pc28����

But at the ever-unpredictable event, the prize could just as easily go to powerful singers from France, the Netherlands or Finland — or even an Estonian who sings about Italian coffee. The final kicked off at 9 p.m. local time (1900 GMT), with the winner due to be crowned after midnight (2200 GMT).

Sweden’s sauna song is a favorite

Bookmakers say the favorite is with their ode to sauna culture “Bara Bada Bastu,” followed by Austrian singer JJ’s pop-opera song “Wasted Love.”

French chanteuse Louane has risen up the odds with “maman,” as has Dutch singer Claude with soulful ballad “C’est La Vie” and Finland’s Erika Vikman with the innuendo-laden “Ich Komme.” is also a contender with his highly caffeinated dance-pop song “Espresso Macchiato.”

has won many fans with her anthemic “New Day Will Rise,” but also faced protests from pro-Palestinian demonstrators calling for Israel to be kicked out of the contest over its conduct of the .

Acts from 26 countries — trimmed from 37 entrants through — will perform to some for the continent’s pop crown. No smoke machine, jet of flame or dizzying light display has been spared by musicians who have 3 minutes to win over millions of viewers who, along with national juries of music professionals, pick the winner.

After a humorous opening film involving a thriller-style chase across Swiss mountains to deliver the Eurovision trophy, the contestants entered in an Olympics-style flag parade.

Then, Norway’s Kyle Alessandro — at 19 the youngest contender — kicked off the competition with flaming power-pop number “Lighter.” He was followed by Luxembourg’s Laura Thorn with the playful “La Poupée Monte Le Son” (The Doll Turns Up the Volume).

Next up was Cash’s “Espresso Macchiato” — a popular favorite with revelers in Basel this week — followed by Israel’s Raphael, showcasing her powerful voice on a rousing ballad and met by a mix of cheers and boos.

Swiss broadcaster SRG SSR said a man and woman were stopped as they tried to climb over a barrier to the stage at the end of Raphael’s song. It says a crew member was hit by paint thrown by the pair.

The show was a celebration of Europe’s eclectic, and sometimes baffling, musical tastes. Lithuanian band Katarsis delivered grunge rock, while Ukraine’s Ziferblat channeled prog rock and the U.K.’s Remember Monday offered country pop.

Italy’s Lucio Corsi evoked 1970s glam rock with “Volevo Essere Un Duro” (I Wanted to be a Tough Guy), while Icelandic duo VAEB rapped about rowing in “RÓA” and Latvia’s six-woman Tautumeitas offered gorgeous, intertwined harmonies on “Bur Man Laimi” (Bring Me Happiness).

There were divas aplenty, including Spain’s Melody with the powerful “Esa Diva,” Poland‘s Justyna Steczkowska, participating in Eurovision for a second time after a 30-year gap, with “GAJA,” and Malta’s outrageous Miriana Conte, who performed “Serving” – a song whose previous suggestive title and lyrics were changed on the orders of contest organizers – on a set including a glitter ball and giant lips.

The show was bookended by , who opened the live performances with their 2024 winner “The Code” and closed it with their intense new single “Unexplainable.”

There was also face-off between two fan favorites: Baby Lasagna of Croatia, the 2024 runner up with “Rim Tim Tagi Dim,” and Finland’s Käärijä, whose rap-pop party anthem “Cha Cha Cha” came second in 2023.

But a rumored appearance by Celine Dion failed to materialize. Before she was a global star, the Canadian chanteuse won Eurovision in 1988, competing for Switzerland.

An eclectic competition

Dean Vuletic, an expert on the history of Eurovision, said the competition has become more diverse over the years, both musically and linguistically. There are songs in 20 languages this year, including Ukrainian, Icelandic, Albanian, Latvian and Maltese.

“In the past it was about having a catchy, innocuous pop song, usually in English,” he said. But “in recent years the formulaic approach to a Eurovision entry hasn’t succeeded.

“An entry needs to be memorable and it needs to be authentic in order to succeed these days.”

The war in Gaza clouds the contest

This year’s contest has been roiled for a second year by disputes over Israel’s participation. Dozens of former participants, including Switzerland’s Nemo, have called for Israel to be excluded.

Pro-Palestinian and pro-Israel protests have both taken place in Basel, though on a much smaller scale than at last year’s event in Sweden, where tensions spilled over backstage and Dutch competitor Joost Klein was expelled over an alleged altercation with a crew member.

Hundreds of people marched through Basel just before the competition, waving Palestinian flags and chanting “Boycott Israel.”

Earlier, a group of Israel supporters gathered in Basel’s cathedral square to root for Raphael and to show that “Jews belong in public spaces in Switzerland,” Zurich resident Rebecca Laes-Kushner said.

She said that “it would be such a strong statement against antisemitism,” if Raphael won.

“This is supposed to be about music, not about hate,” she said.

The European Broadcasting Union, or EBU, which runs Eurovision, tightened the contest’s code of conduct this year, calling on participants to respect Eurovision’s values of “universality, diversity, equality and inclusivity” and its political neutrality.

After a controversial ban in 2024 on flags, apart from national ones, being waved in the arena, this year audience members can bring Palestinian flags or any others, as long as they are legal under Swiss law. Performers, though, can only wave their own country’s flag.

Eurovision director Martin Green told reporters that the organizers’ goal was to ”re-establish a sense of unity, calm and togetherness this year in a difficult world.”

“All 37 delegations, in difficult times, have behaved impeccably,” he said.

___

Hilary Fox and Kwiyeon Ha contributed to this report.