Prior to tonight’s final in Liverpool, Sweden was the favourite among the Eurovision finalists, with Loreen’s song “Tattoo” having a chance of 4/9 to win on bet365.
After her victory in 2012 with the song, “Euphoria,” Loreen made history by becoming the first woman to ever win Eurovision twice.
After the jury verdicts, Sweden held the top spot with 340 points. Following the public vote, this number surged to 583. Israel and Finland finished second and third, respectively.
Loreen said while interviewing with the NME ahead of the contest about her past at Eurovision, “It started with the song [‘Euphoria’]… It was just an embryo at the time, but I could sense that there was something with this song and me that was going to happen.”
She added, “My initial reaction [to re-entering the competition] was ‘No’ because I’m purpose driven. I have to understand why I do things: ‘Why stand on that stage?’, ‘Do I have anything to say?’ But whenever I said, ‘Maybe I’ll do it’, there was this feeling of positivity in me. The process felt very easy and effortless.
The Ukrainian Kalush Orchestra, who won the 2022 Eurovision with the song “Stefania,” kicked off the competition evening.
The contest is often hosted by the victors, but due to the continuing political turmoil in Ukraine, this year’s edition was held in Liverpool.
During the opening, musicians and well-known faces from a distance joined the band. Sam Ryder, the UK’s runner-up for the Eurovision 2022, appeared in clips playing the guitar on the song from the top of Liverpool’s Liver Building.
Joss Stone, Miss Banks, Andrew Lloyd Webber, and the Princess of Wales, who performed piano on the song, all provided additional contributions via videos.
Earlier in the evening, Roger Taylor, the Queen’s drummer, turned up on stage with Ryder to play his brand-new track, “Mountain.”
The last time Ryder stepped on stage with Queen was during a performance of “Somebody To Love” by the Foo Fighters.
Another prominent part featured former Eurovision participants performing well-known songs by Liverpool musicians.
Mae Martin, who represented the UK, finished the performances with her song “I Wrote A Song.” With 24 points, the UK came in second to last place.