Sweden has won the Eurovision Song Contest 2023.
Swedish contestant Loreen came first with her song “Tattoo,” beating out 25 other countries to garner 583 points. Her win means the contest will likely be held in Sweden next year.
Traditionally the winning country hosts the following year’s contest.
Sweden was followed by Finland’s Käärijä with 526 points and Israel’s Noa Kirel with 362 points, who took second and third place respectively.
This year’s Eurovision took place in Liverpool, U.K. on behalf of last year’s winner Ukraine after it was deemed too dangerous to hold Eurovision in the country following the Russian invasion. Ukrainian entry Kalush Orchestra won last year’s contest followed by the U.K.’s Sam Ryder in close second.
Remarkably it is Loreen’s second Eurovision win: she previously won the contest in 2012 with her song “Euphoria.”
Eurovision, which is run by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) features musical acts from around Europe as well as a number of countries outside it, including Israel and Australia who participate by virtue of their membership of the EBU.
Eurovision was hosted this year by rapper turned “Britain’s Got Talent” judge Alisha Dixon, “Ted Lasso” star Hannah Waddingham, Ukrainian rock star Julia Sanina and longtime Eurovision commentator Graham Norton.
The show was opened by a number of famous faces including Catherine, the Princess of Wales, Andrew Lloyd Webber, rapper Ms Banks, Joss Stone and last year’s winner Kalush Orchestra. It also featured a performance by last year’s runner up Sam Ryder, who performed his new single “Mountain” accompanied by Queen drummer Roger Taylor, as well as a number of former Eurovision contestants who paid tribute to some of Liverpool’s most famous musical artists.
Check out the full list of contestants for the 2023 contest below:
Teya & Salena (Austria) – “Who The Hell Is Edgar?”
Mimicat (Portugal) – “Ai Coração”
Remo Forrer (Switzerland) – “Watergun”
Blanka (Poland) – “Solo”
Luke Black (Serbia) – “Samo Mi Se Spava”
La Zarra (France) – “Évidemment”
Andrew Lambrou (Cyprus) – “Break A Broken Heart”
Blanca Paloma (Spain) – “Eaea”
Loreen (Sweden) – “Tattoo”
Albina & Familja Kelmendi (Albania) – “Duje”
Marco Mengoni (Italy) – “Due Vite”
Alika (Estonia) – “Bridges”
Käärijä (Finland) – “Cha Cha Cha”
Vesna (Czechia) – “My Sister’s Crown”
Voyager (Australia) – “Promise”
Gustaph (Belgium) – “Because Of You”
Brunette (Armenia) – “Future Lover”
Pasha Parfeni (Moldova) – “Soarele şi Luna”
TVORCHI (Ukraine) – “Heart of Steel”
Alessandra (Norway) – “Queen of Kings”
Lord of the Lost (Germany) – “Blood & Glitter”
Monika Linkytė (Lithuania) – “Stay”
Noa Kirel (Israel) – “Unicorn”
Joker Out (Slovenia) – “Carpe Diem”
Let 3 (Croatia) – “Mama ŠČ!”
Mae Muller (U.K.) – “I Wrote A Song”
Source : Variety
