Bulgaria wins Eurovision Song Contest for the first time

Five countries boycott Eurovision over Israel’s participation

A record number of five countries - Spain, the Netherlands, Ireland, Iceland, and Slovenia - have boycotted this year’s Eurovision Song Contest due to Israel’s participation. The move was sparked by concerns over Israel’s actions in Gaza, which has resulted in the deaths of over 72,740 Palestinians since October 2023.

Bulgaria, however, went ahead with its entry, winning the contest for the first time. Bulgarian pop singer Darina Yotova, known as Dara, performed her song “Bangaranga” and took home the top prize.

The final was attended by approximately 10,000 fans at the Wiener Stadthalle arena in Vienna. The event saw a mix of reactions to Israel’s participation, with some countries cheering its singer Noam Bettan while others booed him. Earlier in the week, four people were removed from the semifinal performance for attempting to disrupt it.

Eurovision organisers have tightened voting rules this year following allegations of lobbying by Israel. Hundreds of protesters gathered near the arena before the final, holding signs that read “Block Eurovision.” Meanwhile, pro-Palestinian groups staged an outdoor concert on Friday under the banner “No stage for genocide.”

The boycott was not limited to broadcasting; Spanish public broadcaster RTVE refused to screen the contest and Belgian broadcaster VRT stated it may not compete in next year’s event if the European Broadcasting Union does not hold a direct vote on Israel’s participation.

Source: Al Jazeera