Loreen, the winner of Eurovision 2023. Photo by Corinne Cumming, via the EBU.
On the night of the Eurovision Song Contest (ESC) Grand Final in Liverpool on May 13, Europe, and the rest of the world, held their breath as the final public votes were revealed. Israel received 185 points from the public, skyrocketing them straight to second place, with a grand total of 382 points, behind Finland, with 526 points, and in front of Italy, with 350 points. Sweden was the last country to have their public votes announced. From the public, Loreen, and her song “Tattoo”, received 243 points, finishing the night with 583 points, making Sweden the winner.
The top five of the night were Norway’s “Queen of Kings” by Alessandra Mele (268 points), Italy’s “Due Vite” by Marco Mengoni (350 points), Israel’s “Unicorn” by Noa Kirel (362 points), Finland’s “Cha Cha Cha” by Käärijä (526 points) and our winner, Sweden’s “Tattoo” by Loreen (583 points).
Loreen is no stranger to competing on stage. Sveriges Television (SVT), Sweden’s member broadcaster with the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), had this to say about her career prior to the 2023 contest. “2022 marks ten years since Loreen won the Eurovision Song Contest for Sweden, with ‘Euphoria’. The song went on to become a smash hit across Europe and beyond, reaching number one in 21 countries, and it has since become one of the most acclaimed and renowned entries in the Contest’s history. Post-Euphoria, Loreen has gone on to release two albums, and she has made her acting debut in the new film adaptation of ‘Vinterviken’, which was released in 2021. Loreen’s most recent music release was the single, ‘Neon Lights’, which came out over the summer.”
In the aftermath of the ESC for the adults, the month of November will hold the Junior Eurovision Song Contest (JESC), the version for talented 9 to 14 year olds to showcase their songs, on a global scale. This year will be the 21st edition of the contest, which will be held in Nice, France, following the win of Lissandro’s song “Oh Maman!” in last year’s contest, held in Yerevan, Armenia. It is France’s second win in just three years. Executive Supervisor Martin Österdahl, states, “We are delighted to return to France for the 21st [JESC] just 2 years after a spectacular hosting in Paris. The team at France Télévisions have the experience, vision, and passion to create something truly magical in Nice this November and we look forward to working with them in the coming months on another exciting show.” President of France Télévisions and President of the EBU, Delphine Ernotte-Cunci, added, “France Télévisions is proud to welcome young artists from all over Europe and beyond to celebrate the unifying power of music. I am very happy that this second edition of Junior Eurovision organized by France will be held in Nice, a city of history and culture emblematic of our country. Once again, this year, the [JESC] will delight young and old alike, who will follow this festive and popular event at the Palais Nikaïa and on the EBU’s public media channels.”
Finally, just 2 months after the contest concluded in Liverpool, SVT announced the host city will be Malmö, in the south of Sweden. Malmö has previously hosted the contest after Loreen’s first win in 2012, and also in 1992. You can watch the official announcement video of the official YouTube channel of the contest, where it summarizes the past contests that Sweden has hosted. The two semi-finals will be on 7 & 9 May, 2024, and the Grand Final will be on 11 May, 2024.
To learn more, visit eurovision.tv, or subscribe to Peacock to watch the replays of both Semi-Finals, and the Grand Final.
