The grand final of the 68th Eurovision Song Contest takes place in Malmo, Sweden, on Saturday, May 11. The international songwriting competition is famed for its exuberant performances. However, this year has sparked controversy and protests related to the Israel-Hamas war.
Performers from countries across Europe—and beyond—competed in two televised semi-finals earlier this week. The hotly-anticipated final will see the winner crowned by a combination of votes from viewers around the world and rankings by juries in the music industry. The 2023 contest reached 162 million viewers around the world. In the U.S., viewers can stream the 2024 final live on Peacock, according to Associated Press.
Dean Vuletic, a leading historian on Eurovision, calls the contest “a show of cultural diversity unlike any other,” during a video call with TIME.
Read More: Dutch Contestant Disqualified From Eurovision Song Contest Hours Before Final
Eurovision cemented its new slogan “United by Music” in late 2023 and organizers insist the contest is non-political. But this year’s contest has sparked outrage from pro-Palestinian protesters who have criticized organizers for allowing Israel to participate in the contest.
TIME has compiled 10 surprising facts about the history of the Eurovision Song Contest, notable past winners, controversies, and more.
Eurovision originally started off as a technical experiment in television broadcasting
Organizers wanted to see if they could hold a live, simultaneous, transnational broadcast across Europe. The very first contest was held on May 24, 1956, and only seven countries participated: the Netherlands, Switzerland, Belgium, Germany, France, Luxembourg, and Italy, according to the Eurovision website.
“It really was a showcase of the different musical cultures, popular musical cultures, in Europe,” Vuletic tells TIME.“I think this is why it has continued to attract the fascination of Europeans ever since.”
The contest has increased in…
