The 68th edition of the iconic song contest, Eurovision, is set to take place in Malmö, Sweden from May 7th to 11th, 2024. With Sweden returning to host the competition after their 2023 victory, here’s a look at some of the things that we can expect from Eurovision 2024.
To start with, this will be Malmö’s third time hosting Eurovision, following the successful contests of 1992 and 2013.
The venue, the Malmö Arena, is a familiar sight for Eurovision veterans, as it hosted the 2013 competition. With a capacity of over 15,000, the arena promises an electrifying atmosphere for the live shows.
37 countries are confirmed to participate in this year’s competition, each vying for Eurovision glory.
Many of the participating countries are the regulars including the United Kingdom, Switzerland, and host country, Sweden.
However, Romania has decided not to participate in this year’s competition, while Luxembourg has decided to participate for the first time in 31 years. They might be one country to look out for.
What’s more, at the time of writing this article, Israel has been approved to participate in Eurovision 2024. This is very controversial, considering the Israel-Hamas war, and there have been protests and petitions directed at getting Israel banned from participating.
Iceland has even decided that they will hold off deciding whether or not to participate until the very deadline. It looks like they might decide not to participate if Israel is not banned by the deadline.
Anyway, so far, we have one returning artist in the person of Natalia Barbu who will be representing Moldova. She first represented Moldova back in 2007 but is coming back again, hoping to clinch the win for her country this time around.
Speaking of returnees, one of the presenters is also a familiar face on Eurovision. Petra Mede hosted the competition in 2013 solo and then hosted it again in 2016 with Mans Zelmerlow. She was even brought in to host the 2015 special anniversary programme, which has to mean that she always does a good job. So, fans have something to look forward to with her hosting.
Aside from the people, Sweden is renowned for its cutting-edge production values at Eurovision. So, fans can expect a visually stunning show with beautiful lighting, special effects, and stage design.
There will also be some side events, as usual. Both contest participants and local artists will be giving private performances and putting on a show at official after-parties. So, look out for those, as well.
As for who might win, it really could be anybody. But a number of people have their money on Croatia’s Baby Lasagna, Ukraine’s Alyona Alyona and Jerry Heil, and Switzerland’s Nemo. But, of course, there is no way to know for sure.
What we do know, though, is that Eurovision 2024 promises to be a thrilling contest filled with unforgettable performances and national pride. So, mark your calendars, prepare your voting strategies, and get ready to experience the magic of Eurovision once again!
