MALMO, Sweden (AP) 鈥� Competition in the 68th kicked off Tuesday in Sweden, with the casting a shadow over the sequin-spangled pop extravaganza.
Performers representing countries across Europe and beyond took the stage in the first of two semifinals in the Swedish city of Malmo. It and a second semifinal on Thursday will winnow a field of 37 nations to 26 who will compete in Saturday鈥檚 final against a backdrop of both parties and protests.
Ten of the 15 acts performing Tuesday were voted through to the final by viewers. They include Croatian singer-songwriter Baby Lasagna, whose infectious electro number 鈥淩im Tim Tagi Dim鈥� is the current favorite to win, and Ukrainian duo , flying the flag for their war-battered nation with the anthemic 鈥淭eresa & Maria.鈥�
Also making the cut were goth-style Irish singer Bambie Thug, 1990s-loving Finnish prankster Windows95man and Portuguese crooner Iolanda. Iceland, Azerbaijan, Poland, Moldova and Australia were eliminated.
Other bookmakers鈥� favorites who will perform Thursday include nonbinary Swiss singer Nemo, Italian TikTok star Angelina Mango and the Netherlands鈥� Joost Klein with his playful pop-rap song 鈥淓uropapa.鈥�
in the Swedish city, which expects an influx of some 100,000 Eurovision fans, along with tens of thousands of pro-Palestinian protesters. Israel is a Eurovision participant, and demonstrations are planned on Thursday and Saturday against the Israel-Hamas war, which has left almost 35,000 Palestinians dead.
Israel鈥檚 government warned its citizens of a 鈥渢angible concern鈥� Israelis could be targeted for attack in Malmo during the contest.
Organizers told Israel to change the lyrics of its entry, originally titled 鈥淥ctober Rain鈥� in apparent reference to Hamas鈥� cross-border Oct. 7 attack that killed some 1,200 Israelis and triggered the war. The song was renamed 鈥淗urricane鈥� and Israeli singer Eden Golan was allowed to remain in the contest.
Jean Philip De Tender, deputy director-general of Eurovision organizer the European Broadcasting Union, told Sky News that banning Israel 鈥渨ould have been a political decision, and as such (one) which we cannot take.鈥�
Police from across Sweden have been drafted in for Eurovision week, along with reinforcements from neighboring Denmark and Norway.
Sweden鈥檚 official terrorism threat level remains 鈥渉igh,鈥� the second-highest rung on a five-point scale, after a string of public desecrations of the Quran last year sparked and threats from militant groups. The desecrations were not related to the music event.
Eurovision鈥檚 motto is 鈥淯nited by Music,鈥� but national rifts and political divisions often cloud the contest despite organizers鈥� efforts to keep politics out.
Flags and signs are banned, apart from participants鈥� national flags and the rainbow pride flag. That means inside the Malmo Arena contest venue.
Some musicians seem determined to make a point. Eric Saade, a former Swedish Eurovision contestant who performed as part of Tuesday鈥檚 show, had a keffiyeh, a headscarf associated with the Palestinian cause, tied around his wrist as he sang.
Afterwards, organizers said in a statement that 鈥渨e regret that Eric Saade chose to compromise the non-political nature of the event.鈥�
Performers are feeling political pressure, with some saying they have been inundated with messages on social media urging them to boycott the event.
鈥淚 am being accused, if I don鈥檛 boycott Eurovision, of being an accomplice to genocide in Gaza,鈥� Germany鈥檚 contestant, Isaak, said in an interview published by broadcaster ZDF. He said he did not agree.
鈥淲e are meeting up to make music, and when we start shutting people out categorically, there will be fewer and fewer of us,鈥� he said. 鈥淎t some point there won鈥檛 be an event anymore.鈥�
One person who knows how Eurovision unity can collide with bitter reality is singer Manizha Sangin, who represented Russia at the contest in 2021. The country was expelled the following year over its invasion of Ukraine.
Manizha, who performs under her first name, spoke out against the war. As a result, her performances were canceled in Russia and her music banned from public spaces. The singer remains in Russia but has found it all but impossible to work.
鈥淧eople are afraid to work with me here because they鈥檙e afraid to have consequences after, problems after that,鈥� she said.
Despite the difficulties, Manizha has recorded a single, 鈥淐andlelight,鈥� which she is releasing on Wednesday as 鈥渁 message of hope.鈥�
鈥淢usic cannot stop war,鈥� she said. But 鈥渨hat music can do is inspire people.鈥�
Manizha thinks Russia will one day return to the Eurovision fold 鈥� but not soon.
鈥淢aybe next generation,鈥� she said. 鈥淏ut for now, relationships are too complicated. And then that makes me sad, you know, because that鈥檚 why people are not hearing each other. Because we are separated from each other. And the thing, is music should unite.鈥�
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An earlier version of this story misspelled the name of singer Bambie Thug.
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Lawless reported from London. Associated Press writers Stephen Graham in Berlin, Hilary Fox in London and Jan M. Olsen in Copenhagen contributed.
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