No competition celebrates music and cultural diversity quite like the Eurovision Song Contest. Be prepared for an incredible collaborative encounter — we’ll get to that in a moment! Taking place in a post-pandemic world, the grand final is attracting an expected audience of 160 million viewers globally, with performances from 26 qualifying countries. This year’s contest aims to “re-establish a sense of unity, calm and togetherness” in a challenging global landscape, as stated by Martin Green, the event’s executive producer.
Nonbinary Swiss singer-songwriter, Nemo released the singles “Nu” and “Voodoo” last year that propelled them to win last year’s competition in Sweden. They’ll be hitting the main stage as our special guest performer! Their win is a huge step forward in how the contest reflects various cultures. It’s a testament to the ongoing narrative change that Eurovision has allowed to flourish over the past few years.
The competition will feature an eye-popping spectrum of musical contenders, with performed works sung in 20 languages. Among the participating acts is Estonia’s Tommy Cash, who will perform “Espresso Macchiato,” alongside Israel’s Yuval Raphael, who brings the song “New Day Will Rise.” For a second straight year, Israeli participation has created controversy, drawing protests from pro-Palestinian demonstrators. A demonstration would take place in the center of Basel on Saturday evening, in time with the contest.
Though he’d been crossed up by the protests, Green went on to laud the delegations’ behavior over these fraught days. He remarked, “All 37 delegations, in difficult times, have behaved impeccably,” highlighting the professionalism that has characterized the event’s organization.
Today, as the contest nears its conclusion, it remains a microcosm of larger social and political issues. Dean Vuletic, a Eurovision historian and frequent TPN collaborator, points to a larger trend in the kinds of songs that appeal to crowds today. He explained, “In the past it was about having a catchy, innocuous pop song, usually in English,” but now, “we’ve seen songs become much more socially and politically engaged.” Vuletic was clear, stating that today’s entries need to be “eye-catching” and “genuine.”
This year’s competition was still loaded with memorable acts from years past. Finland’s Käärijä, who was the runner-up in 2023 with “Cha Cha Cha,” and Croatia’s Baby Lasagna, the 2024 runner-up with “Rim Tim Tagi Dim,” will be part of this vibrant celebration of music and culture.
The hype train just stepped it up a notch… Celine Dion may be joining us! This international superstar, celebrated by fans as Canada’s best-loved chanteuse, won Eurovision in 1988. Her appearance would no doubt bring a whole new level of excitement to an already exhilarating event.
Axel Åhman, who is Sweden’s entry this year, recognized this relationship between music and politics. He stated, “The world always seeps in in some sense,” but emphasized that artists must focus on their performances. “We’re here to represent Sweden and we have prepared for this for all our lives and want to make the best of our moment as artists in this huge and legendary competition,” he noted. Åhman said that he wanted to keep political advocacy to the people who operate it a step above the ground-level decisionmakers at the European Broadcasting Union (EBU).
