Eurovision 2024 was more political than ever before

This year, Eurovision was the most political it's ever been, due in no small part to the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas.

Commotion Eurovision correspondent Karen Fricker attended this year's contest in Malmö, Sweden. She tells host Elamin Abdelmahmoud about the controversies that have followed, the complications that come with tethering art to nationalism and what she witnessed on the ground in Sweden.

We've included some highlights below, edited for length and clarity. For the full discussion, listen and follow the Commotion with Elamin Abdelmahmoud podcast, on your favourite podcast player.

Elamin: Like virtually every other cultural event taking place right now, protests are happening wherever you go. Eurovision is being used to protest the war between Israel and Hamas. Just in the past week, we saw this happen at the Met Gala in New York, the Writers' Trust in Ottawa. How present were these protests throughout the contest in Sweden this year?

Karen: They were very present. Malmö, in Sweden, is a small city. It's a pretty lefty town, and it also has a lot of immigrant populations — a very strong pro-Palestinian feeling in the city. So there were pro-Palestinian demonstrations — peaceful, well-organized — throughout the week in the city squares. There were also smaller pro-Israel demonstrations. On the night of the contest there was a strong police presence, and some pro-Palestine demonstrators waving flags. The Palestinian flag was not allowed inside the arena, so some protesters got dragged away. One could not ignore, nor I think should one, the fact that this is going on in the context of the war in Gaza and the fact of Israel's presence as a competing country is very contentious.

Elamin: Did it feel like protests against [Israel's Eurovision contestant] Eden Golan, or did it feel like protests against Israel?

Karen: Well, it was a long week. I mean, when you were seeing protests in town, it was very much about the war. The act itself was booed, when she was performing. But she was also cheered. I don't think the booing was actually that audible for people who are watching it on TV. But I was in the arena in the semifinal, and it was very audible then.

I have mixed feelings about that. Eden Golan is a 20-year-old Israeli woman who is trying to win a pop song contest, and so to kind of put everything on her is really not appropriate. But it's also a contest of nations and she's representing Israel, and when you give your vote, you give it to the country. So people were going to vote or not for Israel, and as such that context can't but be layered onto it and read into it.

Elamin: This is a conversation that, in my mind, should pop up every Eurovision. The notion of tethering art to nationalism in general comes with all kinds of complications, and then Eurovision insists on you checking those complications at the door. At this particular contest, that does not appear to have been possible.

Karen, some protesters said that anyone who chose to compete while Israel was participating was complicit. Could you feel that [struggle] with other contestants as well this year?

Karen: Absolutely. It was an anguished week because a lot of these young artists really making their grab at their opportunity to perform in Eurovision, are pro-Palestine [and] really do not support the war. They knew what they were doing when they were signing up to represent their country, but you didn't sign up for the war to become the entire framing context.

The display of pro-Palestinian symbols on stage was not allowed, and artists were trying to slip that in. The Portuguese singer had keffiyeh patterns on her nails…. It's controversial now with the European Broadcasting Union that she wasn't allowed to do that. But this is a level of kind of smuggling in support.

Elamin: I mean, also smuggling in politics, right? Eurovision is meant to be apolitical. This year was clearly by far the most political and contested it's ever been. But I'm curious, has it actually ever managed to be apolitical, do you think?

Karen: That's a conversation that I've been in for 20 years, and we're going to continue having. I think it's always political because it's a contest of nations, and so therefore voting is always going to be about more than the songs. I understand why the broadcasting union says it needs to be apolitical, but the national competition aspect means that all these sorts of other things are always going to enter the arena.

Elamin: Yeah. What's your view on why Eurovision has such a hold on people? Do you think it is that framing of a contest of nations?

Karen: One hundred per cent. If this were a song contest about the best pop song in Europe, I don't think people would pay attention. It's the fact that there's so much other significance that's placed on it. It's also a 68-year-old cultural tradition that has become cool to young people in the past five to seven years, and also we're paying attention in North America like never before. So it's just amazing the cycles that Eurovision goes through. But I think the fact that there's more at stake than pop songs is the special sauce. 

You can listen to the full discussion from today's show on CBC Listen or on our podcast, Commotion with Elamin Abdelmahmoud, available wherever you get your podcasts.

Interview with Karen Fricker produced by Jess Low.