To acknowledge the winner of the Eurovision Song Contest was Sweden’s Loreen took the top prize with 583 points for her performance of “Tattoo,” becoming the second performer to win the contest twice after Ireland’s Johnny Logan did it in 1980 and 1987.
Eurovision is a song competition organized by the European Broadcasting Union. The contest normally has contestants from mostly from Europe, including part of Northern Africa and Israel. Australia is the only country from afar to have a contestant to participate in Eurovision, as it’s Head of State is King Charles III.
Sweden entrant Loreen celebrates winning the Eurovision Song Contest at the M&S Bank Arena in Liverpool. Picture date: Saturday May 13, 2023. AARON CHOWN/JNS
The 39-year-old daughter of Moroccan immigrants also won in 2012 for her song “Euphoria.”
Sweden and Ireland hold the most victories in Eurovision with seven each as Germany holds the most appearances.
Eurovision took place in Liverpool, England this weekend as the UK hosted on behalf of Ukraine, which was Kalush Stefania.
Stefania performed from iconic Maidan Nezalezhnosti metro station in Kyiv where Catherine, Princess of Wale, publicly known as Kate Middleton, played the piano from Kensington Palace in a surprising appearance.
Around this time of the year in 2022, Russia had invaded Ukraine where her song was dedicated to the stance of solidarity and unity in support of Ukraine.
Finland finished in second place with 526 points for Käärijä’s song “Cha Cha Cha.”
“ABBA did it in the 1970s, then it went quiet, and it wasn’t quite seen as the launchpad it is now,” said Steve Holden, host of the official Eurovision Song Contest podcast. “Now, the music industry, the world, knows that if you appear at Eurovision, you could be in for a great thing.”
Eurovision has billed itself as the 67th largest music contest in the world.
Israeli pop star Noa Kirel finished in third place at Saturday night’s Eurovision final in Liverpool behind Sweden and Finland.
The 22-year-old IDF veteran from the central Israeli city of Ra’anana was aiming to become the fifth Israeli to win the song contest since the Jewish state first entered the annual event in 1973 and the first since Netta Barzilai and her song “Toy” emerged the victor in 21 Kirel finished with 362 points for her performance of the song “Unicorn,” which she co-wrote alongside Doron Medalie, Yinon Yahel and May Sfadia. Kirel came in second place in the jury vote but fifth in the televoting.
Kirel took the stage shortly after a tenuous ceasefire took effect on Saturday night between Israel and Palestinian Islamic Jihad, with the Gaza-based terrorist group continuing to fire intermittent rockets at southern Israeli communities and Israeli responding with aerial strikes.
Kirel thanked her legion of fans in Israel and around the world for their support in an Instagram post that received 279,000 likes and featured an image of her on stage proudly displaying an Israeli flag.
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