Sweden is getting ready to host the 68th Eurovision Song Contest, an annual televised competition organized by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU). This year’s theme is ‘united by music’, with 37 performers set to represent their countries with original songs no longer than three minutes.
Among the participating countries, Australia, although not in Europe, has been a regular participant since its invitation in 2015. However, if Australia wins, it cannot host the event. Other non-European countries like Israel join in as they are EBU members.
The 2024 Eurovision Song Contest will take place in Sweden, following Loreen’s victory in 2023 with her song ‘Tattoo’. Loreen is one of the few individual singers to have won the contest twice. The event will be hosted by Malin Åkerman and Petra Mede, with Sweden hosting the competition for the seventh time.
The grand final is scheduled for Saturday, 11th May at the Malmo Arena. The semi-finals will be held on Tuesday, 7th May, and Thursday, 9th May. Countries like Sweden, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and the UK have automatic places in the final and will not compete in the semi-finals. However, they will perform during the semi-finals.
The first semi-final on Tuesday will see fifteen countries competing, including Croatia, Ireland, Ukraine, and Australia. The second semi-final on Thursday will feature sixteen countries, including Austria, Denmark, Greece, and Israel. Both semi-finals and the grand final will be broadcast live on BBC One, BBC Radio 2, BBC iPlayer, and BBC Sounds.
