Eurovision Song Competition
The 69th Eurovision song competition was won by classically trained Countertenor JJ of Austria with its pop opera song "Wasted Love". The final of the competition was organized by the Swiss city of Basel on Saturday evening. Other notable performances included Yuval Raphael from Israel with "New Day Will Steig" and Tommy Cash of Estonia with "Espresso Macchiato".
The Competition
Sweden’s entry Kaj was the favorite in surveys with his optimistic sauna song "Bara Bada Bastu", but the Scandinavians only took fourth place. The German duo Abor & Tynna took the 15th place with her song "Baller". The 26 songs listed in Basel showed a wide range of European music, including a Portuguese guitar ballad, an alternative rock band from Lithuania, the Austrian opera, and a Latvian choir.
Voting Process
The winner was decided by a combination of spectator votes and the votes of a jury. The jury’s votes were recorded on Friday on the basis of the tried and tested goods. This system allowed for a fair and comprehensive evaluation of the performances.
Protests and Politics
Although Eurovision is invoiced as a celebration of European unity, rivalries and friendships often come to the fore when the spectators’ coordination begins two hours of concert performances in succession. Despite the attempts to concentrate on the shine and glamor, politics is never far from the surface. Israel’s participation in particular was controversial, with pro-Palestinian protests in Basel against the Israeli war in the Gaza. Pro-Israeli protests were also held.
Attendance and Performances
The fans eagerly awaited whether Celine Dion – the winner of the competition in 1988, when she represented Switzerland – would appear, but the Canadian star ultimately did not take part. Dion has to struggle with a stiff person syndrome, a painful autoimmune disease, but there were rumors that she could achieve an emotional return to the Eurovision. The organizers said that more than 500,000 people had gathered for the Eurovision Week in Basel. Around 36,000 watched the show in the football stage opposite the arena, in which the competition takes place. "All [is] United by Music," said Basel’s project manager Lauchli. Fans of the music competition praised its growing variety.
