Following the Eurovision Song Contest 2024, the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) has issued a statement on the incidents that took place.
EBU to review submitted cases individually
In the wake of the Contest, several delegations came out with statements regarding the working conditions in Malmö. Many of the broadcasters called on the EBU for better working practices to benefit all participating countries.
This year’s Contest was overshadowed by the heightened security and protests surrounding Israel’s participation. The EBU defended its decision to include Israel in March, when they confirmed they would be allowed to participate. However, during the two weeks delegations were in Sweden, many nations came forward to voice their displeasure at the new measures.
Things were ramped up further when Dutch artist Joost Klein was disqualified from the Contest on Saturday. This came after a female member of the production crew came forward following an incident on Thursday. Dutch broadcaster AVROTROS gave a counterstatement in the wake of the announcement, giving their side of the story.
Similarly, artists including Bambie Thug, representing Ireland, came out strongly against the EBU’s actions in Malmö. After the final, they said to the press it had been “so hard” for them and other artists and delegations to raise concerns.
Now, following the Contest, the EBU has released a statement saying it “regrets” that “some delegations” did not get involved in the spirit of the show. The statement read:
We regret that some delegations at the Eurovision Song Contest (ESC) in Malmö didn’t respect the spirit of the rules and the competition both onsite and during their broadcasts. We spoke to a number of delegations during the event regarding various issues that were brought to our attention.
The EBU’s governing bodies will, together with the heads of delegations, review the events surrounding the ESC in Malmö to move forward in a positive way and to ensure the values of the event are respected by everyone. Individual cases will be discussed by the event’s governing body, the Eurovision Song Contest Reference Group made up of representatives from participating broadcasters, at its next meeting.
Statement from the European Broadcasting Union
The story of Eurovision 2024
The Nordic country will host the 68th edition of the competition. This is after Loreen’s historic win at Eurovision 2023 in Liverpool. One month after the 2023 contest took place, SVT revealed the first names of the Core Team that will work on the competition. SVT completed the team in September.
In July 2023, after a shortlist of four cities, the EBU announced that Malmö would host Eurovision 2024. The city will spend up to €2.5 million for the contest. Additionally, they will have 600 volunteers working for the show.
In total, 37 countries participated in the Contest. Luxembourg returned, whilst Romania withdrew. ‘United By Music’ became the permanent slogan for the Contest. The show had ‘The Eurovision Lights’ as the theme art. Florian Wieder and Fredrik Stormby designed the stage, revealed in December.
What do you think of the EBU’s statement? Does the EBU need to do more for next year to ensure delegations are better served? As always, let us know what you think by commenting below. Also, be sure to follow ‘That Eurovision Site’ on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Threads and Bluesky for all your Eurovision news!
News Source: Irish Independent
Photo Credit: Corinne Cumming / EBU
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