,” Herzog said on Sunday, the Times of Israel reported . “Being smart is not just being right,” he added.

As Israel’s 2024 entry is scrutinised, we look at the times when songs got around the contest’s impartiality rules

After allowing Israel to take part in this year’s Eurovision song contest amid calls for them to be boycotted, organisers will be scrutinising the country’s entry for political messaging – particularly whether lines such as “they were all good children” could refer to the current conflict in Gaza or hostage situation. All the more so since last night, when Israel’s national broadcaster KAN revealed that the song is called October Rain. In its rules, Eurovision is described as a “non-political event” that “shall in no case be politicised and/or instrumentalised and/or otherwise brought into disrepute in any way”.

Israel’s culture minister insists the song is “not political” and KAN said it would reject any call to alter the lyrics. Whatever the intentions, there have been plenty of other songs that have snuck in around the rules.

When you came, as if a sun has dawned
Illuminating my day and night, my life was wonderful
Now, all of a sudden, everything has changed
Without you, life is difficult and hard

[hand gestures intensify as the chorus drops]