Editorials

The Irish Times view on the Eurovision Song Contest: not just four hours of kitsch

In its own sequinned, sparkly fashion, the contest charts the arc of post-war European economic and social change

Bambie Thug pictured during the rehearsal of the Eurovision Song Contest Final in Malmo Arena, Malmo, Sweden. Picture Andres Poveda

Fri May 10 2024 - 20:00

More than 160 million people around the world will sit down tonight to watch the Grand Final of the Eurovision Song Contest live from Malmö in Sweden. As usual, the entries will range from the mildly charming to the downright alarming. Nails will be bitten in the green room as the votes come in – exhaustingly – from 37 different countries.

Some will think it absurd to see Eurovision as anything more than four very long hours of silly kitsch. But the archives reveal a history that, in its own sequinned, sparkly fashion, charts the arc of post-war European economic and social change, from the crinoline-clad chanteuses of the 1950s to the bell-bottomed ensembles of the 1970s and the gender-busting digitally enhanced extravaganzas of today.

Despite the efforts of the respective national broadcasters who run the event, politics have always been present. War in Europe has seen Russia and Belarus disappear from the line-up. Violence in Gaza led to calls for boycotts this year, but Israel will compete tonight nevertheless.

Since its string of triumphs came to a sudden halt at the end of the 1990s, this country has struggled with the geopolitical transformations and shifts in public taste that have reshaped the contest in the 21st century. Democracy may have been good for Europe, but the accession of 20 additional states and the advent of televoting dealt a huge blow to Ireland’s prospects. So congratulations are in order for Bambie Thug, the first Irish entrant to progress to the final since 2018, and only the second to do so in the last 14 years. Their performance has all the requisite theatricality and visual impact needed to stand out from the crowd tonight.

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Eurovisionologists suggest that, based on the results of previous contests, Bambie’s 10th position in the running order is quite advantageous and could boost their chances. That may chill the blood of RTÉ executives who, given the broadcaster’s current agonies, might welcome Eurovision’s return to these shores next year with a scream worthy of Bambie themselves.

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