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The Intercept
17-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Intercept
Audio Analysis: Eurovision Broadcaster Muted Sounds of Crowd Booing and Shouting 'Free Palestine!'
Last May, when Eurovision broadcast the musical competition's semifinals, viewers at home noticed something strange. During rehearsals with a live audience earlier in the week, audience members loudly booed singer Eden Golan, the Israeli entrant whose participation stirred a controversy due to Israel's relentless assault on Gaza. When Golan performed live for television on May 9, 2024, however, viewers at home heard no audible boos at all. Had the audiences had a sudden change of heart over a few short days? Commenters online didn't think so, and speculation ran rampant that the European Broadcasting Union, or EBU, which produces Eurovision, had censored boos from the live show. There was booing during Golan's May 9 television performance, with one audience member loudly shouting 'Free Palestine!' In statements at the time, EBU insisted it had not censored any audience reactions. 'Just like in all major TV productions with an audience, SVT' — the national broadcaster in Sweden, where the 2024 Eurovision was hosted — 'work on the broadcast sound to even out the levels for TV viewers,' the EBU told HuffPost UK. 'This is solely to achieve as balanced a sound mix as possible for the audience; and SVT do not censor sound from the arena audience.' An analysis of the original broadcast audio feeds by The Intercept shows that there was indeed booing during Golan's May 9 television performance, with one audience member loudly shouting 'Free Palestine!' during the recording. While the cheers from the audience feed remain prominent in the broadcast mix of the audio, neither the booing nor the pro-Palestine slogan were audible in the version of the performance viewers heard at home. Listen to clips of both audio feeds below. Enable closed captions for notations of audience reactions. The EBU did not respond to a request for comment. Golan's run at Eurovision drew controversy as the death toll of Israel's war on Gaza mounted. Despite a campaign to exclude Israel, Golan advanced to the finals with her pop song 'Hurricane,' ultimately placing fifth. The isolated audience audio from that event was too glitchy to determine whether any boos were also suppressed in the final mix. The song, originally titled 'October Rain,' was initially barred from Eurovision, prior to undergoing a title and lyric adjustment for violating the contest's rules on political neutrality with its reference to Hamas' October 7 attack on Israel. In an interview shortly after last year's Eurovision competition, Golan was played an online video of booing during her live-audience rehearsal. 'Well, that happened in every single performance,' Golan said in response. 'There were some days that were more extreme.' Golan said she was prepared for a negative reaction and had hoped her in-ear monitors for live performances would block out the crowd noises. 'And I was very wrong,' she said, 'because after the first rehearsal with the audience I remember not hearing myself, only hearing the boos and the screaming and the yelling.' Eurovision is the world's premier international music competition. Under the auspices of their respective national broadcasters, artists from around the globe — originally Europe, but since expanded — come together for over-the-top performances watched by tens of millions of fans. Last year, some 160 million people watched the events on television. Ahead of last year's event, dueling letter campaigns and petitions supported and decried Israeli participation. More than 1,000 Swedish artists signed a letter urging Israel's exclusion, while more than 400 Hollywood celebrities penned a letter supporting Israel. In the end, the EBU said it conducted a review and decided Israel could be involved. Read our complete coverage 'The Eurovision song contest is a non-political music event and a competition between public service broadcasters who are members of the EBU,' Noel Curran, the EBU director general, told The Guardian at the time. 'It is not a contest between governments.' More than 56,000 people signed a petition calling for Israel to be banned from the current season of Eurovision, while 72 former Eurovision contestants signed a letter urging the EBU to exclude Israel and its broadcaster, KAN, from the competition. The EBU again decided Israel may participate. The contest has, in the past, made exclusions based on circumstances apparently linked to geopolitics. In 2022, it barred Russia from competing in the song contest, stating that 'in light of the unprecedented crisis in Ukraine, the inclusion of a Russian entry in this year's Contest would bring the competition into disrepute.' Last year, EBU published a list of frequently asked questions titled 'FAQ: Israel at the Eurovision Song Contest 2024,' stating that Russia was suspended from Eurovision owing to unspecified allegations of 'consistent breaches of membership obligations and the violation of public service media values.' The Intercept was able to uncover the suppression of audible discontent with Israel at last year's Eurovision by examining various feeds sent out by the competition organizers for broadcast across the globe. When the local host country's national broadcaster — in last year's case Sweden and SVT, respectively — produce Eurovision, they collect multiple audio feeds: such as one for the performers, one for the audience, and one for announcer voices. The broadcaster then does a live mix of the three audio feeds into a single stereo mix. The stereo mix is beamed up to a satellite using a multichannel format which Eurovision has been experimenting with since 2004. The video feed is also sent on a separate channel. The system allows a streamlined approach for local broadcasters around the globe to access the feeds and put the program on their stations. Along with the final stereo mix and video feeds, however, the EBU also beams the raw audio feeds on different channels. Local broadcasters can then make their own mixes of the audio feeds — though in practice, local stations usually use the provided stereo feed. Much like anyone can readily record over-the-air television broadcasts so long as they have equipment like an antenna and a recording device, so too can anyone record satellite signals if they have the requisite equipment. While many modern satellite feeds are encrypted, Eurovision appears to have opted for a format which is more readily compatible with older equipment, stating at a press briefing that 'to send signal out to the juries during those shows and amongst our different members, technology differs in how modern it is.' The Intercept was able to review the raw audio feeds from Golan's performance and compare the isolated audience noise to the final stereo mix. An audience member can be heard prominently shouting 'Free Palestine!' The cry is not on the stereo broadcast mix. The audio feeds were compared using the time encoding that allows broadcasters to sync up the sound and picture. On the audience feed, cheers swell up from time to time, along with whistles and other noises of audience approval. These swells and other noises correspond between the audience feed and the stereo mix. Notes of crowd disapproval, however, are present on the audience feed but completely absent from the stereo mix. At one point in the feed at the start of Israel's performance, scattered boos well up on the audience feed, while the corresponding timestamp in the stereo mix has no audience sound. Likewise, at the start of the performance, an audience member can be heard prominently shouting 'Free Palestine!' The cry is not on the stereo broadcast mix. This year's performer representing Israel, Yuval Raphael, has said that she expected to be booed and practiced with distracting sounds play in the background. Conflicting news accounts of Raphael's performance claimed alternatively that the show went on 'relatively without a hitch,' in one case, and in another that footage shared on social media showed booing that was not audible in the broadcast.
Yahoo
15-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Eurovision 2025's biggest controversies, from Israel boycotts to lyric rows
The Eurovision Song Contest might appear to be frivolous fun on the surface, but the event is often hit by protests, boycotts and controversy - and 2025's competition in Basel, Switzerland is no exception. Amid ongoing calls for Israel to be banned from the contest, pro-Palestinian campaigners have been staging protests already with more planned for Saturday when the grand final is due to take place. However, Israel's attendance is not the only controversy at the 69th Eurovision Song Contest – these are the difficult moments the event has had to navigate so far. Israel's inclusion in the song contest has been a controversial topic since last year, when 2024 contestant Eden Golan sparked calls for boycotts over her original song October Rain, thought to reference militant group Hamas kidnapping and killing Israelis on 7 October 2023. It was later changed to the track Hurricane. Pro-Palestinian campaigners have targeted the contest again this year, which has welcomed Israeli performer Yuval Raphael to the competition in Basel. Raphael is a survivor of the 2023 Hamas attacks, and was at the Nova festival where Hamas killed more than 350 people. She is due to perform her song New Day Will Rise at the second semi-final on Thursday, 15 May and has been tipped to do well in the voting, but local campaigners Basel for Palestine attempted to place Palestinian flags on the parade route for the contest's launch on Sunday. Further protests are said to be planned for grand final day on Saturday, while Israel's government has issued a warning to its citizens travelling to the event over the risk of being targeted. Former Eurovision competitors including Ireland's winner Charlie McGettigan and the UK's 2023 act Mae Muller have signed a letter calling for a ban on Israel's public broadcaster Kan, and accusing Israel of 'genocide', which Israel denies. Irish protesters, including The Crying Game actor Stephen Rea, called for an RTE boycott of the event. Away from contestant controversy, the 2025 event has also been targeted by a cyber attack. Footage of the rehearsals was leaked online after hackers managed to access it, potentially spoiling the big staging reveal for the acts involved. Competition organisers believe the leaked footage has now been removed and are said to have lawyers, as well as a cyber security team, working on what happened. Eurovision has a long history of risqué songs and performances, but Malta's Miriana Conte claims she innocently fell foul of European Broadcasting Union (EBU) decency rules with her track Kant. It translates as "singing", but Malta had to change their song title to Serving after concerns over its similarity to vulgar language. In March, Conte posted her disappointment in the decision on Facebook: "We've just been notified that European Broadcasting Union – EBU – has decided against using the Maltese word 'Kant' in our entry in the Eurovision Song Contest. While I'm shocked and disappointed, especially since we have less than a week to submit the song, I promise you this: the show will go on — Diva NOT down." She also had to remove the lyric "serving kant", a popular term to refer to being fierce. Speaking on TikTok in March, Conte added: "I was disappointed. I cannot lie and say I wasn't because obviously, 'kant' to us here means singing. I thought that maybe the song would lose the magic but, to be honest, I have such a big following, such big supporters, that even now with the new version people tell me they can still hear it in their heads." Malta's entry isn't the only controversial song for 2025 – while Estonia's Tommy Cash has proved a competition favourite with his song Espresso Macchiato, he's less popular with the Italians. The song has caused some offence for including a number of stereotypical references to Italian culture, as well as anglicised mispronunciations of words. Gian Marco Centinaio, the vice president of the Italian Senate, has even weighed in on the issue, commenting on Instagram: "He [Tommy Cash] should come to Italy and see how decent people really work before daring to write such a stupid and stereotypical song." Cash, on the other hand, has embraced the controversy by posting jokey videos on TikTok including a mock-up of him being arrested by Italian police.
Daily Mail
14-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Who is representing Israel at Eurovision 2025? Controversial singer Yuval Raphael is an October 7 survivor - and has 'practised being booed'
The 2025 Eurovision Song Contest is already well underway, with acts from across the continent battling it out in Basel to be crowned champion. But much like last year's event, this year's is already mired in controversy, with Israel set to take part in the second semi-final on Thursday. Yuval Raphael, 24, is set to represent her home nation with her song New Day Will Rise at this year's contest, after surviving the horrific October 7 attacks just 18 months ago. Her predecessor, Eden Golan, was subjected to the most toxic campaign of abuse and intimidation in the competition's history, and was loudly booed by the crowd during her two performances at last year's contest in Malmo. But given her own ordeal in Israel's conflict with Palestine, Yuval is unfazed by the backlash, and has even revealed she's 'practised being booed' ahead of her first performance. So ahead of Yuval's performance at this year's Eurovision, here's everything you need to know about the Israeli entry... Who is Yuval Raphael? Before being chosen to represent her home nation at this year's Eurovision, Yuval survived the horrific October 7 attacks. The singer had been attending the Nova music festival with friends when Hamas stormed the venue amid the biggest slaughter of Jews since the Holocaust. As she cowered in a bomb shelter, on the phone to her distraught father, terrorists entered and shot everyone inside. Over the next eight hours, they came back 19 times to spray the shelter with bullets or throw in grenades. Throughout, Yuval followed the last advice her father gave before the phone cut out: 'Play dead.' Surrounded by severed limbs, between barrages she dragged bloodied, lifeless bodies over herself for protection. The agonising weight of the corpses pressed down on her broken leg - shattered in the first attack - as she made peace with joining them. Finally, though, help arrived. When it did, it took several men to lift the bodies from Yuval to free her. She discovered she was one of just 11 who had survived, crammed in a tiny, four-metre squared concrete bunker filled with some 50 people. As she would later remark, it was a shelter 'that had become the tomb for almost 40 souls seeking refuge with us'. For anyone who had endured such unimaginable hell at a music event, they would be forgiven for not wanting to attend another gig ever again. Yet Raphael, who still has shrapnel lodged in her head and leg from the horror on October 7, is not only returning to a music venue, but performing - and on one of the most hostile stages in the world for an Israeli. Her singing career only started after the attack, when she took part in the TV talent show HaKokhav HaBa, and went onto win the contest. Yuval has also credited classic rock bands such as Led Zeppelin as her inspiration, as well as singers such as Beyonce and Celine Dion. What has Yuval Raphael said about representing Israel at Eurovision 2025? Despite the huge storm around Israel's inclusion in Eurovision, Yuval is unfazed, telling MailOnline: 'I've been given another chance at life, so it's my duty to not be afraid - and to spread the light. 'I see it as an honour and a responsibility. I love my country, I love the Israeli people.' 'I also have the most amazing team behind me with all the tools to deal with this situation. 'I am focused on the song and have been working night and day on it for the last four months, practicing to be the best I can to bring honour to my country.' After what happened at last year's competition, however, Yuval is under no illusion as to what awaits her. Her predecessor, Eden Golan, was subjected to the most toxic campaign of abuse and intimidation in the competition's history. Shunned by fellow competitors who tried to humiliate her at press conferences, she was nearly disqualified following a row over her song lyrics, and faced tens of thousands - including Greta Thunberg - protesting her right to be there. Eden received so many death threats the head of Israeli intelligence service Shin Bet personally travelled to Malmo, Sweden, to help oversee her protection. Locked down in her hotel room between auditions - each marked by relentless booing - simply performing was a victory in itself. But, on the night, she overcame deafening screams from the hostile audience to claim the second most votes from the public - thanks in part to 12 points from the UK - and came fifth overall when the jury's verdict was taken in. Given the hostile response to Eden last year, Yuval said she is 'expecting' to be booed by the crowd, telling the BBC: 'tBut we are here to sing and I'm going to sing my heart out for everyone.' She also shared that she has rehearsed her performance with background noise so she is prepared to any distractions from the audience. The singer added: 'I really think I have a lot of weight on my shoulders, I have a very big responsibility. I have a lot of people at home that are expecting something.' Yuval hopes that Eurovision rediscovers the meaning of its own slogan, 'United by Music' - a message that has felt all but forgotten this past year. 'I think my song has such a beautiful message. There is a phrase that says 'Everyone cries, don't cry alone'. Let's all be united together - and spread the love.' When is the Eurovision 2025 final? The second semi-final, when Yuval will first perform, is set to take place on Thursday May 15, with the hope Israel is voted as one of the 10 countries who will qualfy for the grand final. The final, hosted by Swiss comedian Hazel Brugger, former Eurovision entrant Sandra Studer and Swiss model Michelle Hunziker, will take place at Basel's St. Jakobshalle arena on Saturday May 17. Graham Norton will once again be on hand to provide commentary of the final for the UK, with Rylan Clark and Scott Mills commentating the final for BBC Radio 2. Doctor Who star Ncuti Gatwa has been chosen as the UK spokesperson, announcing who the British juries have awarded their coveted 'deux points' to. In total, 26 acts will compete to be crowned champion, with these including the Big Five - France, Italy, Spain, Germany and the UK - who automatically land a spot in the grand final. The UK will be represented by girlband Remember Monday, and their song What The Hell Just Happened?, but Eurovision stalwarts Sweden are currently tipped by the bookies as favourite to win. Just last week the European Broadcasting Union overturned a ban on Palestinian flags at this year's competition - and they are expected to be out in numbers come May 17. Just last week the European Broadcasting Union overturned a ban on Palestinian flags at this year's competition - and they are expected to be out in numbers come May 17. In recent days, too, Iceland's national broadcaster joined those of Spain and Slovenia in objecting to Israel's participation. This week the Swiss fencing team caused outrage by turning their back on the gold-winning Israeli team at the European Championships. And last year their winning Eurovision act, Nemo, boycotted the rehearsal of the flag parade in protest of Eden being allowed to compete.
Yahoo
09-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Israeli Eurovision fans warned of anti-Semitic attacks
Eurovision fans from Israel have been warned they could be the target of anti-Semitic attacks if they travel to the song contest next week. The annual competition is being held in Basel, Switzerland, where about 360 anti-Israel protests have taken place in the past year. Israel's National Security Council (NSC) issued the travel advisory amid expectations of more protests over the war in Gaza and Israel's participation in Eurovision. It told Israelis to stay away from the demonstrations, which it warned could be used as cover to attack Jews. The NSC said: 'It is recommended to stay away from these centres of friction and demonstrations, which may escalate into violence.' It called on Israelis not to display Jewish or Israeli symbols in public spaces, avoid posting on social media and not to discuss military service or the war against Hamas. The warning comes amid rising anti-Semitism in Europe blamed on the war in Gaza, including an infamous 'Jew hunt' in the Netherlands. In November last year, Maccabi Tel Aviv football fans were attacked before and after a Europa League match against Dutch side Ajax on a day that coincided with a pro-Palestinian demonstration in Amsterdam. Eurovision begins on May 13 and ends with the final on Saturday, May 17. Israel's representative is Yuval Raphael, who survived Hamas's brutal assault on the Nova music festival on Oct 7, 2023. She will sing a song called 'New Day Will Rise'. The 24-year-old is expected to sail through the second semi-final on Thursday and take part in Saturday's final. Protests against Israel are expected for both the second semi-final and final. More than 70 former Eurovision contestants signed an open letter demanding Israel and its national broadcaster KAN be banned from the competition because of the country's 'genocide against the Palestinians in Gaza and the decades-long regime of apartheid and military occupation against the entire Palestinian people'. RTÉ, Ireland's public broadcaster, also asked the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), the competition organisers, for talks over Israel's involvement in the contest in Basel's St Jakobshallet this week. There were demonstrations against Israel at last year's contest in Malmo, Sweden, where audience boos during Israeli entrant Eden Golan's performance of Hurricane in the final were muted by event organisers. Hurricane replaced October Rain as Israel's song after contest bosses ruled it was too political because of the October 7 terror attack on Israel. The EBU has overturned a ban on spectators waving Palestinian flags at the contest in Malmo. But it has made its rules on performers brandishing flags stricter in an attempt to preserve the political neutrality of the contest and stop singers expressing support for Palestinians. Eric Saade, the Swedish singer-songwriter, dodged the ban by wearing a Keffiyeh scarf, a common symbol of pro-Palestinian support, on his wrist at the semi-finals of the contest last year. Eurovision has now banned singers from waving all flags, except for national ones, during performances or at official events linked to the competition and involving performers. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
France 24
08-05-2025
- Entertainment
- France 24
Eurovision week's opening parade set to start the party
The Swiss city is pulling out the stops as it hosts the 69th edition of the light-hearted TV spectacular that celebrates kitsch and pushes the boundaries of taste. While Europop beats, dramatic staging and earworm choruses dominate on stage, the geopolitical backdrop always looms large, with protests again possible over Israel's participation while it ramps up its war in Gaza. Eurovision is the world's biggest annual live televised music event, reaching around 160 million viewers. The glamfest begins with Sunday's opening ceremony, when all 37 competing countries' entrants will parade through Basel, starting at the iconic 500-year-old city hall. Vintage trams and buses will take the performers along the so-called "turquoise carpet" parade route -- the longest in Eurovision history at 1.3 kilometres (0.8 miles). The parade will be accompanied by drummers, carnival groups, marching bands, alphorn players and techno acts as they cross the River Rhine over the Mittlere bridge, ending up at the "Eurovision Village" fan zone. "This will create a unique spectacle in the middle of Basel's old town," says the city which sits right on the border with France and Germany. Israel in the spotlight Last year's contest in Malmo, Sweden saw street protests over the Gaza war. Israel's entrant Eden Golan performed under tight security amid threats, and was largely confined to her hotel. More than 1,300 police officers will be on duty in Basel during Eurovision week, while video surveillance cameras have gone up around the fan zones. Israel's entrant this year is Yuval Raphael. She survived the October 7, 2023 attack on Israel that sparked the war in Gaza, hiding beneath dead bodies as Hamas gunmen attacked a music festival, killing hundreds. The 24-year-old said she hopes her song "New Day Will Rise" will send a message of healing and solidarity. Since the Hamas attack, music has been "something that heals my soul", she told AFP in a recent interview. But more than 70 former Eurovision competitors called this week for Israel to be banned over the war in Gaza, which has claimed tens of thousands of lives. "By continuing to platform the representation of the Israeli state, the EBU (European Broadcasting Union) is normalising and whitewashing its crimes", they said in a joint letter. Spain's public broadcaster has also asked the EBU, which organises Eurovision, to open a "debate" on the appropriateness of Israel taking part. Despite last year's protests, Golan finished fifth. Celine Dion mystery The semi-finals on Tuesday and Thursday will see 11 countries bow out, leaving 26 nations to contest Saturday's final at the St. Jakobshalle arena. Switzerland is hosting after Swiss vocalist Nemo won Eurovision 2024 in Malmo with the highly personal song "The Code", about discovering non-binary gender identity. Switzerland won the inaugural song contest in 1956, then triumphed again when Canada's Celine Dion competed for the Alpine nation in 1988, launching her career internationally. Organisers are tight-lipped as to whether Dion, in fragile health, might spring a surprise star turn. Swiss newspaper Le Matin, citing internal documents, said there was a two-minute slot in the grand final reserved for Dion -- but cautioned that the script was changing regularly. Sweden steaming hot favourites Sweden's entry KAJ are the hot favourites to win, with a comical take on the joy of having a sauna, driven by accordion licks and a catchy chorus. Their number features the three singers in brown suits, surrounded by dancers in lumberjack shirts first grilling sausages over a bonfire before appearing in a mock sauna with towels around their waists, slapping their backs with birch branches. A dour-looking comedy trio from Finland's Swedish-speaking minority, KAJ -- Kevin Holmstrom, Axel Ahman and Jakob Norrgard -- hope their steamy-but-not-in-a-sexy-way "Bara bada bastu" song -- "Just have a sauna" -- will give people a laugh. "It's about relaxing with your friends, going into the sauna and having a nice time and coming out on the other side feeling great," Norrgard told AFP. It is Sweden's first entry in Swedish since 1998, when Eurovision removed the national language requirement. "To have Sweden, which is really the trend-setter at Eurovision, sending a song in (Swedish, will) have a major impact on the contest," historian and Eurovision expert Dean Vuletic told AFP. "It's going to motivate more countries to send songs in their national languages". Austria's JJ is the second-favourite with "Wasted Love", a song in the mould of "The Code", flipping between operatic vocals and modern beats. France, the Netherlands and Israel round out the chasing pack, according to bookmakers. © 2025 AFP
