May 14th 2024.
Several artists who participated in the Eurovision Song Contest spoke out against the organizers, criticizing the backstage atmosphere during the live final. Finally, the organizers have responded to these complaints. The 2024 competition was filled with tension, especially due to the inclusion of Israel act Eden Golan. This decision sparked protests, as the ongoing conflict in Gaza has resulted in a high number of casualties.
The host city, Malmo in Sweden, was the center of these protests, which were further fueled by the ban on the Palestinian and European Union flags. As tensions continued to rise, the disqualification of Netherlands act Joost Klein on the day before the live final caused even more outrage. Klein was accused of intimidating behavior towards a female production crew member, which only added to the already tense atmosphere.
Among the contestants who spoke out against the backstage tension were Bambie Thug from Ireland and Angelina Mango from Italy. In response to the complaints, the European Broadcasting Union admitted that they regretted the lack of respect for the rules by some delegations. They also stated that they had addressed these issues with several delegations during the event.
To keep fans updated on all the drama, memes, and iconic moments from the live shows, Metro created a Eurovision community on WhatsApp. Fans could also participate by sharing their reactions to each act and voting for their favorites in polls. However, the viewing figures for Eurovision 2024 were significantly lower compared to the previous year's contest in Liverpool. Many fans followed through with their promise to boycott the show, resulting in an average of 7.64 million viewers and a peak of 8.36 million.
The UK entry, Olly Alexander, received a disappointing zero points from the public vote, but was saved from last place by receiving 46 points from the jury, ultimately placing 18th out of 25 acts. The winner of the night was Switzerland's Nemo, with their song "The Code," beating out Croatia's Baby Lasagna and their song "Rim Tim Tagi Dim."
After their victory, Nemo criticized the Eurovision organizers for banning non-binary flags from the arena. They shared that they had to smuggle their flag in and hoped that others did the same, stating that it was a clear double standard. Nemo also made headlines when they accidentally broke their trophy, using the opportunity to take another jab at the Eurovision organizers, suggesting that the contest needed some fixing as well.
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