Ireland’s Eurovision entrant Bambie Thug has won a place in the grand final this Saturday.
The 31-year-old performed their song Doomsday Blue in the first semi-final on Tuesday night, and impressed fans at the Malmö Arena in Sweden.
The Cork native was one of 10 acts who made it through to Saturday’s final out of 15 countries who performed tonight.
During the dress rehearsal for their performance, the non-binary singer had the word ‘Ceasefire’ written in Ogham on their face.
Ogham is an ancient written language that was used in Ireland between the 5th and 9th centuries.
However, Bambie had to change the wording for their live performance tonight due to strict rules and regulations.
This year’s Eurovision Song Contest has been marred by calls for Israel to be withdrawn from the competition, due to its ongoing war in Gaza against Palestinians.
There have been strong calls for Bambie to pull out of the contest over Israel’s inclusion, but the non-binary artist has rejected this.
In March, Bambie and eight other Eurovision contestants, including the UK’s Olly Alexander, said they “do not feel comfortable being silent” about the ongoing conflict in Gaza.
“It is important to us to stand in solidarity with the oppressed and communicate our heartfelt wish for peace, an immediate and lasting ceasefire, and the safe return of all hostages,” they said in a joint statement.
“We firmly believe in the unifying power of music, enabling people to transcend differences and foster meaningful conversations and connections.
“We feel that it is our duty to create and uphold this space, with a strong hope that it will inspire greater compassion and empathy.”
In a separate statement, Bambi added: “As an Irish person with a shared history of occupation and a queer individual, I cannot and will not remain silent.
“I am aware of the calls to withdraw, but stepping back now would mean one less pro-Palestinian voice at the contest.
“My heart and solidarity has and always will lie with the oppressed, and I remain committed to supporting and using my platform to raise awareness and advocate for change.”
Speaking on The Late Late Show last month, Bambie also offered their support for those who have chosen to boycott Eurovision.
“I think if I wasn’t in the competition, I would also be boycotting,” they said.
“At the end of the day, without the group of us who is pro-Palestine, it is less competition for the other side to win and it’s less of solidarity there.
“Obviously it’s incredibly heavy and I am extremely behind everybody.”
The second semi-final will take place on Thursday, where 10 more acts will be selected to perform at the final.
Viewers at home determine the outcome of the two semi-finals, while the winner of the Grand Final will be determined by a combination of viewers’ votes and the decision of professional juries from each Eurovision nation.
The acts selected in both semi-finals will join the “Big Five” countries – the UK, France, Spain, Italy and Germany – in the final on Saturday night.
The finale will air on Saturday, May 11th, at 8pm on RTÉ One and RTÉ Player.
