Eurovision Song Contest was thrown into chaos amid calls for boycotts, protests outside the arena and issues behind the scenes

A video from inside Malmö Arena showed what it was really like when Israel’s entry Eden Golan performed her song Hurricane.

Eurovision Song Contest was thrown into chaos amid calls for boycotts, protests outside the arena and issues behind the scenes. The 20-year-old’s participation in the competition has been controversial as many people have been protesting due to Israel’s bombardment of Palestine.

During Thursday’s dress rehearsal, Eden had been booed by pro-Palestinian onlookers as she took to the stage to perform her song Hurricane. Criticism has continued since – the singer, who took over a disqualified Joost Klein’s spot on stage, was booed for a second time during her performance.

On Saturday night, Israel performed Hurricane and viewers at home heard a mix of cheering and booing. However, one attendee shared footage from inside the arena and said the booing was a lot louder inside the venue. A video shared by @kubasaak showed the overwhelming boos from the crowd.

Speaking about the act, the Twitter user told The Mirror : “When Israel’s postcard started, the audience has started to boo, once the song started, it picked up on the intensity. Some people did clap but it was quickly overshadowed by the booing. When the performance ended the entire arena booed even more than it did at the start of the song. The atmosphere is tense here.”

Despite the backlash, Eden expressed her “pride” in representing Israel as she took to her Instagram account to share a passionate message. “I stand on this stage with so much pride. Proud of our song and the hard work we’ve put into it. Proud of my country and the people in it.”

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Eden Golan performed Hurricane (
Image:
AFP via Getty Images)
She then addressed her fans: “I feel your love and support from miles away that nothing or no one can break me down. Tonight I’m sharing OUR voice and going to give the best performance I can. I love you guys so much!!”

Since Hamas’ October attack in Israel, around 35,000 people have been killed in Palestine, with many of women and children. Over 110,000 people have fled Rafah due to the IDF ramping up its attacks in the area where 1.4 million displaced people were sheltering.

There have been continued demonstrations in Sweden over Israel – which is not in Europe – taking part in the contest. Protests happened outside the arena, with some arrests happening during the evening.