Eurovision 2024 triumph for Bambie Thug, Ireland gets a shot after six years
Singing "Doomsday Blue", Bambie Thug has qualified for the Eurovision 2024 finals, which will take place in Malmö, Sweden on Saturday.
Cork singer, Bambie Thug , was among ten acts to qualify for the Eurovision finals at the Tuesday night event, at the Malmö Arena. Bambie Thug's dark and melodious performance of "Doomsday Blue" ended with the demand "Crown the Witch" and the voters listened. Reacting to their win they told RTE "I'm completely dissociating. I'm having an out- of-body experience. I'm super proud."
"It's incredible that we've reached here," they added. "Our country hasn't been here since 2018. I'm the first non-binary artist to qualify [for the final for Ireland]. And, yeah, see you Saturday!"
Serbia, Portugal, Slovenia, Ukraine, Lithuania, Finland, Cyprus, Croatia, and Luxembourg also qualified for the final on Tuesday night. The United Kingdom, Germany, France, Spain and Italy have already made the final along with Sweden.
The second semi-final takes place on Thursday night when Armenia, Albania, Austria, Czechia, Denmark, Greece, Malta, Switzerland, Belgium, Estonia, Israel, Georgia, Latvia, Netherlands, Norway, and San Marino will compete. Reacting to Bambie Thug's win, Taoiseach (Ireland's leader) Simon Harris commented that this is the first time Ireland has qualified for Eurovision since 2018.
On X (formerly Twitter) he wrote "Congratulations to Bambie Thug, who has qualified for the Eurovision final tonight. "Bambie will become the first Irish act in the Eurovision finals since 2018. It is time to bring the Eurovision back to Ireland and Bambie is the act to do it!"
Pro-Palestinian protests
Bambie Thug had planned to use the ancient Irish script, Ogham , to decorate their body with slogans reading "ceasefire" and "freedom for Palestine. However, these slogans were not permitted.
They told the press "It was very important for me because I'm pro-justice and pro-peace. Unfortunately, I had to change those messages today to 'Crown the Witch' only - an order from the EBU (European Broadcasting Union)."
A spokeswoman for the EBU said: "The writing seen on Bambie Thug's body during dress rehearsals contravened contest rules that are designed to protect the non-political nature of the event.
"Aft er discussions with the Irish delegation, they agreed to change the text for the live show."
Just days before the final tens of activists gathered outside RTÉ in Dublin for a mini-concert in support of the Palestinian people and calling on a boycott of Eurovision 2024. Activists chanted "from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free” and hung flags from the overpass. Actor Stephen Rea read Refaat Alareer’s poem "If I Should Die". The Irish Boycott Eurovision 2024 Coalition, spokesperson and Ireland Palestine Solidarity Campaign chairwoman, Zoe Lawlor told the Irish Times “Israel’s President Yitzhak Herzog has stated it’ s important for Israel to appear in Eurovision.’ We say the opposite.”
The Irish Boycott Eurovision 2024 Coalition is comprised of the Ireland-Palestine Solidarity Campaign, Irish Artists for Palestine, Apartheid-Free Arts and Palfest Ireland.
Ms Lawlor said “Ireland has shown the way in the 1980s in exposing the crimes of apartheid South Africa. It can do the same now, by withdrawing its participation, and standing on the side of humanity, equality and human rights. ”
The group wrote to RTE’s director general, Kevin Bakhurst, and included a petition signed by 16,500 people. They also revealed that some 400 artists have written to Irish participant Bambie Thug requesting that they refuse to perform.
RTÉ confirmed it would go ahead with its coverage of the contest. A spokeswoman for the national broadcaster said: “RTÉ has always approached the Eurovision Song Contest in the spirit in which it was founded - which is a non-political contest designed to unite audiences and bring people together through a shared love of music and entertainment. “Thirty-seven nations including Ireland will take part in the 2024 Eurovision Song Contest. RTÉ is not aware of any participating public service Broadcaster who is planning to boycott the upcoming Eurovision Song Contest.”