Broadcasters from across Europe gather in Vienna this Saturday for the Eurovision Song Contest, where the usual mix of operatic techno bangers and torch songs risk being overshadowed by national boycotts and accusations of vote manipulation.
This year’s glitzy event is likely to be marked less by Eurovision’s traditional messages of inclusion and harmony than by the conspicuous absence of five countries protesting against Israel’s participation.
The avowedly non-political singing competition has long been shaped by geopolitical tensions, with votes often influenced by national loyalties rather than musical quality. Rivals are routinely handed “nul points”. Eurovision remains the world’s largest music competition, attracting a worldwide audience of more than 166mn last year.