London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Saturday, May 17, 2025

Eurovision 2023: Sweden qualifies but Ireland is out of the final

Eurovision 2023: Sweden qualifies but Ireland is out of the final

Sweden's Loreen has sailed through to the grand final of the Eurovision Song Contest, cementing her position as this year's favourite.

The star, who previously won in 2012, clasped her hands to cover her eyes as it was announced she had qualified from the first semi-final in Liverpool.

Ireland were less fortunate, with the rock band Wild Youth on their way home after failing to attract enough votes.

The country has now failed to qualify on eight of their last 10 attempts.

The continuation of that losing streak will cause much soul-searching in the nation that holds the record for the most Eurovision victories of all time - seven in total.

The last time they qualified was 2018, when Ryan O'Shaughnessy entered with his song Together.

Ireland's Eurovision commentator Marty Whelan could not hide his disappointment.

"Everything was absolutely perfect, they were fantastic," he said live on RTÉ One as the news sunk in.

"There's things I want to say, there's things I want to share. You can probably get it from the tone of my voice, what I'm thinking, that this is... Ugh, this is just such a shame.

"But the votes didn't come. So we are not qualifying again this year from Liverpool when we had great expectations, as the famous book says."

Ireland's Wild Youth had been endorsed by Lewis Capaldi and former One Direction star Niall Horan


Tuesday's semi-final at the Liverpool Arena saw 15 acts competing for a place in Saturday's grand final. These are the ones who made the cut.

*  Norway: Alessandra - Queen Of Kings
*  Serbia: Luke Black - Samo Mi Se Spava
*  Portugal: Mimicat - Ai Coração
*  Croatia: Let 3 - Mama ŠČ!
*  Switzerland: Remo Forrer - Watergun
*  Israel: Noa Kirel - Unicorn
*  Moldova: Pasha Parfeni - Soarele Si Luna
*  Sweden: Loreen - Tattoo
*  Czechia: Vesna - My Sister's Crown
*  Finland: Käärijä - Cha Cha Cha

Rock bands fared badly in the public vote, with Latvia's Sudden Lights and Malta's The Busker joining Ireland on the chopping block.

The other artists whose journey ended on Tuesday were Azerbaijani twins TuralTuranX and the Netherlands' Mia Nicolai and Dion Cooper.

The show was hosted by Alesha Dixon, Julia Sanina and Hannah Waddingham


Ten more acts will progress to the main competition after Thursday's second semi-final. The "Big Five" countries, who contribute the most financially to the competition (France, Germany, Spain, the UK and Italy) qualify automatically, as do last year's winners Ukraine.

Liverpool is hosting the competition on Ukraine's behalf, due to the ongoing Russian invasion of their country.


Moving memories


The impact of the war was referenced throughout the two-hour show. Songs like Switzerland's Watergun and Croatia's Mama ŠČ! denounced conflict and bloodlust, while the Czech band Vesna sang elements of their song in Ukrainian as a show of solidarity with their near-neighbours.

During the interval, Ukrainian star Alyosha performed a mournful version of Duran Duran's Ordinary World, that emphasised the pain of being separated from your loved ones.

The singer fled to America with her three children when the war began, but her husband, Taras Topolja, frontman of the rock band Antitila, was required to stay at home.

The half-time performance by Alyosha made a powerful statement


As she duetted with Liverpudlian X-Factor star Rebecca Ferguson, text messages from families fleeing the country flashed up on giant video screens and the arena was lit up in the Ukrainian national colours of blue and yellow.

Speaking before the contest, Alyosha dedicated her sobering and beautiful performance to forced migrants around the world.

Rita Ora posted a backstage photo with her Ukrainian dancer Sofiia


The half-time show also saw pop star Rita Ora performing a medley of her hits, including Anywhere and Praising You.

She was joined on stage by 12-year-old Ukrainian refugee Sofiia, who has now settled in Romania. Ora said the youngster's plight reminded her of her own family's experience of fleeing the Balkan War in the 1990s "and how I will be forever grateful to the UK for showing us kindness and compassion".

"Sofiia opens my performance this evening playing with a ball, representing the loss of childhood for these poor refugees," she wrote on Twitter. "We love you Ukraine, we all perform tonight, for you."

The evening kicked off with a short video featuring famous faces from around Liverpool including Wirral-born TV baker Paul Hollywood, Ukrainian Everton footballer Vitalii Mykolenko and the late Paul O'Grady.

The video also contained a surprise cameo from the King and Queen, who unveiled the contest's stage last month.

Israel's Noa Kirel gave one of the night's most athletic performances


The royal theme continued with the opening act, Norwegian singer Alessandra, whose barnstorming electropop number Queen of Kings featured a costume inspired by Britain's Queen Elizabeth I.

After that, the audience were treated to ballroom dancers, a Portuguese Moulin Rouge routine, and a re-enactment of a traditional Moldovan wedding ceremony.

Co-host Alesha Dixon even recalled her days in the girl band Mis-Teeq, with a rap about the history of the song contest.

Noa Kirel - Israel's answer to Beyoncé - received an enthusiastic response for her song Unicorn, and its pneumatic dance routine. And Finland's Käärijä raised the roof with his utterly bonkers thrash techno track Cha Cha Cha.

The night's most outrageous costumes came courtesy of Croatian shock rockers Let 3, who dressed in leather fetish gear before stripping down to white underwear.

Let 3's song was a thinly-veiled attack on Russia's Vladimir Putin

Käärijä's rock-pop hybrid Cha Cha Cha is seen as the biggest challenger to Loreen


However, Loreen was the artist who had the arena in the palm of her hand, with a soaring performance of Tattoo - a song about a love so deep and intense that it becomes engraved on her heart.

Performing in a nude catsuit between two giant LED screens, she threw down the gauntlet to the rest of the 2023 contestants.

But over the weekend, the star said she wasn't too concerned about winning.

"No, I care about creating something that is real," she replied. "So my fear is compromising, my fear is that it's not authentic."


Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
US and EU Make Progress in Trade Talks, While Vietnam Negotiations Also Advance
Sean 'Diddy' Combs Trial: Ex-Girlfriend Cassie Ventura Testifies About Alleged Abuse
Former Wales Rugby Star Jamie Roberts to Pursue Medical Career
Australia's Venomous Creatures Contribute to Life-Saving Antivenom Programme
Passenger Travels Under Wrong Identity on British Airways Flight
Former FBI Director James Comey Questioned by Secret Service Over Social Media Post
The Spanish Were Right: Long Working Hours Harm Brain Function
After 108 Years: Moody’s Downgrades U.S. Credit Rating
Did Former FBI Director Call for Violence Against Trump? Instagram Post Sparks Uproar
US and UAE Partner to Develop Massive AI Data Center Complex
Russia and Ukraine Hold First Direct Peace Talks in Three Years — But No Breakthrough Yet
Apple's $95 Million Siri Settlement: Eligible Users Have Until July 2 to File Claims
US and UAE Reach Preliminary Agreement on Nvidia AI Chip Imports
KREMLIN has just approved Senator ALEXANDER " THE EXPERIMENT" KARELIN, of Novosibrisk, as Chief Negotiator at the Meeting in ISTANBUL with Ukraine & USA.
Shocking Footage Released: Diddy Caught Dragging Cassie in Brutal Hotel Hallway Assault
Starlink Now Profitable: SpaceX Hits Major Milestone with $11.8 Billion in Revenue
Portuguese Right-Wing Leader Collapses During Campaign Rally
A Pakistani imam in Italy gave a sermon stating that every Muslim should fight the infidels or face ‘catastrophic consequences’.
President Trump and Elon Musk Welcomed by Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim with Cybertruck Convoy
EU Court Orders Disclosure of von der Leyen’s Texts with Pfizer CEO Over €35 Billion Vaccine Deal
Strong Warning Issued: Do Not Use General Chatbots for Medical, Legal, or Educational Guidance
Saudi Arabia Emerges as Global Tech Magnet with U.S. Backing and Trump’s Visit
Mexican Influencer Valeria Márquez Killed During Livestream in Suspected Femicide
This man went to take $5,000 out his own bank account and was arrested for it
This was President's departure from Saudi Arabia. The Crown Prince personally escorted him back to the airport.
CIA Files Reveal Klaus Barbie's Role in Bolivian Drug Trade and Dictatorship Support
Daughter of crypto boss escapes Paris kidnap in latest in series of attacks
U.S. FDA to Remove Oral Fluoride Supplements for Children Amid Gut Health Concerns
Kim Kardashian Testifies in Paris Robbery Trial, Tells Gang Leader: 'I Forgive You'
NVIDIA and Saudi Arabia Launch Strategic Partnership to Establish AI Centers
Challenges Facing EU Foreign Policy Amidst Diverging Interests
Reports Reveal Alarming Cognitive Decline in Biden Prior to Election Withdrawal
Trump Meets Syrian President Ahmad al-Shara in Historic Encounter
South Africans chant call to genocide against White people.
Trump takes a blow torch to the neocons and interventionists while speaking to the Saudis
Why Saudi Arabia Rolled Out a Purple Carpet for Donald Trump Instead of Red
Flip flop: UK Introduces New Immigration Policy to Reduce Net Migration
Elon Musk Joins Trump Meeting in Saudi Arabia
Poland Tightens Immigration Policy with New Plan to Suspend Asylum Law
Trump says it would be 'stupid' not to accept gift of Qatari plane
8-Year-Old Orders 70,000 Lollipops Using Mother’s Phone, Prompting $4,200 Amazon Bill and Viral Facebook Plea
Quantum Computing Threatens Bitcoin Security
American citizens account for 70% of worldwide pharmaceutical sales despite comprising only 4% of global population
New Details Emerge on Syrian Attacker's Motives in German Festival Stabbing
Brazil’s President Aims to Strengthen Ties with China Amid US Trade Tensions
Senate Democrats Move to Censure Trump Over Qatar Jet Gift
First White South Africans Resettled in the U.S. Amid Controversy Over Persecution Claims
Hamas Releases Last Living US Hostage from Gaza Amid Ongoing Conflict
India and Pakistan Agreement on Ceasefire Amid Ongoing Tensions
Arsenal Stages Comeback to Draw 2-2 Against Liverpool in Premier League Clash
×