Jury and public votes to determine 2024 winner

Swiss singer Nemo Mettler has claimed the top spot in the jury vote at the Eurovision Song Contest, which took place in Malmo, Sweden, amid ongoing protests regarding Israel’s participation. The 24-year-old non-binary performer captivated the audience in a pink skirt and fluffy jumper, balancing atop a tilting metal disc while delivering their operatic-dance track The Code. Nemo led the jury leaderboard with 365 points, followed by France’s Slimane with 218 points, and Croatia’s Baby Lasagna, who scored 210 points.

The winner of the 2024 contest will be determined once the jury scores are combined with the public votes.

Protests against Israel’s entrant, Eden Golan, saw demonstrators outside the Malmo Arena, with some shouting “shame” at attendees. Among the detained protesters was Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg. The event featured multiple performers calling for peace, including Lithuania’s Silvester Belt urging love to “spread to the world,” and Ireland’s Bambie Thug proclaiming “love will always triumph hate.” Portugal’s Iolanda, following her performance of Grito, declared, “Peace will prevail,” while Slimane called for unity through music.

In other developments, Dutch contestant Joost Klein was disqualified by Eurovision organisers following an altercation involving a camerawoman. Klein’s song Europapa was a tribute to his late parents, and the decision drew criticism from the Dutch broadcaster Avrotros, labelling it “very heavy and disproportionate.” Eurovision’s governing body, the EBU, confirmed that police are investigating the incident that occurred after Klein’s semi-final performance.