Protests and an expulsion: The controversy and chaos in Malmo ahead of this year’s Eurovision Song Contest
Consistently billed by organisers as non-political, this year’s Eurovision Song Contest had become mired in controversy before the first act even took to stage
As thousands protest against Israel’s inclusion while its war in Gaza continues – despite international calls for restraint – organisers resisted pressure to exclude Israel.
While Israeli artist Eden Golan was asked to change lyrics organisers felt referred to Hamas’s deadly 7 October attacks, large protests have continued in Swedish host city Malmo throughout this week.
Follow live: Eurovision 2024 latest updates
Waving Palestinian flags, demonstrators shouted “Eurovision united by genocide” – a twist on the contest’s official slogan “united by music”. Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu previously dismissed genocide claims as “outrageous”.
Calls to ban Israel
Ahead of Saturday’s final, between 6,000 and 8,000 people joined a demonstration, according to police estimates.
Security has been ramped up in the city, which expected to welcome 100,000 Eurovision fans on top of the thousands of pro-Palestinian protesters.
More than 10,000 campaigners, including climate activist Greta Thunberg, staged a non-violent protest ahead of the semi-final on Thursday.
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Pro-Palestinian protests in Malmo
A smaller group of pro-Israeli supporters, including members of Malmo’s Jewish community, also staged a peaceful demonstration on Thursday, defending Golan’s right to take part in the contest.
This week, former Swedish contestant Eric Saade, who is said to be of Palestinian origin, wore a keffiyeh – a traditional scarf that has become a symbol of support – tied around his wrist as he sang.
Organisers at the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) put out a statement expressing “regret” over Saade’s actions.
Dutch act expelled
As preparations on the day got into full swing, organisers would be hit with two major blows from two of this year’s hotly-tipped performers.
The first of those came from the Netherlands, with organisers announcing Dutch entry Joost Klein had been expelled from the competition after a complaint by a production worker.
Joost Klein. Pic: AP
According to Dutch broadcaster AVROTROS, Klein was filmed despite clearly made agreements, just after getting off stage after his performance at Thursday’s semi final.
“This wasn’t respected,” AVROTROS said in a post on social media platform X, adding: “This led to a threatening movement from Joost towards the camera.”
Klein did not touch the camerawoman, according to AVROTROS, who said it found the artist’s penalty “very heavy and disproportionate”.
Irish act calls for ‘urgent attention’
Barely a few hours later, Ireland’s entry Bambie Thug missed the flag parade in the show’s final rehearsal due to a “situation” needing “urgent attention” from organisers.
The singer has previously hit out at Golan competing in the contest and been outspoken about their pro-Palestinian views before becoming the first Irish qualifier since 2018.
Bambie Thug. Pic: Reuters
Irish broadcaster RTE reported that the singer called on organisers to address commentary made on Israeli television before their performance in Tuesday’s semi-final.
They told the broadcaster: “I’m angry with other teams breaching their rules of the EBU, and still being allowed in.
“So there’s definitely a war drum sounding in my heart to push the performance even more than I have done before.”
Earlier this week, Bambie Thug told reporters they had been forced to change writing painted on their body ahead of the semi-final performance.
The 31-year-old said the painted script in Ogham – an early Medieval alphabet – had translated to “ceasefire and freedom”.
‘United by love’
While Bambie Thug missed a chunk of rehearsals, another act used his practice on stage to make a statement.
In an apparent reference to Eurovision’s motto, French contestant Slimane stopped mid-way through his rehearsal to say “united by music, yes, but for love, for peace”.
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His chant appeared to be met with a loud round of applause in the auditorium.
Meanwhile, Norway’s Alessandra Mele, who was scheduled to award her country’s points during the show, withdrew due to the “inflamed situation in Malmo this year”, according to broadcaster NRK.
Entertainment
New Universal theme park set to open in UK – with promise of ‘billions’ of pounds for the economy
A deal for a new Universal theme park in Bedfordshire has been confirmed, which Rachel Reeves says will bring “billions” to the economy and create thousands of jobs.
It will be the first Universal-branded theme park and resort in Europe and is set to open in 2031, when it is expected to become the UK’s most popular visitor attraction.
The government said it will bring an estimated £50bn into the British economy and will create about 28,000 jobs – nearly 20,000 during the construction phase, and 8,000 more in hospitality and the creative industries when it opens.
A 500-room hotel and a retail and entertainment complex is planned alongside the theme park, which will be built on a former brickworks.
Universal, which is owned by Sky News’ US parent company Comcast, expects the 476-acre site just south of Bedford to generate nearly £50bn for the economy by 2055, with 8.5m visitors in its first year.
The plan remains subject to a formal planning decision process from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government.
Universal has committed to working with local colleges and universities to train students for hospitality jobs.
There are Universal theme parks in Florida (pictured), California, Japan, Beijing and Singapore. Pic: AP
Among some of the famous Universal films are Wicked, Minions, Oppenheimer, Bridget Jones, Fast and the Furious, and Jurassic World.
There are five Universal theme parks already: Orlando in Florida, Hollywood, Japan, Beijing, and Singapore.
The new Universal theme park will be just south of Bedford
Speaking to Wilfred Frost on Sky News Breakfast, Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy said the deal was “huge”.
“This is not just about numbers on the spreadsheet,” she said.
“This is about good jobs. It’s about growth. It’s about raising people’s living standards and putting money in people’s pockets. And it’s a massive vote of confidence in the United Kingdom.”
Welcoming the timing of the announcement, Ms Nandy added: “This deal comes off the back of one of the most tumultuous few weeks in global markets that I think anyone can remember within living memory.”
She said the fact that the government had been able to show it kept a “cool head” and “we don’t take knee-jerk decisions in response to global events” was one of the reasons it was able to announce the deal.
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The proposals to transform the site, a former brickworks, remain subject to a formal planning decision process
The government has said about 80% of employees at the theme park are expected to come from local areas, and it will support the “Oxford-Cambridge corridor” revived by the chancellor in January after the Conservatives scrapped plans for an Abingdon-Milton Keynes train link in 2021.
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It will also commit to a “major investment” in infrastructure around the Universal site to ensure it is well-connected and easily accessible.
The announcement comes days after the government approved an expansion of nearby Luton Airport.
Mike Cavanagh, President of Comcast Corporation, said: “We could not be more excited to take this very important step in our plan to create and deliver an incredible Universal theme park and resort in the heart of the United Kingdom, which complements our growing US-based parks business by expanding our global footprint to Europe.
“We appreciate the leadership and support of Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Chancellor Rachel Reeves, Minister for Investment Poppy Gustafsson, Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy and their teams, as we work together to create and deliver a fantastic new landmark destination.”
Entertainment
BAFTA Games Awards: Astro Bot tops leaderboard – with psychological horror close behind
Astro Bot was the big winner at this year’s BAFTA Games Awards, taking home five prizes, including the coveted best game.
The 3D platformer, which was launched to critical acclaim in September to mark PlayStation’s 30th anniversary, was nominated for eight gongs, while Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II, led with 11 nods.
But in the end, the critics – some of whom had dubbed Astro Bot a “perfect game” – were right as it dominated the awards at London’s Queen Elizabeth Hall, hosted by comedian Phil Wang for the second year running.
Astro Bot. Pic: Team Asobi
Nicolas Doucet with his five awards for Astro Bot. Pic: PA
BAFTAs for audio achievement, game design, animation, and best family game completed the set for developers Team Asobi, who designed multiple galaxies and dozens of levels for the titular Astro to journey through, retrieving spaceship parts and rescuing lost robots.
“We’re a team based in Japan, but we have over 12 nationalities. We really mix it up and get ideas from everyone,” Nicolas Doucet, president of Team Asobi, told Sky News.
“We do a lot of jokes in the game, but the joke has a different meaning depending on where you are in the world. So it’s really, really nice to go around and ask everyone ‘is that joke fine in your country?’ And then together we come to a kind of universal playfulness.”
Among the gongs for Astro Bot was the best game award. Pic: BAFTA
It’s a very different atmosphere than that generated by British psychological horror Still Wakes The Deep, which won three awards for best new intellectual property and best supporting and leading roles.
Compared to John Carpenter’s 1980 sci-fi horror The Thing but on a Scottish oil rig, the game sees players take on the role of an electrician trapped on a damaged facility while being pursued by monsters.
Still Wakes The Deep. Pic: Sumo Digital Limited
Developer The Chinese Room has been praised for using home-grown talent to voice the characters, including comedian and actress Karen Dunbar, who picked up best performer in a supporting role for voicing Finlay.
“I’ve been nominated for quite a few BAFTAs in my time in Scotland, and I’ve never won one,” said Dunbar.
“It was such a great category, so many great performances. When they shouted my name, I think I started clapping for someone else!”
Read more: See full list of winners
Still Wakes The Deep star Karen Dunbar won best performer in a supporting role. Pic: BAFTA
Meanwhile, best multiplayer game went to Helldivers II – a satirical, sci-fi shooter that sees players fight bugs, aliens and robots with the gumption and gullibility of the characters in Paul Verhoeven’s Starship Troopers.
It has gained a cult following since launching in February 2024 with so much initial interest it created server problems.
“Games for me are about connecting people and forging those bonds of friendship and the multiplayer award is exactly what it stands for,” said Johan Pilestedt, chief executive of Arrowhead Game Studios.
Helldivers II. Pic: Arrowhead/Sony
From outer space to a fictional Yorkshire town called Barnsworth. Thank Goodness You’re Here! – a cartoonish, comedy platformer – won Best British Game. Like Still Wakes The Deep, it has won praise for the authenticity of its actors and setting.
“I think it’s been a real privilege to be able to represent Barnsley on the silver screen,” said Will Todd, who is from the town and one of two game designers behind the project.
Thank Goodness You’re Here! Pic: Coal Supper/Panic Inc
Co-creator James Carbutt added: “Me and Will wrote everything in our tone of voice, quite literally. The further along development we got, the more we lent into it. I think the voices from different parts of the UK and different voices in gaming are super important, and hopefully we’re one of them.”
By the time the BAFTAs wrapped up, Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II was only handed one of the 11 BAFTAs it was nominated for, technical achievement.
Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II. Pic: Ninja Theory
But developers Ninja Theory are already adding this year’s win to a tally of five BAFTAs they were awarded for the first game in the series, which created a protagonist with psychosis by drawing on clinical neuroscience and the experiences of people living with the condition.
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