Switzerland’s Nemo won a chaotic and politically fraught Eurovision Song Contest, triumphing in a competition in Sweden that was upstaged by controversy and booing over the presence of Israel.
But Nemo, a favorite throughout the process, won over crowds with a stunning rendition of “The Code,” a genre-bending anthem about their journey towards accepting their non-binary identity.
“I hope this contest can live up to its promise and continue to stand for peace and dignity for every person,” Nemo said after accepting the trophy.
Their win – the first ever for a non-binary person at Eurovision – was Switzerland’s first triumph since Celine Dion won in 1988.
Malmo hosted the competition on the 50th anniversary of ABBA’s Eurovision breakout, but the event quickly found itself dancing around an uncomfortably political spotlight, and tension reached fever pitch in the hours leading up to the final.
Protesters said the event was “artwashing” Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza, which has killed more than 34,000 Palestinians since being waged in the wake of the militant group’s October 7 attacks on Israel.
But organizers the EBU (European Broadcasting Union) sharply defended Israel’s presence, and insisted the contest is non-political – a line that became increasingly untenable as artists, broadcasters and fans clashed over the presence of Israel’s singer Eden Golan.
Golan was booed by some members of the audience during his performance, with some turning away or leaving the stadium, but the majority of the audience cheered on Israel’s performance.
And outside the arena, police surrounded a small group of pro-Palestinian protesters and kept them away from the crowd that had arrived at the venue chanting “Free, Free Palestine!”
However, the EBU will be relieved that the final, one of the most exciting events in the history of the Eurovision Song Contest, has largely passed without incident.
Nimmo told UAE Breaking before the final that Eurovision was “even bigger and crazier than I expected. There’s more depth to the Eurovision Song Contest than I ever knew.” ” he said. We’re going to have a big party at Lake Biel, my hometown,” they told UAE Breaking.
One of his competitors was disqualified hours before the event started. Dutch contestant Joost Klein was kicked out of the final due to an “incident” backstage. The EBU released few details about the incident, but angry fans made their anger clear over the decision by booing EBU representatives on screen during the final.
Ireland’s Bumby Thug told UAE Breaking ahead of the event that it was a “wrong decision” not to exclude Israel as Russia did two years ago.
Saturday night’s showcase event featured a celebration by ABBA and other Swedish music stars, as well as performances by 26 finalists spanning genres, languages and styles.
Next year’s tournament will be held in Switzerland following Nemo’s victory. The dates and cities where the competition will be held will be announced in the coming months.