In 2022, the European Broadcasting Union expelled Russia after the invasion of Ukraine.
In solidarity with Gaza, a petition has been launched calling for Ireland to boycott the contest if Israel is lined up to perform in Malmo, Sweden, this year.
In a statement last night, RTÉ said it “has always approached the event in the spirit in which it was founded – which is a non-political contest designed to unite audiences and bring people together through a shared love of music and entertainment”.
However, some of the acts competing to become the 2024 Eurovision representative said they were in favour of a boycott.
Erica-Cody, who has been tipped as the frontrunner with her song Love Me Like I Do, described what is happening in the Middle East, and Gaza in particular, as “devastating”.
Asked if Israel should be expelled from the contest, she said: “If we are going to be 100pc honest? Yes. I don’t stand behind genocide. I think it’s an absolute disgrace. This (the Eurovision) is meant to be a celebration of life and music and acceptance and love.”
Dana Erlich, Israel’s ambassador to Ireland, said recently that she “categorically rejects” accusations of genocide against Israel made at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) at The Hague.
Erica-Cody was asked if Israel’s participation would force her to pull out.
“We will cross that bridge when we get to it. But anyone who knows me from being an activist should know I would never step into something like this with an ignorant head on my shoulders.”
Cork-born artist Bambie Thug said they would also like to see Israel excluded from the competition, but conceded that the decision was ultimately in the hands of the EBU.
Yesterday, RTÉ unveiled the set for Eurosong. The six acts vying to represent Ireland in the Eurovision will bring a diverse mix of sounds, spanning clean-cut boyband tracks, “late-night goth-pop”, emotive rap songs and Celtic metal.
Ireland’s performance at the contest in recent years has been woeful. In the past 10 years, we have qualified only twice.
There have been several complaints over the years about The Late Late Show hosting the Eurosong qualifier.
Fans believe the size limitations of the stage, combined with poor acoustics, have made it difficult to assess the suitability of an artist for the Eurovision stage. Others believe Ireland’s poor performance is a result of other factors.
Whatever the rights and wrongs, the Late Late Show Eurosong stage is now larger. Additionally, instead of bleacher benches, the audience will be seated around cabaret-style tables.
One of the favourites is Wicklow techno rocker Ailsha with her energetic song Go Tobann, which is described as a Celtic metal “Leaving Cert fever dream”.
“We are going to have band members on stage,” said Ailsha. “There will be some actors, there’s going to be kegs and hurls and exploding toilets. It’s going to be wild.”
The song was inspired by the success of last year’s Finnish entry Kaarija with Cha Cha Cha.
In Go Tobann, Ailsha critiques the way Irish language is taught in school.
JyellowL is an established Irish rapper and hopes his entry of Judas will impress viewers. Rap does not always fare well at the Eurovision but he says his song is more than that.
“It’s not just a rap song. It’s a song that encapsulates all the elements of a great piece of music – intentionally based lyrics, incredible vocals, catchy melodies and incredible riffs.”
Louis Walsh’s boyband Next In Line will perform their single Love Like Us.
The final act is Isabella Kearney’s Let Me Be the Fire. Kearney is based in Nashville and is a songwriter who has worked with artists including Lizzo, Taylor Swift, Keith Urban and Demi Lovato. She grew up watching Eurovision and said performing on stage in Malmo would be a dream.
Yesterday, Late Late Show host Patrick Kielty said he was looking forward to hosting his first Eurosong. He is particularly excited about meeting some of the “Eurovision nuts” in the audience.
“It hasn’t been great for the last few years,” he said. “But I think we may have a song that could get to the final.”
Asked if spending money on the Eurovision was a good use of license fee money, he said: “I think if you look at the last time we hosted it here, it was a showcase for the best of what we do in this country in terms of culture, media and industry. So, I would say if we could go and bring it home, it’s a bargain.”