But the winner, Duncan Laurence, 24, opted for a more minimalist approach surprisingly devoid of gimmicks. The boycott campaign claimed a degree of victory, citing growing awareness of its cause. But no contestants or countries dropped out of the competition, which Israelis said served as an unrivaled showcase for their country. Tel Aviv took on a carnival atmosphere, with tens of thousands of Israelis packing an open-air Eurovision village on the beachfront to watch free concerts and live broadcasts of the competition on giant screens. Israel left little to chance in its effort to rebrand itself as a hip, gay-friendly tourist destination as opposed to a fraught Holy Land wracked by conflict. The secret weapon was Madonna, a devout student of kabbalah, or Jewish mysticism, and her appearance was shrouded in mystery. She signed a contract with the organizers two days before the final after months of rumors. Instead, her guest appearance, sponsored by Sylvan Adams, a Canadian-Israeli tycoon and philanthropist, delivered a public relations boost to both Eurovision and Israel.
Eurovision Song Contest 2019
1) You can't keep politics out
Asked to posit what life lessons he had gleaned from his Eurovision experience, the year-old said it had taught him to "stick to what you love and dream big always. But they weren't the only lessons to be learned from the ceremony, held this year in Tel Aviv in Israel. Here are five things we took away from the event. The organisers of the contest insist it is a non-political event. Yet events on Saturday proved they are deluding themselves.
Eurovision News
It was the third time Israel had hosted the contest, having previously done so in and However, this was the first time Israel hosted the contest outside of Jerusalem. Forty-one countries took part in the contest; Bulgaria and Ukraine were absent. Bulgaria did not enter because members of its delegation had been moved to other projects. Ukraine had originally planned to participate in the contest but withdrew because of the controversy surrounding their national final.
It was the third time Israel had hosted the contest, having previously done so in and However, this was the first time Israel hosted the contest outside of Jerusalem. Forty-one countries took part in the contest; Bulgaria and Ukraine were absent. Bulgaria did not enter because members of its delegation had been moved to other projects. Ukraine had originally planned to participate in the contest but withdrew because of the controversy surrounding their national final. This was the Netherlands ' fifth victory in the contest, following their wins in , , and
