MALMO, Sweden — Swiss singer Nemo won the 68th Eurovision Song Contest on Saturday night with “The Code,” an operatic ode to the singer’s journey toward embracing their nongender identity.
Nemo beat Croatia’s Baby Lasagna to the title by winning the most points from a combination of national juries and viewers around the world.
The victory in the Swedish city of Malmo followed a turbulent year for the pan-continental pop contest that saw large street protests against the participation of Israel that tipped the feelgood musical celebration into a chaotic pressure cooker overshadowed by the war in Gaza.
Hours before the final, Dutch competitor Joost Klein was expelled from the contest over a backstage altercation that was being investigated by police.
The 68th Eurovision Song Contest finally got down to musical business Saturday in the Swedish city of Malmo after days of protests and offstage drama that have tipped the feelgood musical celebration into a chaotic pressure cooker overshadowed by the war in Gaza.
A raucous Croatian rocker, a nonbinary Swiss performer with a soaring voice and — contentiously — a young Israeli singer with a powerful ballad were among acts from 25 countries vying for the continent’s musical crown.
Before the final, thousands of pro-Palestinian demonstrators marched through Malmo to oppose the participation of Israel. Separately, Dutch contender Joost Klein was expelled from the contest over a backstage altercation that is being investigated by police.
Competition organizer the European Broadcasting Union said a female member of the production crew had made a complaint against the 26-year-old Dutch singer and rapper, who had been a favorite of both bookmakers and fans with his song “Europapa.”
Dutch broadcaster AVROTROS, one of dozens of public broadcasters that collectively fund and broadcast the contest, said that as Klein came offstage after Thursday’s semifinal, he was filmed without his consent and in turn made a…
