LAST UPDATE | 12 May
SWITZERLAND’S NEMO HAS won the Eurovision Song Contest Grand Final after what’s been a pretty chaotic week in Malmö.
Ireland’s Bambie Thug finished in sixth place.
Earlier today the Dutch act Joost Klein was told he could not compete in the show, following a police investigation.
And it appeared this afternoon that Bambie Thug might not appear either after a row with the EBU.
Here’s how the night played out.
The hosts will be taking to the stage shortly, Marty Whelan is in his commentary box … but we’re still none the wiser on whether Bambie Thug will perform for Ireland tonight.
They didn’t take part in the final rehearsal show in front of a full audience at Malmö Arena earlier and as yet still haven’t said if they will tonight.
We’ll find out soon enough when the flag ceremony takes place at the start of tonight’s show.
All of the contestants will be announced one by one and will take to the stage carrying their national flag.
The show is under way.
RTÉ’s continuity announcer referred to Bambie Thug’s appearance – but there’s still been no official confirmation from the broadcaster that they will perform.
Marty Whelan’s commentary referred, tongue-in-cheek, to a “quiet week” in the buildup to the contest in Malmö.
Veteran Swedish singer Björn Skifs opens the night with his classic ‘Hooked on a Feeling’.
Bambie Thug has arrived.
After all the uncertainty, they walked out on stage to cheers as part of the flag ceremony at the start of the show.
Ireland perform in tenth spot tonight.
Well, they call it the tenth spot – but that’s because the fifth spot, which was to have been filled by Joost Klein of The Netherlands, was vacated earlier today.
We’ll actually be ninth in the lineup but they’re keeping all the numbers the same as they would have been had the Dutch still been involved so as not confuse everyone and screw-up the voting.
We should be on around 9.
Estonia and Latvia perform either side of Ireland. Israel perform sixth, favourites Croatia are 23rd and Austria close the show.
Meanwhile, if you were expecting Bambie (or anyone else for that matter) to pick up a few points from the Netherlands tonight… don’t.
What happened to Joost Klein I hear you ask? Here’s our story from earlier…
THE DUTCH ACT Joost Klein will not be competing in the Grand Final of this year’s Eurovision Song Contest following a police investigation, organisers have confirmed.
“Swedish police have investigated a complaint made by a female member of the production crew after an incident following his performance in Thursday night’s semi-final,” a statement from the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) notes.
“While the legal process takes its course, it would not be appropriate for him to continue in the contest.
“We would like to make it clear that, contrary to some media reports and social media speculation, this incident did not involve any other performer or delegation member,” the statement adds.
There had been speculation that the incident in question related to the Israeli contestant Eden Golan or her delegation, following a tense exchange at a press conference on Thursday, but the EBU said this is not the case.
Swedish and Dutch news outlets have reported that Klein is being investigated after an incident involving a television production worker.
Read the full article here…
Israel’s Eden Golan and her dancers have performed.
There’s been some negative reactions during all of Golan’s performances before an audience this week, and some booing was audible in the TV broadcast tonight.
It comes following claims that the EBU and host broadcaster SVT were filtering out negative reactions in the audio mix in Thursday night’s show.
In a statement yesterday an EBU spokesperson said: “Just like in all major TV productions with an audience, SVT work on the broadcast sound to even out the levels for TV viewers.”
The spokesperson said this is done “solely to achieve as balanced a sound mix as possible for the audience”.
They added: “SVT do not censor sound from the arena audience.
“The same principle applies to all competing performances and opening and interval acts.”
“The EBU and SVT encourage all audiences to attend in the spirit of the Contest, embracing its values of inclusivity, celebrating diversity and being United By Music.”
This is what the booing sounded like from within the arena during Thursday night’s semi-final.
Some audible booing in the arena during the Israeli performance. Some sections of the audience muted, other groups cheering in apparent attempts to drown out boos. Very divided crowd, odd atmosphere. pic.twitter.com/eZ4ePKMryK
— Daragh Brophy (@DaraghBroph) May 9, 2024
Andres Poveda, RTÉ’s photographer at the Eurovision this week, just sent on these great shots of Bambie and crew on their way to the stage.
That performance went off without a hitch. The lifts, the spins, the costume reveal. It’s obviously very, very complicated indeed and they missed a rehearsal today so the team will be relieved. (I was in the arena on Monday for the dress rehearsal for the Tuesday show and the candles didn’t light at all).
Huge cheers in the venue.
“The reaction of the night,” according to Marty Whelan.
In case you were wondering what Bambie yelled as the song ended…
Here’s the view from Bambie’s hometown.
Here's @Bambiethug 's hometown Macroom reacting to their #Eurovision performance. What an atmosphere. ❤️ Up Macroom. Up Bambie Thug. #CrownTheWitch pic.twitter.com/6MJoYQb40n
— M I K E R Y A N (@90mikeryan) May 11, 2024
Here’s the last 50 seconds of the song, if you want to catch that ending again.
Stunning ⭐⭐
— RTÉ One (@RTEOne) May 11, 2024
And now we wait 🙏#Eurovision2024@bambiethug pic.twitter.com/sKkRrlwQzi
Some footage emerging now of the scale of booing and other negative reaction for Israel’s Eden Golan. Chants of ‘Palestine’ can be heard in this one.
“I’ve been going to Eurovision live shows since 2016, and I’ve never heard booing even remotely close to how loud that was,” Irish Eurovision fan and Youtuber ESC Tom said.
Reaction in the arena pic.twitter.com/EFV9jHoLyY
— ESC Tom (@EurovisionTom) May 11, 2024
Dutch fans also booed producers at last night’s jury show when it was announced that their act, Joost Klein, wouldn’t be appearing due to the EBU investigation into his behaviour.
In fact, Eurovision fans are now so angry at how this contest has been going that during last night’s jury show (which is filmed ‘as live’ but not broadcast) they even booed Martin Österdahl, the contest’s long-serving executive supervisor, during the section where he tells the presenters the votes have been verified and they’re “good to go”.
At the start of Thursday’s semi-final, the one in which Israel competed, a producer took to the stage beforehand to read out a statement asking the audience to approach the show in the spirit of inclusivity and togetherness.
Some more shots in from Andres Poveda, RTÉ’s photographer, who’s in the arena.
Back to the show.
Nemo, who’s third favourite to win, is up now.
It’s quite a performance, as you’ll know if you saw them in the semi-final on Thursday.
Let’s just hold our breaths and hope the spinning platform behaves itself.
Just in case you were concerned that Jedward hadn’t shown up…
12 songs in and @planetjedward have not sat down once 😂 ☘️ ❤️ pic.twitter.com/kHbKJlckWX
— ESC Tom (@EurovisionTom) May 11, 2024
“Bambie was phenomenal. Absolutely amazing – they rocked Europe and it is what Ireland needed at the Eurovision,” Jedward, who are friends with the Cork singer, told Irish reporters after Tuesday’s show.
“When Bambie came out the atmosphere was electric. And people can [recreate] that performance in any church in Ireland with all the candles,” they added (we imagine, tongue-in-cheek).
“The looks they are serving are amazing, they are rocking it.”
The Lucan twins, of course, represented Ireland twice in the contest with their first effort, Lipstick, making 8th place in 2011.
Favourites Croatia are up next.
2023 fan favourite Käärijä (you may remember the Finnish rapper’s bonkers ‘Cha Cha Cha’ routine from Liverpool) was clearly an influence on Croatian singer-songwriter Marko Purišić, who performs his entry ‘Rim Tim Tagi Dim’ under the stage name of Baby Lasagna.
On the face of it, it’s a very catchy rap-rock song with a nonsense chorus – but with a serious message about the plight of young people forced to emigrate from Croatia to seek success.
On the subject of Käärijä, the rapper announced earlier he was stepping down as spokesperson for the Finnish jury.
“I have decided not to participate as the spokesperson for the Finnish jury in tonight’s Eurovision finale,” he wrote on Instagram.
“Giving out the points does not feel right.”
Alessandra Mele, who performed for Norway last year, also pulled out of spokesperson duties.
“Tonight I was supposed to give out Norway’s points during the Eurovision final,” she posted on Instagram.
“Even though I’m thankful I was given the opportunity to do so, I’ve taken the decision to withdraw.
“United By Music — Eurovision’s motto — is the reason I do music. Unite people, bring them together. But right now those words are just empty words.
“There is a genocide going on and I’m asking you all to please open up your eyes, open up your heart. Let love lead you to the truth. It’s right in front of you. Free Palestine.”
France’s Slimane is up now.
Adding to the day of drama the singer halted his performance during the final rehearsal, this afternoon, to deliver a speech about peace.
The arena was full and the show again took place ‘as live’ but was not broadcast.
Okay, the performances have now wrapped and details are being given on how to vote for your favourite song.
In case you’re tuning into Eurovision for the first time ever this year or haven’t watched it in a long time the important thing to remember is that you can’t vote for your own country.
If you do want to vote, here’s the official guide on how to do so.
Ah it’s Baileys time #Eurovision2024 pic.twitter.com/5F7cacIJFI
— Marty Whelan (@martylyricfm) May 11, 2024
We’re taking a trip to uncanny valley for a hologram-powered Abba reunion as part of the interval act…
A typically dramatic performance from last year’s winner Loreen as the interval acts continue.
Loreen became only the second person to win the Eurovision twice with her win in Liverpool in last year – previously Ireland’s Johnny Logan was the only person to do so.
Logan (who actually went on to win three times – the third as songwriter) sang ‘Euphoria’, Loreen’s 2012 winner, during the first semi-final on Tuesday.
The Swedish paper Aftonbladet reported earlier in the week that Logan’s performance was, in fact, meant to be a duet with Loreen but that the Swedish singer backed out weeks ago.
More details in this piece.
The voting section has started.
There was audible booing there from the crowd for Martin Österdahl, the contest’s long-serving executive supervisor, as he told the hosts the votes had been counted and that they were “good to go”.
The jury voting section is now under way.
Switzerland are ahead, but Ireland are in second.
There was significant booing, very audible in the broadcast, when the Israeli spokesperson came on.
So the Swiss are pulling ahead – but remember everything could change in the next round of voting, when the viewer scores are announced.
Once the last jury has delivered their votes, the cumulative points for each country from the viewer votes are added to the scoreboard, country by country, beginning with the country that was ranked last by the juries and working up the scoreboard to the country that was ranked first.
It’s a format that’s worked pretty well as a TV spectacle for Eurovision in recent years – one that builds to a split-screen finish where, unless there’s a runaway winner, the two acts still in with a shout are left to face the cameras before the ultimate winner is announced.
Yet more booing there for Eurovision chief Martin Österdahl, who was called upon to deliver the Dutch vote from within the arena.
“We’ve had no contact” with the Dutch jury, Österdahl noted.
The Dutch broadcaster said earlier that, as their act had been excluded, they wouldn’t be bothering have anyone appear to announce their results.
Statement spokesperson #europapa #eurovision #eurovision2024 pic.twitter.com/DPkLzT0IUw
— Songfestival (@songfestival) May 11, 2024
Here’s how that 12 points went down in Macroom…
Absolute scenes in Macroom as @Bambiethug gets 12 points from the Australian jury ❤️. They were sitting in 2nd place, but have dropped to 4th in the time it took to upload this video 😅 #CrownTheWitch pic.twitter.com/szl62PJ2gU
— M I K E R Y A N (@90mikeryan) May 11, 2024
Ireland has slipped down to fifth place now. The Swiss are running away with it in the jury votes.
1994 Eurovision winner for Ireland Paul Harrington announces the Irish result with the 12 points going to…. Switzerland.
The jury votes have finished, and here’s how the scoreboard looks…
Things can actually change significantly in this section. Loreen ran away with it last year, but in 2022 439 of Ukraine’s 631 points came from the viewers.
323 viewer votes for Israel – they go into the lead.
Of course, we haven’t had the public votes from Switzerland who are now ten points behind Israel where they now sit – so those positions will change.
136 viewer points for Ireland – that puts Bambie Thug up to third.
Again, that position will change.
337 points for Croatia, which puts Baby Lasagna in the lead – with Ukraine in second.
227 points for France, bouncing them into third place. So it’s between the Swiss and Croatia.
Switzerland's Nemo has won the 68th Eurovision Song Contest with their song The Code 🇨🇭https://t.co/iS5xIwIG6U
— Eurovision Song Contest (@Eurovision) May 11, 2024
Bambie handed their crown to Nemo as they made their way down to the stage to get their trophy from Loreen.
They’re still wearing it as they perform their reprise.
They didn’t wheel out the spinning platform for Nemo for their reprise performance.
They’ll no-doubt be grateful.
Here’s how it looked, earlier on.
This statement just landed from Taoiseach Simon Harris:
“I want to congratulate Bambie Thug for a stunning performance and tour de force at Eurovision 2024.
“They performed with passion, stopped us in our tracks and did us proud. The eruption of applause in the stadium at the end of Ireland’s performance spoke for itself.
“Congratulations to Switzerland on the win and well done to Sweden for hosting another showstopper. Thank you to our closest musical ally in Europe – Australia – for our only douze points!
“It’s Bambie Thug’s night as far as we’re concerned.
“Well done Bambie.”
Tánaiste Micheál Martin, meanwhile, says the singer did Cork proud.
Well done Bambie Thug for a wonderful performance in the Eurovision final tonight, finishing in 6th place - our best result in many years.
— Micheál Martin (@MichealMartinTD) May 11, 2024
You’ve done Ireland, Cork and Macroom proud this week 👏🇮🇪
We’re going to wrap this liveblog now – Bambie Thug is expected to speak to Irish media in Malmö soon so we’ll have a piece based on their reaction on the main site later.
Next year in Geneva…
End of the evening… slán.#Eurovision2024 pic.twitter.com/mfo8oYC9Ng
— Marty Whelan (@martylyricfm) May 11, 2024
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