Swedish singer Loreen has emerged victorious at the Eurovision Song Contest with her power ballad “Tattoo”. The competition was held in Liverpool, UK, as last year’s winners, Ukraine, were unable to host due to Russia’s ongoing conflict in the country. Loreen scored 583 points to beat Finnish singer Käärijä who scored 526. The win marks Loreen’s second Eurovision win, and Sweden’s seventh, tying them with Ireland as the most successful countries in the competition’s history.
However, the mood of the competition was marred by the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. As the contest was taking place, Russian missiles struck the western Ukrainian city of Ternopil, where the electro-pop duo Tvorchi, Ukraine’s contestants at the song contest, are from. Two people were injured in the attack. Tvorchi expressed their hope to showcase Ukraine’s fight for freedom through their performance.
Despite the difficult backdrop, the contest was hailed as a success, combining the spirit of Ukraine with the soul of Liverpool. The show opened with a film featuring last year’s winners, Kalush Orchestra, singing and dancing in Kyiv subway, which transitioned into musicians in the UK playing the same tune, even featuring Kate, Princess of Wales, playing the piano. Liverpool embraced the spirit of the competition, with businesses flying Ukrainian flags and cultural events promoting the art, music and food of Ukraine.
Contestants from 26 finalist nations entered the arena for the Olympics-style flag parade, accompanied by live performances from Ukrainian acts. Eurovision has been held annually since 1956 and prides itself as the world’s biggest music contest. Over the years, the competition has launched the careers of many artists, including ABBA and Celine Dion. However, not all performers have enjoyed long-lasting success.
Loreen was the bookies’ favourite going into the contest and won the most votes from professional juries in the competition’s voting system. While only 6,000 fans were able to attend the show in person, tens of thousands of people watched the competition at big-screen events across the UK and in Liverpool’s fan zone. The competition’s global television audience wasestimated to be around 160 million.
The Eurovision Song Contest, with its colourful costumes and catchy tunes, has managed to remain an important cultural event in Europe despite being marred by political tension. The competition celebrates unity through music and promotes greater understanding between countries. This event showcases how music is a universal language that can bring people together, even in the darkest of times.
