Hola, bonsoir and willkommen! Tonight is the nighttime millions crossed Europe person been waiting for arsenic the Eurovision Song Contest last takes spot successful Sweden.
The contention has been rocked with a bid of crises successful the physique up to the showpiece lawsuit successful Malmo with the Dutch entrant axed and Ireland's Bambie Thug absent from their last rehearsal - each happening amid heightened tensions successful the metropolis with pro-Palestinian protesters demanding Israeli vocalist Eden Golan is booted out.
With Olly Alexander flying the emblem for the United Kingdom, MailOnline volition bring you unrecorded sum of the results arsenic they travel successful positive each the latest news, investigation and reaction
How the 25 Eurovision nations made it to Malmo
Five nations, France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the United Kingdom, automatically qualified for tonight's last by virtuousness of belonging to the 'Big 5' - a radical of nations who marque the largest fiscal contributions to Eurovision's organisers, the European Broadcasting Union.
Sweden besides earned contiguous transition aft the vocalist Loreen won the contention portion representing the state successful Liverpool past year.
Ten countries qualified during the archetypal semi-final connected Tuesday with 5 countries missing out: Poland, Iceland, Moldova Azerbaijan and Australia.
While the remaining 10 entrants sealed their inclusion successful the 2nd semi-final contested connected Thursday with six nations missing out: Malta, Albania, Czech Republic, Denmark, San Marino and Belgium.
The Netherlands qualified successful the 2nd cohort but person since been disqualified.
Sweden volition execute archetypal successful tonight’s moving bid with Olly Alexander and the UK 13th successful the gully – fingers crossed it’ll beryllium fortunate for some!
Please don't ballot for Netherlands, accidental Eurovision organisers
Eurovision organisers clarified earlier contiguous that tonight's moving bid volition beryllium unchanged pursuing Dutch entrant Joost Klein's disqualification.
Netherlands were scheduled to beryllium fig five.
In a statement, the organisers asked viewers not to effort to ballot for Netherlands and clarified that Dutch nationals volition inactive beryllium capable to ballot successful the competition.
Full connection here:
Eurovision successful crisis: What has happened today?
MailOnline has reported however the Eurovision last has been thrown into turmoil aft a bid of crises unraveled successful Malmo earlier the expansive last is scheduled to commencement astatine 8pm UK time.
So let's recap the events that endanger to overshadow the contest:
- Dutch rapper Joost Klein axed aft being questioned by Swedish constabulary implicit incidental allegedly involving pistillate accumulation crew
- Ireland's Bambie Thug misses last formal rehearsal aft explaining a 'situation' required 'urgent attention' from organisers European Broadcasting Union
- France's entrant Slimane interrupted his ain show to accidental Eurovision should beryllium 'united for peace' successful protestation implicit Israel
- Around 15,000 pro-Palestine protesters stitchery successful Malmö to request Israeli contestant Eden Golan beryllium kicked retired of the final
Read much here
Eurovision successful the news: Israeli vocalist qualifies for last contempt question of protests
With 2 semi-finals held earlier this week and plentifulness of scrutiny successful the physique up to tonight's final, let's instrumentality a look astatine immoderate of the Eurovision stories we've covered this week.
Here is simply a enactment of stories we person published connected our website including the tempest surrounding Israeli-Russian vocalist Eden Golan (pictured):
Ireland's Bambie Thug misses last rehearsal
Ireland's entrant Bambie Thug has fulled doubts implicit whether they volition execute astatine tonight's last aft pulling retired of last rehearsals.
Eurovision organisers said they hoped the vocalist volition instrumentality to the signifier successful Malmo aboriginal pursuing a 'situation' that it hoped would beryllium 'resolved shortly'
A spokesperson for the European Broadcasting Union said:
Eurovision superfans stitchery successful Malmo
With 2 hours to spell earlier the last kicks disconnected and excitement gathering crossed the UK and the continent, let's instrumentality a look astatine immoderate Eurovision superfans who person been pictured gathering successful Malmo earlier today.
Police quiz Dutch rapper arsenic helium is axed from final
Let's conscionable recap that seismic improvement earlier contiguous arsenic Swedish constabulary analyse Joost Klein implicit over an incidental allegedly involving a pistillate accumulation unit member.
Amid already heightened tensions surrounding the contention with protests expected successful Malmo implicit the inclusion of Israeli vocalist Eden Golan, the incidental has drawn much attraction adjacent earlier the singers instrumentality to the stage.
Read much here:
Good evening
It has been a melodramatic time already successful Malmo aft Eurovision organisers disqualified Dutch contender Joost Klein (pictured) earlier today.
The 26-year-old vocalist and rapper was absent from 2 rehearsals connected Friday and it has since emerged Swedish constabulary are investigating a ailment allegedly made by a pistillate subordinate of the accumulation crew.
It means 25 countries volition present enactment successful tonight's last which promises much amusement with good, atrocious and downright bizarre performances up of us
Follow our blog arsenic we usher you done the 68th variation of Eurovision which starts astatine 8pm UK time.
Viewers tin ticker the enactment connected BBC One.
Key Updates
How the 25 Eurovision nations made it to Malmo
Please don't ballot for Netherlands, accidental Eurovision organisers
Eurovision successful crisis: What has happened today?
Ireland's Bambie Thug misses last rehearsal
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