Eurovision 2024: Switzerland is the big winner of the 68th Eurovision Song Contest!

The 68th Eurovision Song Contest has been history for a few minutes now, with the big winner being Switzerland represented by Nemo and the song “The Code“.

In a contest marked by drama and a lot of backstory, Swittzerland emerged as the winner with 591 points.

Twenty-six countries took part in tonight’s show, aiming to succeed Loreen and Sweden as the reigning Eurovision Song Contest champions.

The show

Malmö Arena was the venue for the 68th Eurovision Song Contest in the Swedish city of Malmö.

The presenters of tonight’s show, as of all the shows, were Petra Mede and Malin Åkerman.

The 25 participating countries that took part in the Grand Final of the 68th Eurovision Song Contest were:

 

R/O COUNTRY ARTIST SONG
1 Sweden Marcus & Martinus “Unforgettable”
2 Ukraine alyona alyona & Jerry Heil “Teresa & Maria”
3 Germany Isaak “Always on the Run”
4 Luxembourg Tali “Fighter”
6 Israel Eden Golan “Hurricane”
7 Lithuania Silvester Belt “Luktelk”
8 Spain Nebulossa “Zorra”
9 Estonia 5miinust & Puuluup “(nendest) narkootikumidest ei tea me (küll) midagi”
10 Ireland Bambie Thug “Doomsday Blue”
11 Latvia Dons “Hollow”
12 Greece Marina Satti “Zari”
13 United Kingdom Olly Alexander “Dizzy”
14 Norway Gåte “Ulveham”
15 Italy Angelina Mango “La noia”
16 Serbia Teya Dora “Ramonda”
17 Finland Windows95man “No Rules!”
18 Portugal Iolanda “Grito”
19 Armenia Ladaniva “Jako”
20 Cyprus Silia Kapsis “Liar”
21 Switzerland Nemo “The Code”
22 Slovenia Raiven “Veronika”
23 Croatia Baby Lasagna “Rim Tim Tagi Dim”
24 Georgia Nutsa Buzaladze “Firefighter”
25 France Slimane “Mon amour”
26 Austria Kaleen “We Will Rave​”

Results

The final ranking of the 25 finalists of Eurovision 2024 was as follows:

The vote of the juries was as follows:

The votes of the public were as follow:

  1. Croatia 337
  2. Israel 327
  3. Ukraine 307
  4. France 227
  5. Switzerland 226
  6. Ireland 136
  7. Italy 104
  8. Greece 85
  9. Armenia 82
  10. Lithuania 58
  11. Sweden 49
  12. Cyprus 44
  13. Estonia 33
  14. Serbia 32
  15. Finland 31
  16. Latvia 28
  17. Luxembourg 20
  18. Georgia 19
  19. Germany 18
  20. Portugal 13
  21. Slovenia 12
  22. Spain 11
  23. Austria 5
  24. Norway 4
  25. United Kingdom 0

Half of the final result came from the votes of the juries who voted last night and half from the TV audiences across Europe who voted for their favourite songs a few hours ago.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CO_qJf-nW0k

What did you think of the final results of the 68th Eurovision Song Contest?

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Bets: The latest odds before the Grand Final!

The 68th Eurovision Song Contest, which has been marred by drama like no other, will conclude in a few hours from now, culminating in the elimination of the Netherlands from the Grand Final this morning.

Amidst an atmosphere of tension and unprecedented toxicity, we take a look at the betting companies’ odds regarding each country’s chances of winning this year’s contest, as well as their chances of being in the Top 10.

Croatia in pole position

With Croatia as the early favourites, the Eurovision 2024 final will take place this evening. The country that has been in first place more than any other has the best chance of winning just hours before the curtain falls on this year’s contest. The supersonic Baby Lasagna is very close to giving Croatia their first win as an independent nation in their Eurovision appearance. Right now, you can place bets on the Croats’ maiden victory at odds between 1.83 and 2.25.

Second is Israel, which is right on Croatia’s heels and sees its odds of victory remain largely unchanged from our analysis yesterday. Thus, Israel’s Eurovision 2024 win is being played at odds between 2.8 and 4.

In third place, gaining ground after last night’s performance, are Nemo and Switzerland. Switzerland and Nemo‘s victory is now being bet at odds between 4.5 and 5.5, up from 6 to 9 at the time of writing our analysis yesterday.

Up two places for Ireland and down one for France, who complete the top five. The possibility of Ireland winning is now offered between 17 and 23. On the other hand, France‘s odds of victory have risen compared to yesterday, now offered between 15 and 26.

Ukraine has dropped to sixth place, having lost three places in the last two days. With the odds on offer having risen significantly, currently as much as 34 times the stake is returned on a Ukrainian victory in Malmo.

In seventh place is Italy, who lost even more ground after last night’s performance at Jury Rehearsal. Between 21 and 51 is being played on the possibility of Angelina Mango winning.

A one place rise for Greece, which moved up one place compared to our analysis yesterday, “taking advantage” of the exclusion of the Netherlands. A possible victory of “ZARI” and Marina Satti is currently being played at odds between 81 and 251, with no change at all compared to yesterday.

Finland has moved up to ninth place, while Sweden completes the top ten, returning inside the Top 10 for the first time in many months. Both Finland and Sweden are both playing at a maximum odds of 251, exactly the same as ninth-placed Greece as well as the UK and Armenia, who are in 11th and 12th place.

Top 10

Of particular interest is one of the most popular markets for betting companies, that of entering the Top 10. Looking at the table below, it can be seen that bookers largely consider entry into the top 10 to be assured for a large proportion of the countries involved in the Grand Final.

The presence of four countries in the top 10 is considered a given. Croatia, Switzerland, Ukraine and Israel are “given a place” in the top 10, with bookies offering this possibility at odds of under 1.10.

France and Italy are almost taken for granted that they too will have a place in the top 10 at Eurovision 2024, with this possibility returning between 1.14 and 1.20 times the stake.

With the six spots in the Top 10 looking largely taken, four spots remain, with Ireland considered the seventh most likely to take a spot in the top ten at odds of 1.57.

Greece also has a very strong chance of a place inside the Top 10, being eighth in the table below and also the last country to offer odds of less than 2. In fact, a place inside the Top 10 for Marina Satti returns up to 1.91 times the stake.

Beyond that, the Netherlands‘ elimination from the grand final “opens up a spot” within the Top 10 that was considered by many to be a lock. Automatically, it opens the way for two more spots for the top 10 of the ranking. Thus, Sweden is considered the ninth most likely to make the top ten and Armenia the tenth most likely. Both are being played at odds close to 2.5.

Conclusions

We are only a few hours away from the most dramatic final in Eurovision history, which has been tainted by the events of the last few days in Malmö. Leaving aside everything that has marked the contest so far, tonight’s final is the most controversial of all time, where no one can accurately predict what will happen. All possibilities are open and no outcome will come as a surprise.

Which country do you think will win the 68th Eurovision Song Contest?

Stay tuned to Eurovisionfun for all the developments!

Eurovision 2024: Tonight the Grand Final!

The 68th Eurovision Song Contest is being completed today in Malmo with the Grand Final.

Twenty six countries will participate in tonight’s show, aiming to be the winner of Eurovision 2024 that will be crowned in a few hours from now.

The presenters for tonight’s event, as well as all shows until Saturday, will be Petra Mede and Malin Åkerman.

The 26 participating countries in tonight’s Grand Final are:

R/O COUNTRY ARTIST SONG
1 Sweden Marcus & Martinus “Unforgettable”
2 Ukraine alyona alyona & Jerry Heil “Teresa & Maria”
3 Germany Isaak “Always on the Run”
4 Luxembourg Tali “Fighter”
5 Netherlands Joost Klein “Europapa”
6 Israel Eden Golan “Hurricane”
7 Lithuania Silvester Belt “Luktelk”
8 Spain Nebulossa “Zorra”
9 Estonia 5miinust & Puuluup “(nendest) narkootikumidest ei tea me (küll) midagi”
10 Ireland Bambie Thug “Doomsday Blue”
11 Latvia Dons “Hollow”
12 Greece Marina Satti “Zari”
13 United Kingdom Olly Alexander “Dizzy”
14 Norway Gåte “Ulveham”
15 Italy Angelina Mango “La noia”
16 Serbia Teya Dora “Ramonda”
17 Finland Windows95man “No Rules!”
18 Portugal Iolanda “Grito”
19 Armenia Ladaniva “Jako”
20 Cyprus Silia Kapsis “Liar”
21 Switzerland Nemo “The Code”
22 Slovenia Raiven “Veronika”
23 Croatia Baby Lasagna “Rim Tim Tagi Dim”
24 Georgia Nutsa Buzaladze “Firefighter”
25 France Slimane “Mon amour”
26 Austria Kaleen “We Will Rave​”

Tonight 50% of the final result is decided, after last night’s jury show that the remaining 50% was voted.

The Grand Final kicks off at 21:00 CET, and you can watch it live on the official Eurovision YouTube channel, as well as on various public broadcaster across Europe.

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Bets: Derby for two for the victory| Lots of shuffling after the second semi-final!

The two semi-finals brought upsets upon upsets to the betting tables, with several countries standing out and others losing ground. The leak of the Italian public’s votes in the second semi-final changed the scene dramatically, with everything we wrote yesterday going out the window.

With less than 36 hours to go until the Eurovision 2024 grand final, we take a look at the betting companies’ odds regarding each country’s chances of winning this year’s contest.

Derby at the top

Israel‘s “breath” is now felt by Croatia, with last night’s RAI leak moving Eden Golan up six places, with room to move up even further. The sweeping wave of support for Israel‘s entry, which counted around 40% of the Italian public vote, may indicate a Europe-wide trend of support for the Hurricane.

When yesterday, in a total of 16 countries, one song has received 40% of the votes and the second, the Netherlands, has just under 8%, then we can talk about a situation that could have a profound effect on the development of the 68th Eurovision Song Contest.

In any case, even at the time of writing this article, the first favourite is Croatia. Baby Lasagna‘s supersonic performance in the first semi-final had given Croatia a clear margin of victory, with its maiden win as an independent country “just around the corner” according to bookers who offered that possibility at odds of 1.62 to 1.91 before the second semi-final. At the moment, you can bet on a maiden Croatian victory at odds between 1.83 and 2.25.

Second is Israel, who yesterday before their appearance in the second semi-final and, especially, the Italian broadcaster’s leak, were considered the eighth favourite to win the 68th Eurovision Song Contest, at odds close to 67. As expected, those odds are now a thing of the past. Thus, Israel‘s win at Eurovision 2024 is being played at odds between 2.75 and 3.5. This is the biggest odds drop recorded from semi-final to final in Eurovision history, and it is not unlikely that in the next few hours Croatia will get even closer in the next few hours.

Despite Nemo‘s excellent performance in last night’s second semi-final, Switzerland has dropped to third place as a direct result of Israel’s rapid rise. Switzerland and Nemo‘s victory is now being bet at odds between 6 and 9, up from 3.5 to 4 last night.

The second winner of last night’s show is undoubtedly France, which is the only country along with Israel to see its odds fall by the hour. Between 17 and 26 was being played last night for France to win, while it is now being played between 11 and 17. Slimane‘s outstanding performance, which moved millions of viewers across Europe, lifted the French above the Ukrainians, Irish and Italians.

The top five is completed by Ukraine, being the big loser after the second semi-final, losing two places from where they were in our last analysis. With the odds on offer having almost doubled, currently as much as 26 times the stakes are returning on a Ukrainian win in Malmö.

Top 10

At similar odds to Ukraine, you can also play Ireland, who have dropped to sixth place, having been in fourth before the second semi-final. The possibility of Ireland winning is now offered between 13 and 26.

A loss of one place for Italy too, with a win for Angelina Mango tomorrow night returning up to 36 times the money of anyone who bets on her. Rising odds for Italy, who have lost whatever momentum they had before the contest.

The same is true, but to an even greater extent, for eighth-placed Netherlands. Having lost five places compared to before the start of the rehearsals and now outside the top five in eighth place, a potential win for Joost Klein and “Europapa” could return up to 81 times the stake.

Greece remains in ninth place at the time of writing, with the fluctuations during the day being huge. In the early hours of the morning of May 10 we have seen too many countries move up and down continuously, with some time of the day being within the top ten and others even lower. The same has happened in the case of Greece, which is now ninth, but was earlier in 15th place. A possible win for “ZARI” and Marina Satti is currently being played at odds between 81 and 251, higher than in our analysis the day before yesterday where it was played at odds between 51 and 151.

At the same maximum odds as Greece, one finds the United Kingdom, which completes the top ten. Up to 251 times the stake is returned on the UK’s first win within the 21st century.

Conclusions

We await with great interest in the coming hours whether the betting tables will be further affected, following the leak of Italy‘s votes in last night’s semi-final with its sweeping support for Israel. In any case, we’ll be back with additional betting articles ahead of the grand final of the 68th Eurovision Song Contest.

Stay tuned to Eurovisionfun for all the developments!

Eurovision 2024: First Dress Rehearsal of the Grand Final – Live Commentary! (Updated Live)

Following the conclusion of the two semi-finals, the countries that received the golden tickets for Saturday’s Grand Final will now join the Big 5 along with the host country Sweden on Grand Final’s First Dress Rehearsal.

This article gets updated in real-time, all you need to do is hit the refresh button on your browser!

The show

 

Competing countries

Sweden

A very sleek performance from this year’s hosts. Marcus & Martinus are as professional as it gets and are ready to bring Sweden once again in the top ten. Will they make it? I’m sure they will, as they have a huge fanbase all around Europe.

Ukraine

A strong and impactful performance by Ukraine. The act is touching, emotional and the vocals are on point. Visually it is impressive. A top five placement for Ukraine is sure despite the controversial running order.

Germany

Vocally wise a good performance. Visually wise it is not indifferent in any terms. However, the song feels bland and forgettable. We would not be surprised if it finishes in bottom five.

Luxembourg

Luxembourg is back to Eurovision after 31 years and will “fight” for a top ten finish. The performance is really good, Tali sounds good and I think that juries will love it and reward it as much as possible. Will the top ten finish be possible for Luxembourg? I think it is, all thanks to the juries’ vote.

Break

The Netherlands

Joost did not perform today, due to an “incident” backstage!

Israel

Israel performed before The Netherlands in this Dress Rehearsal, as Joost denied to perform!

Eden Golan is also here for the win. Impressive vocals and a breathtaking performance. The most controversial entry of Eurovision 2024 has either a strong fanbase or extreme haters. Personally, I think that Israel will win the public vote. We will see tomorrow!

Lithuania

Silvester Belt’s energy is haunting. It is definitely a song for the audience in the arena. Everyone is dancing along. However, this time I’m not really confident for the support of Lithuanian diaspora.

Spain

“ZORRA, ZORRA, ZORRA”. This is what everyone is screaming. The fans are gonna love it, but the audience at home? Don’t now…evidently not a family-friendly show.

Estonia

An energetic performance. That’s all. It’s fate, unknown!

Ireland

Will the Queen return to its throne? Even if she will not, the best result the country has achieved for years it’s on its way. Impressive performance by Bambie.

Latvia

The biggest surprise of the Second Semi-Final. I have a feeling that the juries will like it a lot and award it as it is one of the few ballads this year.

Greece

Probably Marina’s best performance so far. Vocally she sounds better and the performance is both urban and colorful.

United Kingdom

One of the most impressive TV shows of the year. The performance is mind-blowing. However, Olly’s vocals remain weak. A good finish for the UK? I hope so!

Norway

A haunting performance by Gåte as we’re used to. However, the running order is not quite helpful and I don’t see it as well received by the public as some might think.

Italy

Angelina Mango is another contender for victory. She brings sass, attitude, vocals and Mediterranean vibes to the Eurovision stage. Her outfit is not the one we saw on the Second Semi-Final and I think it suits her better. Overall, it might have been her best performance so far.

Serbia

Serbia’s performance is touching yet effective. Teya Dora’s vocals always on point. No differences from all the performances we have already seen.

Finland

You will either love it or hate it. It is up to the European audience to decide. The performance is always on point.

Portugal

The Portuguese element is here and Iolanda always sounds magnificent. Not quite sure how it will end on the scoreboard.

Armenia

One of the most energetic performances of the show. If I could describe LADANIVA with one word, it could be charisma. Best of luck to Armenia.

Cyprus

Silia gets better every time, more confident, more sassy. The vocals are great, the choreography always on point. Silia is the youngest performer this year and I don’t think you can tell!

Switzerland

We are all shocked about how can Nemo do all these things on stage and be vocally on point. Jury winner alert!

Slovenia

A mystical performance by Raiven. Vocally impressive as always, however I think that she cannot escape the bottom five in such a year.

Croatia

Baby Lasagna gives another energetic performance and he proves what he is one of the hot favorites to win the contest. Zagreb 2025? A possible scenario.

Georgia

A fiery performance by Nutsa Buzaladze and we could not expect anything less. Georgia is back to the Final after eight years and Nutsa is already a winner for that.

France

Another jury winner alert. Slimane’s performance is breathtaking bringing the audience to tears. Are we heading to France?

Austria

WE WILL RAAAAVE!!!

Don’t know about us, but we sure did here. Vocals are okay, she is energetic and sexy at the same time.

Interval Acts

It is a year of anniversaries as the hosts mention. 25 years since Charlotte Perrelli’s win, 40 years since Herrey’s win and 50 years since ABBA’s win. It’s time for a reunion, basically for two.

Alcazar, the famous Swedish group, reunited an took the stage singing their all-time classic “Crying at the discotheque”.

Then, ABBA sent their message to Eurovision fans and divas Charlotte Perreli, Carola and Conchita Wurst sang “Waterloo”, Sweden’s first winning entry.

Later, Loreen takes the stage and performs her new song “Forever” as well as her winning entry “Tattoo” on a new version.

The Dress Rehearsals will continue tonight with the Jury Show, which will determine half of the Grand Final’s outcome, as the 37 national juries will cast their votes.


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Eurovision 2024: Tonight the Jury Rehearsal of the Grand Final!

We are now in the final stretch towards crowning the winner of Eurovision 2024, with just one days left until the Grand Final of the 68th Eurovision Song Contest.

Tonight, at the Malmö Arena in Malmö, the Jury Rehearsal of the Grand Final will take place. It’s worth emphasizing the significance of tonight’s show, which is not just a mere rehearsal where delegations try out various stage elements, but a show that could determine the scores they receive from a country that might face technical issues tomorrow night and unable to vote.

The juries of the 26 finalists, as well as the juries of the countries that were left out of the final, will tonight determine 50% of the final result, from which the grand winner of the 68th Eurovision Song Contest will emerge.

It’s important to note the running order of the Grand Final:

Hosting tonight’s event, as well as all shows until Saturday, will be Petra Mede and Malin Åkerman.

Through our YouTube channel, you’ll have the opportunity to watch today’s Press and Jury Rehearsals live. So, tune in at 13:30 CET and 21:00 CET to find out how the participating countries in the Grand Final taking place Saturday’s Grand Final fared!

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Eurovision 2024: The odds before the second semi-final – “Battle” between two for victory!

We are just hours away from the second semi-final of the 68th Eurovision Song Contest, which means that in a few hours from now sixteen countries will compete for one of the ten tickets leading to Saturday’s grand final.

With two days left until the Grand Final, the favourite column of many of you is back, as the betting analysis for the 68th Eurovision Song Contest is back again.

With less than a few hours to go until the second semi-final of Eurovision 2024, we take a look at the betting companies’ odds regarding each country’s chances of winning this year’s contest.

Battle of Croatia and Switzerland

The 68th Eurovision Song Contest now has one huge favourite and that is Croatia. Baby Lasagna‘s supersonic performance in the first semi-final has given Croatia a clear winning edge, with their maiden victory as an independent country “just around the corner” according to the bookers. For the first time during this year’s Eurovision season, a song is being played at odds of less than two, between 1.62 and 1.91. The chances of history being made and having a new country win are overwhelmingly in favour of the Croats.

The only threat to Croatia could be Switzerland, always according to the bookers. Nemo has managed to gain slight momentum since yesterday, being the only country in the top ten, with the exception of Croatia, who are offered at lower odds than the day before yesterday. Switzerland and Nemo‘s win is now being bet at odds between 3.5 and 4.

Beyond that, the gap between the top two countries and the rest has increased dramatically. Thus, third is now Ukraine, who gained one place after their performance in the first semi-final. Up to 12 times the stake is returned if the Ukrainians win in Malmö.

A one-place rise for Ireland, which is now in fourth place. The possibility of Ireland winning is now offered between 10 and 19. Rounding out the top five is France, who like Italy return up to 26 times the stake of anyone who believes in them. France‘s win is played between 17 and 26, while Italy‘s is played between 13 and 26. However, Oddschecker shows France fifth and Italy sixth, as Italy’s odds are expected to rise even further in the coming hours.

A big loser before the shows is clearly the Netherlands. Having lost four places compared to before the start of the rehearsals and now outside the top five in seventh place, a potential win for Joost Klein and “Europapa” could return up to 36 times the stakes. Eighth is Israel, seen as the eighth favourite to win the 68th Eurovision Song Contest, at odds of close to 67.

Greece remains in ninth place. A potential win for “ZARI” and Marina Satti is currently being played at odds between 51 and 151, higher than in our analysis the day before yesterday where it was also being played at odds between 51 and 151.

Finally, the top ten is completed by the United Kingdom, which after a long time returns to the higher echelons of the betting tables, with Olly Alexander having built momentum after his first rehearsals. Up to 201 times the stake returns the UK’s first win inside the 21st century.

Second Semifinal

As we are just a few hours away from the second semi-final, in today’s analysis we will take a look at the chances of each of the fifteen participating countries in tonight’s show to qualify.

Six countries are considered a given to qualify, with Switzerland, Netherlands, Armenia, Israel, Norway, and Greece being offered by bookies at odds of under 1.10. Significantly, the odds on the top four countries in particular return almost nothing to those who bet on them. For example, in the event that someone bets ten euros on their qualification, they will only make a profit of fifty euro cents on the best one.

In the same category we could also include Georgia, which has made a big impression in recent days, now having one foot and a half in the grand final of the 68th Eurovision Song Contest. Up to 1.14 is offered for Georgia to qualify for the first time since 2016.

Beyond that, it’s a clear-cut case for the final three tickets, with Belgium, Austria and Estonia all having very, very good chances of qualifying. At odds of close to 1.30 you can bet the three countries.

And we go on to the remaining six countries in the semi-final, which are considered by the bookies as underdogs for qualification. Clearly more likely are San Marino and Denmark, who should be considered anything but out of the running, with their qualification being played at close to 3.25 and 3.5 respectively.

Finally, Albania , Czechia, Malta and Latvia seem to be “boiling in the same pot”, whose qualification quadruples, quintuples and sixfold the stakes.

We await the final results tonight with great interest to see if the bookers will be confirmed once again.

Which countries do you think will qualify for the grand final on 11 May?

Stay tuned to Eurovisionfun for all the developments!

Luxembourg: Tali Initially Participated with Another Song in the Luxembourg Song Contest!

This year’s representative of Luxembourg, Tali, initially participated in the country’s selection with another song, not with “Fighter”.

The song was written by Jimmy Martin, who was a member of the band Modern Times, which represented Luxembourg in Eurovision 1993, before the country’s long withdrawal for 31 years. He brought the news to light, revealing that he was the composer of Tali’s first song, with which she secured the spot in Luxembourg’s selection for 2024.

In fact, he stated that as soon as it was announced that Luxembourg would participate in Eurovision 2024, he started the songwriting process in Berlin with his colleagues, aiming to return to the Contest. He began searching for a singer in Luxembourg and got in touch with Tali, whom he knew through friends. The singer came from New York to record the song in Luxembourg, while the mixing was done in Berlin.

Later on, Tali informed Jimmy Martin that she had been selected to participate in the final of Luxembourg, but she revealed that she would not participate with the song he had written, which also included Luxembourgish lyrics.

Tali managed to bring Luxembourg to Eurovision 2024 for the first time since 1993 with the song “Fighter”.

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Source: Virgule

Eurovision 2024: Family Show of the First Semifinal- Live Commentary (Updated Live)

The family show of the Eurovision 2024 First Semi-Final in Malmö at the Malmö Arena! We are just a couple of hours before the First Semifinal kicks in but, before we get to know the first results the artists competing in the First Semifinal will perform once again for the Family Show.  The Family Show is more financially convenient, identical to the live one for families and takes place earlier on the same day of the Semifinal. EurovisionFun will be watching all the shows live both at the on-site press centre in Malmöä and at the online press centre and will be commenting on the full performances of the 15 participating countries and the United Kingdom, Germany, and Sweden.  This year we will watch the automatic qualifiers perform their entire songs as part of the Semifinal

 

This article gets updated in real time, all you need to do is hit the refresh button on your browser!

So stay tuned to this article as we update it with all the details, preparing you for what you will see in the Semi-Final today May 7th, at 21:00 CEST.

The Show

The show opens with the iconic Cyprus representative Eleni Foureira singing her 2018 Eurovision song, Fuego! She is performing an oriental-inspired version of Fuego. After Eleni, Eric Saade comes to the stage to sing Popular in an explosive performance. Last but not least, Chanel rocks the stage.  The 2022 Spanish representative sings SloMo with a different dance performance than what we saw in Turin two years ago. An amazing way to start this year’s Eurovision Season!

The host of the show is Petra Mede who is familiar to Eurofans as she has hosted the contest twice before in 2013 and 2016.  She is joined by actress Malin Åkerman. The female duo are dressed in pink and orange neon suits that are suitable for the LED background.

Petra welcomes us back in Sweden and she made a joke about her voting for Finland last year. They also thank last year’s organizers for hosting an incredible show back in 2023. Malin praises Petra for hosting for a third time the contest and Petra said that she never tried to host with a woman and she was thrilled about this experience.

The hosts are explaining the voting process in English AND French this year.  We’ve missed so much Petra speaking French!! Malmo are we ready? Let the Eurovision Song Contest begin!

The Competing Countries – LIVE COMMENTARY

Cyprus: Silia Kapsis – Liar

Silia becomes the youngest artist to open a Eurovision Song Contest.  With 17 years Silia opened the First Semi-final! She’s joined by 4 male dancers all in white t-shirts which they removed by the end of the song. The LED’s are mostly in neon turquoise colours. Silia has improved her vocals from her previous attempts. She danced in the whole performance. The dancebreak looks better than the second rehearsal, the camera shots are improved by a lot!! In the last 20 seconds, the colours of the LED turn red.

Serbia: Teya Dora – Ramonda

Following Teya Dora brings a Serbian ballad.  Teya Dora is standing and sitting on a rock during the performance.  The performance is introspective and very emotional.   The LED screens show thunders and a flower by the end of the song and the atmosphere is dark throughout the performance.  Will this be enough for Teya Dora to get to the Grand Final?

Lithuania: Silvester Belt – Luktelk

Lithuania is next with Luktelk! His performance has most of the elements from their national final one. The LED’s are based in red and blue colours. Silvester enjoys his performance and is very energetic. A sure qualifier!

Ireland: Bambie Thug – Doomsday Blue

Bambie Thug has grown in the weeks.  The change from her national final to Malmö is incredible. Bambie really knows how to pull a live performance with their voice and their face expressions. They are accompanied by a shirtless dancer who seems that he is their lover in the performance. The dancer dresses off Bambie revealing a very thin suit. On the bridge of the song, the candles rise upwards, and the lighting turns red. At the end of the song they scream and the performance is finished with a LED phrase “Crown The Witch”. The crowd was clapping for a long time.  Ireland is back in the game!

Break

Petra Mede interacts with the audience.  She is tested on her Eurovision knowledge from previous songs but fails.

United Kingdom: Olly Alexander – Dizzy (not competing)

Olly is the first of the Big 5 plus Sweden to sing live in one of the Semifinals.  He is performing in a Box that has a shower.  He is accompanied by 4 male dancers in boxer shorts. The whole performance is very physical and sensual. The choreography increases this sexual tension. In the last chorus, he leaves the box with his dancers and he’s performing in the front part of the stage. Olly’s vocals were not the best.

Ukraine: alyona alyona & Jerry Heil – Teresa & Maria

The folk duo is next to perform. In the first chorus the shots are from above with the LED floor being in grey and blue colours making a hurricane. Aliona comes to the stage for her rap part and she is vocally perfect. After that, we can see Jerry in the LED wall being as mother Teresa.  The images on the LED screens and the light work elevates this song. At the end of the performance, Jerry and alyona are lying on the floor and the LED is full of women.   A very moving performance that could give Ukraine another victory!

Poland: Luna – The Tower

Luna honors the name of her song with a floor that resembles a chessboard and two towers onstage.  Luna is surrounded by two dancers dressed in black and white as chess pieces. Then, a red figure appears forming the shadow of the singer. At the final point of the song, the two towers come together and change color to red, while we also have fireworks.  Overall it is not a very impressive performance.  It seems to me that Poland risks not qualifying this year.

Croatia: Baby Lasagna – Rim Tim Tagi Dim

The fan and bookers favourite is next on the stage.  We start with smoke and a setup resembling a rock concert. There are fireworks, and the lights are in various colors with alternations. At the last chorus we can see many smoke and many fireworks also. In general, the dancers and the choreography is an upgraded version of the national final. The crowd went crazy with Croatia’s performance you can listen them joining the chorus.

Iceland: Hera Björk – Scared Of Heights

Eurovision legend Hera Björk, started her performance with her standing at the top of some stairs. The LED backdrop is in golden colours and it suits her iconic dress of the same color. Vocally Hera never disappoints. At the middle of her performance, the colours are transformed in red colours. Up until the second chorus, she is alone on stage, and then her backing singers joined her. The platform rises, and we see fireworks as well. It seems that she enjoyed the performance by 100%!

Break

Malin Åkerman shares her love for Swedish cinema as well as Eurovision music.  A segment that mixes classic Swedish movies such as “The Seventh Deal” and “Fanny Alexander” with Eurovision songs entries.

Germany: ISAAK – Always On The Run (not competing)

The performance starts in an apartment with a fire in a barrel. In the chorus, the whole living room catches on fire, and Isaak stands in the middle. In the end, we see the backing vocalists on stage, while the fires go out.  Isaak’s vocals are impeccable but he risks going unnoticed by the audience in the final.

Slovenia: Raiven – Veronika

After Germany, next on stage is Raiven. She is dressed in a transparent bodysuit, at the beginning of the performance she is laid on the floor by herself, and then in the chorus, she is accompanied by her dancers wearing light beige underwear.  The choreography is good but the whole work is not as impactful.  At the end of the song, the LED floor is in blue colours like they are floating in the sea.

Finland: Windows95man – No Rules!

Windows95man takes his UMK concept including the jean egg for Malmö. Windows95Man emerges from the egg. The dancers have a 1990-2000s style, and the shots are framed to create an illusion of nudity. In the end, he wears denim shorts with fireworks.  A novelty act that could go either way.  You either love it or hate it.  Windows95man and Henri Piispanen vocals did not sound as good as in UMK.

Moldova: Natalia Barbu – In The Middle

The Malmö version of In The Middle is a much polished one from Natalia’s national final. Natalia’s vocals are really good but the stage feels empty during most of the performance which plays against her. There are images of flowers, a tree, bubbles and butterflies. When Natalia plays the violin the angel wings are displayed.

Sweden: Marcus & Martinus – Unforgetable (not competing)

Twins Marcus & Martinus represent the host country. The performance does not change the concept from Melodifestivalen but expands it. It feels like the inside of a club with flashing lights and dancers. A very professional presentation that will surely do well in the Final.

Azerbaijan: Fahree feat. Ilkin Dovlatov – Özünlə apar

Next act on the stage is the male duo from Azerbaijan, the LED wall displays an unknown character in silver waving his hands and performing some movements.  In the middle of the performance, two huge hand props were revealed on the stage. Overall, the performance is not very memorable.  Azerbaijan may not qualify for a second year.

Australia: Electric Feilds – One Mikali (One Blood)

Electric Fields is the next onstage.  The camera shots are good but there is nothing particularly impressive. “On the LED screens, we see scenes from the video. Then three dancers-vocalists appear, and in the second chorus, the didgeridoo appears, and the title of the song is written on the wall.  In fact the second half of the performance is more eye-catching and colourful.  Will this be enough for Australia to qualify?

Portugal: Iolanda – Grito

Portugal is bringing art to the stage!  A classy performance with an impressive, minimalistic choreography. The vocals of Iolanda are on point and the camera frames and shots are perfect. One of the floating cubes is lower the whole performance based on the other three. The performance is based on white colours as we already saw at Festival da Cançao.

Luxembourg: Tali – Fighter

Luxembourg had not competed in Eurovision since the 90s and is closing the First Semifinal with a French/English pop song, which is unusual based on the previous representatives. Tali is good vocaly but the camera shots are weak. The performance is based on purple and golden colours as well as images of tigers roaring. She has changed her braids from the first rehearsal. There is fog on the stage and shots towards the audience. In the last chorus, we also have fireworks, and the word ‘Fighter’ appears on the LED screens.

A recap of all the entries follows.

Interval Act

Petra Mede present us in a really special interval act the double Irish winner Johnny Logan! Johnny sings Loreen’s Euphoria with a live orchestra. A beautiful performance!

We are now watching a video with the turquoise carpet. Petra jokes that according to social media, “it was the best turquoise carpet ever”.

A recap of all the entries follows.

We go from lighthearted humor to a sad moment. In addition to reminding the audience that Nicole and Hugo were the first performers to dance and sing together for Eurovision, Malin also briefly remembers that Nicole who passed away the previous year.  A compilation of Eurovision dance acts as a tribute to the Belgium representatives in 1973 follows.

Second Interval act for the semi-final one is Benjamin Ingrosso in an amazing medley of three songs.

The hosts highlight the several nations and languages that have participated in the show right before the results are announced, and another video compilation is presented.

Certain Qualifiers

Cyprus

Lithuania

Ireland

Ukraine

Croatia

Finland

Portugal

Luxembourg

Borderline Qualifiers

Serbia

Poland

Slovenia

Australia

Non-Qualifiers

Iceland

Moldova

Azerbaijan

The Results

The green room is behind the stage and the LED wall opens so we can see the contestants behind it. Martin Osterdahl executive producer of Eurovision Song Contest 2024, declares that he is happy to see that we now have a valid result!

Here we have a big change, as the 15 competing acts stand on stage, without their delegations, waiting for the result. The camera shows them one by one, as the presenters announce the qualifiers. After the first 5 qualifiers are announced, Alesha interviews them backstage and then we learn the 5 remaining qualifiers.

The ten countries that (virtually) qualified for the finals for rehearsal purposes only were the following:

  • Australia
  • Ireland
  • Iceland
  • Moldova
  • Finland
  • Croatia
  • Serbia
  • Slovenia
  • Luxembourg
  • Ukraine

Closing the televised show, we will get to watch a recap of the ten finalist songs.

You can watch our live reaction from the Family Show of the First Semi-Final on our YouTube channel:

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Stay tuned at Eurovisionfun for all the latest news regarding the 68th Eurovision Song Contest, which is held in Malmö!

Eurovision 2024: Tonight marks the first semifinal!

The moment all Eurofans have been waiting for has arrived! The 68th Eurovision Song Contest officially kicks off today in Malmo with the staging of the first semifinal.

Fifteen countries will participate in tonight’s show, with ten of them advancing to Saturday’s grand final, where the winner of Eurovision 2024 will be crowned.

Among the countries participating in the first semifinal is Cyprus, represented by Silia Kapsis with the song “Liar”. Cyprus is set to open this year’s show, being the first competing country to take the stage in the competition.

The presenters for tonight’s event, as well as all shows until Saturday, will be Petra Mede and Malin Åkerman.

The 15 participating countries in tonight’s first semifinal are:

R/O
COUNTRY ARTIST SONG
1  Cyprus Silia Kapsis “Liar”
2  Serbia Teya Dora Ramonda
3  Lithuania Silvester Belt Luktelk
4  Ireland Bambie Thug “Doomsday Blue”
5  Ukraine Alyona Alyona and Jerry Heil “Teresa & Maria”
6  Poland Luna “The Tower”
7  Croatia Baby Lasagna “Rim Tim Tagi Dim”
8  Iceland Hera Björk “Scared of Heights”
9  Slovenia Raiven “Veronika”
10  Finland Windows95man “No Rules!”
11  Moldova Natalia Barbu “In the Middle”
12  Azerbaijan Fahree feat. Ilkin Dovlatov Özünlə apar
13  Australia Electric Fields “One Milkali (One Blood)”
14  Portugal Iolanda Grito
15  Luxembourg Tali “Fighter”

Let’s not forget that in this year’s contest, for the first time, we will see the Big 5 and the host country, Sweden, present their songs in the semifinals via live stream. Therefore, today we will witness the United Kingdom, Germany, and Sweden perform on stage. These countries, in addition to performing, will also vote for their favorite entries from the first semifinal of the 68th Eurovision Song Contest.

The first semifinal kicks off at 21:00 CET, and you can watch it live on the official Eurovision YouTube channel, as well as on various public broadcaster across Europe.

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