Share

First 10 nations advance to this year's Eurovision final

Share

TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — The first semifinal of the Eurovision Song Contest came to a close late Tuesday, sending 10 countries’ acts to the Grand Final and seven others home.

Contestants from Australia, Iceland, Greece, Belarus, Serbia, Cyprus, Estonia, Czech Republic, San Marino and Slovenia moved ahead after televotes trickled in, with much suspense, from all 41 countries in the contest. The national votes are split between a professional jury and phone-in viewers.

Tuesday’s round dashed the dreams of performers from Montenegro, Finland, Poland, Hungary, Georgia, Portugal and Belgium.

The show, replete with its characteristic camp, featured a dizzying array of acts, from the grinding metal rock of Iceland’s steampunk band to the catchy pop of the scantily clad Cypriot singer.

Australia’s breathy act, “Zero Gravity,” by Kate Miller-Heidke, which showcased dancers’ fancy footwork on stilts, and Greece’s upbeat “Better Love” performed by Katerine Duska, are considered two of the competition’s frontrunners.

Thousands of fans packed the Tel Aviv hall, waving flags and cheering patriotically. The enthusiastic atmosphere appeared free of recent politics that many in Israel feared would spoil the festivities.

Iceland’s representative, Hatari, had sparked controversy in Israel by initially vowing to use the Eurovision spotlight to expose the “face of the occupation.” But at a press conference after the semifinal, Hatari offered a purely positive message. “We need to unite and remember to love,” he said, in the wake of “hate that’s on the rise in Europe.”

Some 200 million viewers worldwide tuned into the spectacle.

The second semifinal on Thursday also will vault 10 countries to the final round, which will be held Saturday night in Tel Aviv.

Five core European countries and host nation Israel bypass the semifinal rounds, so a total of 26 acts will compete to be crowned Europe’s best pop act in the 64th year of the annual extravaganza.

The Western Journal has not reviewed this Associated Press story prior to publication. Therefore, it may contain editorial bias or may in some other way not meet our normal editorial standards. It is provided to our readers as a service from The Western Journal.

Truth and Accuracy

Submit a Correction →



We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism. Read our editorial standards.

Tags:
Share
The Associated Press is an independent, not-for-profit news cooperative headquartered in New York City. Their teams in over 100 countries tell the world’s stories, from breaking news to investigative reporting. They provide content and services to help engage audiences worldwide, working with companies of all types, from broadcasters to brands. Photo credit: @AP on Twitter
The Associated Press was the first private sector organization in the U.S. to operate on a national scale. Over the past 170 years, they have been first to inform the world of many of history's most important moments, from the assassination of Abraham Lincoln and the bombing of Pearl Harbor to the fall of the Shah of Iran and the death of Pope John Paul.

Today, they operate in 263 locations in more than 100 countries relaying breaking news, covering war and conflict and producing enterprise reports that tell the world's stories.
Location
New York City




Advertise with The Western Journal and reach millions of highly engaged readers, while supporting our work. Advertise Today.

Conversation