Eurovision 2023: A stage for music, politics, and controversy

Even though Eurovision is primarily a grand celebration of song and a promotion of values dear to Europe, the event almost always comes with its share of controversies and strong emotions unrelated to the music. This year is no different. How will the 68th Eurovision Song Contest be remembered?

Bambie Thug - the dark, non-binary representation of Ireland, hailed by the tabloids as a modern witch, a Finnish DJ and performer Teemu Keisteri known as Windows95man strutting in thongs, the provocative - both in title and stage presentation - song of the Spanish duo Nebulossa, but above all the boycotted participant from Israel, against whom tens of thousands of people in Malmö have demonstrated in solidarity with the inhabitants of Palestine - it was they who stirred up the mood around this year's Eurovision the most.

Who, what, and why was particularly loud during the 68th Eurovision Song Contest? You will learn this from our gallery.

31-year-old Bambie Thug, or Bambie Ray Robinson, who represents Ireland this year with the song "Doomsday Blue", first divided her compatriots and then Eurovision fans. The non-binary singer, composer, and lyricist, who has three albums to her name, is causing huge controversies mainly due to her image.

Bambie, who is fascinated by neopagan beliefs and magic and supports LGBTQ+ communities in her work, is mainly criticized by the more conservative part of society.

The Irish right wing opposed her performance at Eurovision, and the dark show with a pentagram, spells, and devil dancers she put on at the Malmö Arena offended the more sensitive viewers, especially those of the Catholic faith during the first semi-final of the contest.

Bambie Thug also fell foul of the organizers. Opposed to Israel's participation in the event and in solidarity with Palestinians, the artist was reprimanded by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) for anti-war slogans ("Lay Down Arms" and "Free Palestine"), which she had placed on her body during the final rehearsal.

The organizers who appealed to the participants to refrain from political gestures were not listened to by Eric Saade. The Swedish of Lebanese descent, who represented Sweden at Eurovision in 2011, was one of the guests of the first semi-final. On stage, he wore a keffiyeh, commonly known in our region as an "arafatka", on his wrist, demonstrating his support for the residents of the Gaza Strip.

The European Broadcasting Union (EBU) criticized Eric Saade for breaking the rules with his political demonstration. The organizers, in a statement, reminded that Eurovision is an apolitical event. However, despite the EBU's intentions, it was impossible to escape from politics at this year's Eurovision. To see for yourself, you only had to look at the streets of Malmö, where pro-Palestinian demonstrations took place, or look online at the comments around the performance of the Israeli representative.

On Thursday, 9 May, when the representative of Israel took to the stage, two pro-Palestinian demonstrations took place in Malmö, attended by approximately 30,000 people. The face of one of them was the Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg.

On the streets of the city, apart from protesters opposing the Israeli operation in the Gaza Strip since the start of Eurovision, exceptionally numerous police patrols could also be encountered, also reinforced by officers from Denmark and Norway.

For security reasons, the Israeli representative was advised against leaving the hotel, and her compatriots and the accompanying delegation were recommended to avoid using the Israeli flag or other symbols indicating their nationality.

The performance of the Spanish duo Nebulossa, fronted by the 56-year-old vocalist who goes by the nickname Mary Bas, did not go unnoticed during the second semi-final either. The choice of the song titled "Zorra", which is a rather vulgar Spanish term for a woman of easy virtue, sparked discontent and criticism, including from the Spanish right-wing.

Others, including some Eurovision viewers, were shocked by "Zorra" primarily because of its visual aspect, thanks to the dancers accompanying the artist on stage, who paraded in just corsets and boldly presented their bare buttocks to the camera.

And speaking of naked male buttocks, the Spaniards were by no means the first in this regard. They were preceded by Finnish DJ and performer Teemu Keisteri, known as Windows95man, who, during the Tuesday semi-final of the 68th Eurovision Song Contest, sang in thongs and a distinctive t-shirt.

The piquancy was added by the fact that the underwear was flesh-coloured, and the camera operators with their shots suggested that the artist might be naked. However, photos dispel any doubts that the 38-year-old Finn was indeed wearing underwear. During the second semi-final, the performer's figs even became the subject of jokes by the hosts, when presenting on stage various Eurovision gadgets Malin Akerman and Petra Mede also showed the well-known strings to the audience.