London
CNN
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Austria won its third Eurovision Song Contest after a glittering grand final in nearby Switzerland.
The song was staged in a dramatic style that introduced the notable vocals of a classically trained Austrian-Philippine singer, evoking a wreck, captivated the crowds of Basel, and for the first time Austria won since Conchita Wurst’s victory in 2014.
Israel came in second on the leaderboard, with Yuval Raphael, a survivor of Hamas’ October 7 attack, gaining support for the performance of “New Day Will Rise.” Estonia came in third place, while San Marino took their final place.
Before the final, JJ told CNN:
“I had a pretty tough year. I wanted to write about my personal experience with love that wasted and not rec laughed out,” he said, adding that if he wins the final on Saturday, he “maybe breaks and starts crying and calls my family.”
The Eurovision Grand Final is a decisive event on the LGBTQ+ calendar, attracting interest across the continent, showing off the most talented, quirky and diverse performers in Europe.
On Saturday was a six-piece Latvian ethnic pop piece. A group inspired by Ukrainian glam rock. An Estonian artist with gimmicks that color Italian coffee culture. And then there’s Albanian double act that made the unforgettable track “Zjerm” a fan favorite.
The rumours of Celine Dion, who won Eurovision in Switzerland in 1988 and is the most famous alumni of the contest along with the ABBA, failed to materialize.
Although organizers have argued that Eurovision is a non-political event, the contest has long been caught up in continental tensions. Russia and Belarus were banned following Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine, and Israeli participation is opposed to a segment of the fan base due to the ongoing war in Gaza.
Israeli contestant Rafael, who was attending the Nova Music Festival when Hamas launched a cross-border attack in October 2023, sang to the arena where Palestinian flags were flying after changes to rules by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU).
At the end of Saturday’s performance, a man and a woman tried to attack the stage, according to the EBU. “One of the two agitators threw paint and the crew was attacked. The crew was fine and there were no injuries,” EBU told CNN in a statement.
