70th Eurovision Song Contest held under tight security amid boycott calls
As Vienna readies for the Eurovision Song Contest's provocative songs and glittering spectacle next week, the festival's 70th edition is unfolding under heavy security and an intensifying row over Israel's participation.
As Vienna readies for the Eurovision Song Contest’s provocative songs and glittering spectacle next week, the festival’s 70th edition is unfolding under heavy security and an intensifying row over Israel’s participation.
The world’s biggest live televised music event will feature contestants from 35 countries — the lowest total since participation widened in 2004 — after several countries, including Ireland, withdrew over Israel’s war in Gaza.
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The semi-finals on Tuesday and Thursday will narrow the field before Saturday’s grand final at the Wiener Stadthalle in Vienna.
Organiser the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) said around 95,000 tickets have been sold to fans from 75 countries worldwide, with “strong demand” coming from the United States, Australia, Brazil, Japan, and South Africa.
Bookmakers have installed Finland, Greece, Denmark, Australia, and France among the leading contenders for victory
‘No politics’
Bookmakers have installed Finland, Greece, Denmark, Australia, and France among the leading contenders for victory.
The folkloric style once embraced by many Eastern European countries to underline their post-Soviet identity is less visible this year, though Moldova remains one of the exceptions.
Australia’s choice of accomplished singer Delta Goodrem, 41, has generated strong media interest.
Romania’s entrant Alexandra Căpitănescu has stirred debate ahead of the contest with her song Choke Me, which critics say appears to promote strangulation during sex.
Căpitănescu, 22, said the track “was never intended to represent anything sexual” and that its lyrics “are about taking back control over anxiety and emotions that are choking you”.
Stirring debate has long been part of Eurovision’s DNA, as Vienna’s police prepare to shield delegations and secure celebrations across the city
That spirit of provocation fits the contest’s “Eurotrash” tradition, or what Cardiff University expert Galina Miazhevich described as a “playful challenge of the good taste by the bad taste”.
As in previous years, many acts will perform in English, though the contest also showcases a wide range of other languages.
Eurovision historian Dean Vuletic told AFP that rules approved in 2024 “put the onus on the artists not to politicise the contest”, warning that those who ignore them could face sanctions.
‘Complex challenge’
While Bulgaria, Moldova, and Romania are making a return to the Eurovision stage, Iceland, Ireland, the Netherlands, Slovenia, and Spain are boycotting this year’s contest in protest at Israel’s participation.
More than 1,000 artists have also called for a boycott.
Protesters are expected to gather outside the venue to demonstrate against the war in Gaza, where Israel launched a military offensive in response to the 7 October, 2023 attack carried out by Hamas.
At a Vienna rally last month, 67-year-old Ernst Wolrab was among dozens of protesters and told AFP he opposed giving the Israeli government this “international platform” to “legitimise” its actions.
Hosting Eurovision is a “complex challenge”, Vienna’s deputy police chief Dieter Csefan told AFP, as police prepared to protect delegations and oversee festivities across the city.
For Eurovision, officials have extensively checked the backgrounds of around 16,000 staff, while equipment sent to the Wiener Stadthalle (above) has been carefully scanned
Austria, a central European nation of 9.2 million people, last hosted the contest 11 years ago, but Csefan said the global environment has shifted since then, pointing in particular to the growing threat of cyberattacks.
He said Austria was working closely with the FBI to counter any cyber risks.
Csefan added that Vienna police had “experience in organising major events”, noting that the Austrian capital — home to several international organisations — regularly stages major conferences.
In 2024, US pop star Taylor Swift called off her concerts in Austria after a terror plot was foiled with help from American intelligence.
For Eurovision, officials have extensively checked the backgrounds of around 16,000 staff, while equipment brought to the Wiener Stadthalle has been carefully scanned.
Source: AFP
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