22:52 Initial mention of the conflict in Gaza.
Iolanda, a contestant from Portugal, becomes the first artist to reference the conflict in Gaza by having the pattern of a Kufiya on her fingernails. She ends her performance with "Peace will prevail."
22:33: The participants from Spain and Greece receive warm applause from the audience in Malmö. Many people sing along to Spain's "Zorra" by Nebulossa. Greece's Marina Satti's entry sounds similar to the South American Latin pop genre. Finland's "Windows95man" is performing on stage. There are still nine acts left before the voting begins.
22:12: Both the Irish act Bambie Thug and Greece's Marina Satti missed the rehearsal, but they go ahead with their performances as planned. There's no official explanation for their absence, but Bambie Thug had previously caused controversy by calling for Israel's exclusion.
21:46: Climate activist Greta Thunberg is taken away by the police after a heated confrontation between pro-Palestinian demonstrators and authorities outside the Malmö Arena. The atmosphere is described as "agitated."
21:39: The musical performances kick off in the arena, with host Sweden opening the show, followed by Ukraine and Germany, both receiving applause. After Luxembourg's performance, the Netherlands' act is skipped. During Israel's Eden Golan's song, "Hurricane," whistling can be heard in the audience. However, the performance seems to go smoothly otherwise.
21:21: Outside the Malmö Arena, pro-Palestinian demonstrators are demonstrating loudly. They yell "Shame on you" at the crowd as they enter the arena. There have been multiple altercations between demonstrators and the police, who prevent some of them from breaking through the security area.
21:08: The artists start entering the stage, accompanied by popular Swedish pop songs. The reaction is relatively calm when Israel's Eden Golan takes the stage, though there's a brief moment of discomfort.
20:50: As the final preparations for the Eurovision Song Contest are underway, Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz shows his support for Israeli singer Eden Golan, who's facing significant backlash for her participation. "Eden bravely confronts immense hatred and anti-Semitism," Katz writes on Twitter. "Tonight we prove that we're the leaders." Israel's participation sparked controversy due to the Gaza conflict, with several calls for their exclusion.
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Sweden is known for its rich music scene and is the host of the Eurovision Song Contest this year. The contest features artists from around the world, including Portugal's Iolanda, who subtly addressed the conflict in Gaza during her performance, finishing with the message "Peace will prevail."
Following Portugal, many countries expressed their talent in music and entertainment, such as Greece's Marina Satti, whose entry had a Latin pop sound that resonated with the audience during the contest in Sweden, showcasing the Eurovision Song Contest's global appeal.
Source: www.ntv.de
