She started the night as a runaway favorite but faced a late challenge from Finland’s wildly-popular Käärijä, a fan favorite inside the raucous Liverpool Arena; yet, she ended up snatching the pop crown, beating acts from 25 other countries. Swedish singer Loreen made history as the first woman to win more than once after first taking the crown back in 2012. The 39-year-old’s win for the dance-pop anthem Tattoo also means Sweden has drawn level with Ireland for the country with the most Eurovision wins − seven apiece.
England hosted Eurovision this year on behalf of Ukraine, which won last year but can’t take up its right to hold the contest because of the war. Air raid sirens sounded across Ukraine as the contest was underway, and Ukrainian media reported a strike in Ternopil, the hometown of Ukraine’s Eurovision entry, Tvorchi.
Surprise performance by Kate, Princess of Wales
Under the slogan ″united by music,″ the Eurovision final fused the soul of the English port city that birthed The Beatles with the spirit of war-battered Ukraine. The sights and sounds of Ukraine ran through the show, starting with an opening film that showed 2022 Eurovision winners Kalush Orchestra singing and dancing in the Kyiv subway, with the tune picked up by musicians in the UK — including Kate, Princess of Wales, shown playing the piano. The folk-rap band itself then emerged onstage in the Liverpool Arena on a giant pair of outstretched hands, accompanied by massed drummers. Contestants from the 26 finalist nations entered the arena in an Olympics-style flag parade, accompanied by live performances from Ukrainian acts including Go A, Jamala, Tina Karol, and Verka Serduchka — all past Eurovision competitors. Now in its 67th year, Eurovision bills itself as the world’s biggest music contest — an Olympiad of party-friendly pop. Competitors each have three minutes to meld catchy tunes and eye-popping spectacles into performances capable of winning the hearts of millions of viewers.
About 6,000 fans watched the show inside the arena, and tens of thousands more at a Liverpool fan zone and at big-screen events across the UK. The global television audience has been estimated at 160 million.
