Swedish singer Loreen has won the Eurovision Song Contest with her power ballad Tattoo, at a colourful, eclectic music competition clouded for a second straight year by the war in Ukraine.
The diva from Stockholm beat acts from 25 other countries to take the continent’s pop crown at the competition in Liverpool. Finnish singer Käärijä was second in a close-fought battle of the Nordic neighbours.
Australia finished as creditable ninth with rockers Voyager’s performance of Promise.
Loreen previously won Eurovision in 2012 and is only the second performer to take the prize twice, after Ireland’s Johnny Logan in the 1980s.
Britain hosted Eurovision this year on behalf of Ukraine, which won last year but couldn’t take up its right to hold the contest because of the war. Air raid sirens sounded across Ukraine as the contest was underway.
Under the slogan “united by music”, Eurovision final fused the soul of English port city that birthed The Beatles with the spirit of war-battered Ukraine.
The sights and sounds of Ukraine ran through the show, starting with an opening film that showed 2022 Eurovision winners Kalush Orchestra singing and dancing in the Kyiv subway, with the tune picked up by musicians in the UK – including Kate, Princess of Wales, shown playing the piano.
The folk-rap band itself then emerged onstage in the Liverpool Arena on a giant pair of outstretched hands, accompanied by massed drummers.
Contestants from the 26 finalist nations entered the arena in an Olympics-style flag parade, accompanied by live performances from Ukrainian acts including Go A, Jamala, Tina Karol and Verka Serduchka – all past Eurovision competitors.
Now in its 67th year, Eurovision bills itself as the world’s biggest music contest – an Olympiad of party-friendly pop.
Competitors each have three minutes to meld catchy tunes and eye-popping spectacle into performances capable of winning the hearts of millions of viewers.
Rock was unusually well represented this year at a contest that tends to favour perky pop.
Australia’s Voyager evoked head-banging 80s stadium rock on Promise, while Slovenia’s Joker Out, Germany’s Lord of the Lost were also guitar-crunching entries.
An offbeat contender was anti-war rock opera Mama ŠČ! by Croatia’s Let 3, who mock militarist dictators amid Monty Pythonesque imagery before stripping down to their underpants onstage.
While votes were cast and counted, Sam Ryder, last year’s runner-up for Britain, performed his new single Mountain, accompanied by Queen drummer Roger Taylor.
A Liverpool Songbook segment featured past Eurovision stars performing songs from the city, including John Lennon’s Imagine, You Spin Me Round (Like a Record) by Dead or Alive and the unofficial civic anthem You’ll Never Walk Alone – with the audience joining in, as a tribute to both Liverpool and Ukraine.
About 6000 fans watched the show inside the arena, and tens of thousands more at a Liverpool fan zone and at big-screen events across the UK. The global television audience has been estimated at 160 million.
Under spring sunshine, fans flocked in their thousands to city’s dockside area near the contest venue ahead of the contest. Many were draped in flags or dressed as their favourite acts.
“Just to come down and see people from all different nationalities, all different cultures – it’s good fun,” said Australia fan Martin Troedel, sporting a kangaroo on his hat.
“Frankly there’s some quite odd acts, which is what I love about it. You never know what to expect.”
Founded in 1956, Eurovision is a European cultural institution that has produced breakout stars – ABBA and Celine Dion are past winners – alongside performers whose careers sank without a trace.
Andrew Lambrou: From YouTube to the stage of the Eurovision final for Cyprus
24-year-old singer Andrew Lambrou from Australia represented Cyprus at Eurovision 2023.
The young singer made it to the grand final, gaining a respectable 12th place with “Break a Broken Heart”. The lyrics and music for the song were edited by Jimmy Jansson and Thomas Stengaard, known for other projects from his previous Eurovision projects involving Azerbaijan, Germany, Cyprus, Denmark and St. Maarten.
But who is Andrew Lamprou?
The Sydney youngster’s passion for music began at a very early age when he started attending music school and taking piano lessons.
What led him to take up singing was winning the Eisteddfod school’s vocal competition at the age of just 5, where he sang “Doh a Deer”.
His parents were by his side every step of the way and were very supportive in his pursuit of music. What made him realise what he wanted for his future was studying at the music school “La Voce”.
Initially, he started sharing videos of his performances on social media, which immediately caught the attention of the public. The number of views his songs garnered was ever increasing, with their reach extending to Europe and America.
The countless comments his videos received on YouTube, Instagram and TikTok inspired Andrew to continue to promote his music around the world.
He continued to upload new content almost every week steadily growing his fan base and video views. A cover of “Dusk till Dawn” that he uploaded to YouTube received 2 million views.
At the age of 17, Andrew Lambrou caught the attention of Sony ATV Publishing where he signed a contract. This gave him the opportunity to work with many top musicians and writers both in Australia and in Los Angeles, where he spent several months. It enabled him to find his own style and songwriting.
He is a firm believer in staying true to oneself when writing or singing and letting the natural process of melodies and life’s influences be reflected in what ends up on a piece of paper or in a recording studio.
Currently signed to City Pop Records and represented by “Saiko Management”, based in New York City, he has released three singles, “Throne”, “Lemonade” and “Electrify”.
In October 2022, the Cyprus Broadcasting Corporation (CyBC) announced that Andrew Lambrou would represent Cyprus, his parents’ homeland, at the Eurovision Song Contest to be held in Liverpool, UK.
He went on to sign with Panik Records, the record label with which CyBC has an agreement, for his participation in the Eurovision Song Contest, as well as for future releases that will be made in collaboration between his two labels.
Source: With AP