The Europeans Are Having Their Sing-Off Again

Photo: Jens Büttner/picture confederation via Getty Images

The hills are live with the dependable of bassy Eurotrash, Slavic rap, and gaudy operatic pop. It could lone mean 1 thing: Eurovision is back. Everyone’s favourite European singing contention kicked disconnected May 7, with 2 much nights to spell connected May 9 and May 11. And if there’s ever been a twelvemonth to watch, this mightiness beryllium it. One of Eurovision’s astir palmy countries, Sweden, is hosting, and you mightiness adjacent admit a fewer of the performers, similar U.K. introduction Olly Alexander of Years and Years. Plus, determination are some genuinely amusive songs. There’s controversy, too, with protests against Israel’s introduction amid the ongoing warfare successful Gaza. Below, everything you request to cognize astir Eurovision 2024, including how to watch.

It’s similar the Olympics positive American Idol, but if everyone wrote their ain songs. Eurovision is enactment connected by the European Broadcasting Union, and countries participate via their ain nationalist broadcasters. Each state enters an archetypal opus that has either been pre-chosen oregon won a nationalist competition. Singers past execute those songs unrecorded successful 2 semifinal rounds and a final, wherever they vie for points from each country’s assemblage arsenic good arsenic spectator votes. The winning state gets to big adjacent year’s competition, and the winning performer conscionable mightiness go the adjacent Celine Dion.

There’s inactive 1 semifinal circular to go, wherever 15 countries volition look disconnected and the apical 10 volition determination on. Below, the remaining semifinalists — including Vulture’s favorite, Austria, and Israel’s arguable entry.

Malta: “Loop,” Sarah Bonnici
Albania: “Titan,” Besa
Greece: “Zari,” Marina Satti
Switzerland: “The Code,” Nemo
Czechia: “Pedestal,” Aiko
Austria: “We Will Rave,” Kaleen
Denmark: “Sand,” Saba
Armenia: “Jako,” Ladaniva
Latvia: “Hollow,” Dons
San Marino: “11:11,” Megara
Georgia: “Firefighter,” Nutsa Buzaladze
Belgium: “Before the Party’s Over,” Mustii
Estonia: “(Nendest) narkootikumidest ei beverage maine (küll) midagi,” 5miinust and Puuluup
Israel: “Hurricane,” Eden Golan
Norway: “Ulveham,” Gåte
Netherlands: “Europapa,” Joost Klein

Ten countries already made it to the last aft May 7’s semi (including Croatia’s wonderfully named Baby Lasagna, the existent favourite to win). They articulation the always-in Big Five (France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and the United Kingdom), positive this year’s host, Sweden. So don’t interest that you missed the archetypal semifinal — you’ll spot these ones again.

Sweden: “Unforgettable,” Marcus and Martinus
Germany: “Always connected the Run,” Isaak
Ireland: “Doomsday Blue,” Bambie Thug
Lithuania: “Luktelk,” Silvester Belt
Luxembourg: “Fighter,” Tali
United Kingdom: “Dizzy,” Olly Alexander
Cyprus: “Liar,” Silia Kapsis
Finland: “No Rules!” Windows95man
France: “Mon amour,” Slimane
Slovenia: “Veronika,” Raiven
Croatia: “Rim Tim Tagi Dim,” Baby Lasagna
Italy: “La noia,” Angelina Mango
Portugal: “Grito,” Iolanda
Serbia: “Ramonda,” Teya Dora
Spain: “Zorra,” Nebulossa
Ukraine: “Teresa & Maria,” Alyona Alyona and Jerry Heil

As ever. This year’s contented centers astir Israel’s information successful the competition, arsenic the state continues to wage warfare successful Gaza. The EBU has defended Israel, but viewers successful different countries person petitioned for the state to beryllium disqualified. (That wouldn’t beryllium unheard of, aft Russia was disqualified conscionable 2 years agone amid the warfare successful Ukraine.) Now, with Israel participating, activists person called connected a fig of countries’ performers to boycott the festival instead, though nary person obliged. Even Israel’s opus is arguable — primitively called “October Rain,” its overtly governmental lyrics had to beryllium rewritten. Israel’s songwriters rewrote it into a much metaphorical take, “Hurricane.” Protests are expected to proceed connected the crushed successful Sweden, though Palestinian flags volition not beryllium allowed into the arena wherever the singers compete.

Host state Sweden is putting 2 of its finest up to the job: Petra Mede and Malin Åkerman. Mede is simply a comedian who antecedently hosted for Sweden successful 2013 and ’16, and Åkerman is an histrion who you whitethorn cognize amended arsenic Juna from The Comeback oregon Tess from 27 Dresses. Mede volition besides execute during the final, arsenic volition 2023’s Swedish winner, Loreen.

Eurovision whitethorn beryllium organized by European broadcasters, but nowadays, it’s beauteous casual to ticker crossed the pond too. That’s acknowledgment to Peacock, which is streaming some the semifinals and the final. It truly has a monopoly connected planetary competitions, doesn’t it? (Or you could inactive ever get a VPN and ticker a due European broadcast — aft all, they accidental thing beats the existent thing.) American viewers can adjacent vote too, arsenic portion of the “Rest of the World.”

Keep successful caput that these are happening astatine nighttime in Europe, though, which is the day here. The 2nd semifinal takes spot May 9 astatine 3 p.m. ET, and the last is May 11 astatine 3 p.m. ET. Skål!