Q: Who are the favorites to win Eurovision this year?

There is a lot of hype about Sweden’s Loreen , who delighted fans in the semifinals with her power ballad “Tattoo” — and her inches-long power fingernails. Yet Sweden could face stiff competition from neighboring Finland, whose rapper Käärijä and dancers look, at times, like a human caterpillar. Ukraine, France, Spain, Israel and Norway are also top contenders, according to bookmakers.

Question 1

What is Eurovision?

Accepted Answer

Eurovision is a competition beloved by its global fan base for powerful singing performances, dedication to kitsch and extreme silliness. It showcases the diverse musical taste and interests across Europe. Nothing is really too strange. Take this year’s entry by Croatia’s punk band “Let 3,” in which grown men in their undies and wearing lipstick sing while giant rockets are lugged across the stage. Theirs likely won’t be the weirdest song at the finale. The contest started in the late 1950s by a handful of countries as a way to bring together war-ravaged Europe. Each country gets one entry, each act only gets three minutes onstage, and all songs must be original. It’s important to have a catchy tune, but the stage set and costuming can be equally important. If Adele were to enter, her chances would be bolstered by wearing a jetpack or glittery butterfly wings. Contestants representing 20 countries made it through the semifinals on Tuesday and Thursday. On Saturday, they will join “the big five” — the U.K., Germany, France, Spain and Italy — who automatically qualify, because they contribute more financially to the event. Last year’s winner, Ukraine, also qualifies automatically for the finale.

Question 2

Who are the favorites to win Eurovision this year?

Accepted Answer

There is a lot of hype about Sweden’s Loreen, who delighted fans in the semifinals with her power ballad “Tattoo” — and her inches-long power fingernails. Yet Sweden could face stiff competition from neighboring Finland, whose rapper Käärijä and dancers look, at times, like a human caterpillar. Ukraine, France, Spain, Israel and Norway are also top contenders, according to bookmakers.

Question 3

Is Eurovision a big deal?

Accepted Answer

Music snobs may turn up their noses, but it’s a very big deal for fans in Europe and beyond. Around 160 million people tuned in last year. It’s fun for the whole family — viewing is safe for young children, and everyone can have a giggle watching Norwegians dressed as wolves soulfully singing “Give That Wolf a Banana.” The contest is incredibly popular in Sweden, which has won the contest six times, second only to Ireland. Many countries hold national competitions to select their representative. (Others, like the U.K., handpick their entrant.) In 2017, an astonishing 98 percent of the Icelandic TV viewing public tuned into the Eurovision final — despite their singer not making it that far in the competition.

Question 4

Why can’t Ukraine host Eurovision?

Accepted Answer

The U.K. is staging the 67th Eurovision contest on behalf of Ukraine — it’s the first time in decades that the previous year’s winner isn’t hosting. But the European Broadcasting Union decided it wouldn’t be safe to hold it in Ukraine given Russia’s ongoing war there. The Ukrainian folk rap group Kalush Orchestra won the 2022 Eurovision with its song, “Stefania,” and the U.K.’s Sam Ryder came in second with “Space Man.” Expect frequent references to Ukraine in this year’s finale. One of the co-hosts is the Ukrainian singer Julia Sanina (the others are “Ted Lasso” star Hannah Waddingham and “Britain’s Got Talent”’s Alesha Dixon). The city of Liverpool is a sea of yellow-and-blue Ukrainian flags, and tickets have been given to Ukrainians living in the U.K.

Question 5

Why is Eurovision not just Europe?

Accepted Answer

Some countries that participate are not located in Europe — but they do have broadcasting links with the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), which organizes the song contest. Israel is a member of the EBU and made its Eurovision debut in 1973. Australia is on the other side of the planet, but its broadcaster SBS is an EBU associate member.

Question 6

Has the United States ever won Eurovision?

Accepted Answer

No. The United States doesn’t take part in the competition. Individual Americans, however, have competed on behalf of other countries. And singers like Madonna and Justin Timberlake have performed during intervals. U.S. viewers can watch the contest through Peacock or subscriptions that carry the BBC.

Question 7

Who are the most famous Eurovision winners?

Accepted Answer

Most of the songs have never played on U.S. radio stations. But the contest has launched the careers of some, including Sweden’s ABBA, who found global fame after winning in 1974 with its song “Waterloo,” and Canada’s crooner Celine Dion, who won on behalf of Switzerland (entrants don’t need to be from the country they represent). The 2021 winner Måneskin, an Italian rock band, has seen its hit song “Beggin” top U.S. charts. Last year’s song “Snap,” by Armenian singer Rosa Linn, went viral on TikTok.

Question 8

What countries have pulled out of Eurovision?

Accepted Answer

North Macedonia, Montenegro and Bulgaria withdrew from the contest this year due to the increased entry fee. According to the BBC, participating countries were asked to pay more to compensate for lost funds from Russia after it was banned following its invasion of Ukraine. Eurovision doesn’t publish figures for each country’s entrance fee, but the BBC said the total cost for all broadcasters adds up to approximately £5 million ($6.3 million). Turkey, which won in 2003, has boycotted the contest since 2013. The state-run broadcaster objects to how the voting works, as well as to gender-bending performers and displays of same-sex relationships. “As a public broadcaster, we also cannot broadcast live at 9 p.m. — when children are still awake — someone like the bearded Austrian who wore a skirt, does not believe in genders and says that he is both a man and a woman,” general manager Ibrahim Eren said in 2018.

Question 9

Is the Eurovision Song Contest movie fact or fiction?

Accepted Answer

The 2020 movie “Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga,” starring Will Ferrell and Rachel McAdams, is basically a documentary. Just kidding — it’s a fictitious comedy, with the actual Eurovision being far weirder. But the film did give viewers a flavor of the real thing, with lots of cameos from actual Eurovision performers. One of the songs from the film, “Husavik,” was nominated for an Academy Award for best original song.

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