Eurovision 2024 begins. Romania is absent from the contest because of money. Who are the big favorites?

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Eurovision 2024. The world’s biggest live music event, the Eurovision Song Contest, starts today, May 7, in Malmo, Sweden. 37 countries will participate in this edition. The grand final will take place on Saturday, May 11.

By the Observator editorial team on 05.07.2024, 16:00

Around 100,000 visitors from 89 countries are expected in the host city, Malmö, during this week for the 68th edition of the competition. The event will begin on May 7 at 19:00 GMT with the first semi-final, followed by a second semi-final two days later. The grand final will take place on Saturday 11 May at 19.00 GMT.

Why Romania is not participating in Eurovision 2024

Romania is not participating in the Eurovision Song Contest this year. Romanian Television made the decision on Thursday, January 25, in the Board of Directors, due to “financial constraints”. Basically, there is not enough money in the SRTv budget for Eurovision 2024, the funds being allocated for this year’s priorities: the Summer Olympics in Paris and the continuation of the re-technological process.

“Financial constraints and the desire to represent Romania at a performing level are the reasons why the Board of Directors (CA) decided that TVR will not participate in this year’s edition of the Eurovision Song Contest (ESC)”, TVR explained the decision.

Romanian Television, organizer of the National Selection, started participating in the European competition in 1993. Romania’s best performances in this competition were: twice third place (Luminiţa Anghel & Sistem – Kiev, 2005; Paula Seling and Ovi – Oslo, 2010) and once the fourth place (Mihai Trăistariu – Athens, 2006).

The Eurovision Song Contest starts on May 7 in Malmo

The Eurovision Song Contest 2024 will take place in Malmö, the third largest city in Sweden, with a population of 362,000. The city also hosted Eurovision in 1992 and in 2013.

Sweden has hosted Eurovision seven times in total, including the 2024 edition. Stockholm in 1975, 2000 and 2016, and Gothenburg in 1985. The concert venue is Malmö Arena, with a capacity of up to 15,500 seats, according to news .ro.

The Eurovision final takes place on May 11

Who competes in the first semi-final

Cyprus, Serbia, Lithuania, Ireland, Ukraine, Poland, Croatia, Iceland, Slovenia, Finland, Moldova, Azerbaijan, Australia, Portugal and Luxembourg.

Who competes in the second semi-final

Malta, Albania, Greece, Switzerland, Czech Republic, Austria, Denmark, Armenia, Latvia, San Marino, Georgia, Belgium, Estonia, Israel, Norway and the Netherlands.

Who participates in the grand final

The first 10 ranked from each semifinal will participate in the final. Last year’s winner and host nation Sweden is automatically qualified for the finals, along with the five big contributors: United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy and Spain. In total, there will be 26 numbers in the final.

Moldova is represented by Natalia Barbu

Natalia Barbu won the National Final of the Eurovision Song Contest 2024. She will represent the Republic of Moldova at the international contest, which will take place in May in Malmo, with the song “In the middle”, according to newsmaker.md.

In the national final, organized by the public television channel Moldova 1, 11 musical pieces competed. Natalia Barbu also represented the Republic of Moldova at Eurovision in 2007 with the song “Fight”. The performer then ranked 10th, with a total of 109 points.

Last year, the Republic of Moldova was represented at Eurovision by the singer Pasha Parfeni, with the song “Sun and Moon”, which ranked 18th. The best result that Moldova ever achieved at Eurovision was in 2017. Then, the band Sunstroke Project, with the song Hey mamma, ranked 3rd.

Who is the favorite to win Eurovision?

The Eurovision Song Contest, a music festival watched by around 200 million people, starts today in Malmo. Bookmakers have Croatia, Switzerland and Ukraine as the top three favorites to win, while streaming data from Spotify suggests the Netherlands, Italy or host country Sweden have a strong chance of winning, according to Reuters.

“This year is so exciting because there are four or five countries that really have a good chance of winning,” William Lee Adams, editor of the Eurovision fan site Wiwibloggs, told Reuters. “Eurovision is so boring when you have only one clear favorite months before. But this year there is so much left to play for.”

Croatian contestant Baby Lasagna (real name Marko Purišić, 28) overtook Switzerland as the bookies’ favorite this week with the song “Rim Tim Tagi Dim”, about a young Croatian who leaves his home to aspire to become a “boy of the city” with better opportunities.

Eurovision has increasingly embraced inclusivity

The song contest, which has been running since 1956, has increasingly embraced inclusion and acceptance among the LGBTQ+ community. That’s the theme of Swiss rapper and singer Nemo, 24, who will perform “The Code” – a drum and bass, opera, rap and rock song about their journey of self-discovery as non-binary people.

Ukraine, which won the contest two years ago, a few months after it was invaded by Russia, is represented this year by the duo Alyona Alyona, 28, and Jerry Heil, 32, with “Teresa & Maria”, a pop song with folk influences, with a strong dance beat and a fast rap. Normally the winner hosts the following year’s pageant, but last year the pageant was held in Great Britain due to the war.

Another top contender is 26-year-old Joost Klein from the Netherlands with his song “Europapa”, which combines pop songs with happy hardcore. Klein, who lost his parents at a young age, says the song is about an orphan traveling through Europe trying to find himself because his father taught him to believe in a Europe without borders.

Sweden has chances to get two consecutive victories

Also in the running is Angelina Mango from Italy, aged 23, with the song “La Noia”, which translates as “Boredom”. The host country, Sweden, is considered to have a chance to make it two wins in a row, being represented by Norwegian twin brothers Marcus and Martinus Gunnarsen, who perform the song “Unforgettable”.

Four-time winner Israel, represented by 20-year-old Eden Golan, is also ranked by the bookies in the top 10. Her song “Hurricane” was Israel’s third entry, after The European Radio and Television Union rejected two songs because of the lyrics considered political.