{"id":46488,"date":"2024-05-09T01:56:07","date_gmt":"2024-05-09T01:56:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/news.talkwithrattan.com\/index.php\/2024\/05\/09\/united-by-sequins-eurovision-fans-arrive-in-fabulously-flamboyant-outfits\/"},"modified":"2024-05-09T01:56:07","modified_gmt":"2024-05-09T01:56:07","slug":"united-by-sequins-eurovision-fans-arrive-in-fabulously-flamboyant-outfits","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/news.talkwithrattan.com\/index.php\/2024\/05\/09\/united-by-sequins-eurovision-fans-arrive-in-fabulously-flamboyant-outfits\/","title":{"rendered":"‘United by sequins’: Eurovision fans arrive in fabulously flamboyant outfits"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"‘United<\/div>


\n<\/p>\n

\n

Malmo is all a sparkle. Outside the city arena, sequins twinkle in the light.<\/p>\n

Eurovision<\/strong><\/a> fans have been arriving in force, kitted out in a range of fabulously flamboyant outfits.<\/p>\n

In the queue, we meet a group who have travelled from Iceland.<\/p>\n

They are all wearing the same multi-coloured glittering jackets.<\/p>\n

“United by sequins,” one of them quips, riffing on the contest’s slogan “United by music”.<\/p>\n

\n
\n
<\/div>
\n Image:<\/span>
\n Eurovision superfan Dimi
\n <\/span>
\n <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

Further along we meet Eurovision superfan Dimi.<\/p>\n

“I love it, I grew up on it,” she gushes.<\/p>\n

She explains she is sad her native Australia has been knocked out, but it hasn’t taken the shine off the event.<\/p>\n

Many in the crowd have flags draped over their shoulders, others are channelling the acts’ outfits, including Elizabeth and Katie from the UK, who have been inspired by Finland’s Windows95man.<\/p>\n

Read more:
Ireland reaches Eurovision final for first time since 2018<\/a>
Eurovision facing controversy over contestants and politics<\/a><\/strong>
Who will win this year’s show and the acts to look out for<\/a>
Everything you need to know about this year’s show<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

\n
\n
\n \"Elizabeth\n <\/div>
\n Image:<\/span>
\n Elizabeth and Katie from the UK
\n <\/span>
\n <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

Around 100,000 visitors from 89 countries are expected in Malmo this week.<\/p>\n

It is a huge boost to a city with around 360,000 residents and the police have spent months planning.<\/p>\n

\n
\n
\n \"\n <\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n
\n
\n
\n \"\n <\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

Sweden not taking any chances<\/strong><\/p>\n

Around the arena, officers are relaxed but visible.<\/p>\n

Small groups stand together on corners, others peer down from the roofs above.<\/p>\n

Against a backdrop of two wars and the recent Moscow terror attack, Sweden is not taking any chances.<\/p>\n

It has drafted in officers from neighbouring Denmark and Norway to help with security.<\/p>\n

Eurovision adds to possible tensions<\/strong><\/p>\n

Sweden is already on terror alert level four out of five after a string of Quran-burnings sparked outrage in Muslim communities last year.<\/p>\n

Eurovision has added to the possible tensions with several protests planned in opposition to Israel being allowed to participate.<\/p>\n

Tens of thousands of pro-Palestinian demonstrators are expected to gather ahead of the second semi-final on Thursday where 20-year-old Eden Golan will fight for her place in Saturday’s final.<\/p>\n

A smaller protest in support of Israel is also planned, although some in the Jewish community said they were nervous it could become a target.<\/p>\n

‘We just want to enjoy the music’<\/strong><\/p>\n

One Eurovision fan said they had seen some protests but they had been “really peaceful”, while another said: “We just want to enjoy the music.”<\/p>\n

Another said: “I feel dreadfully sorry for what’s going on in Gaza. I have enormous sympathy for [the] Israeli contestant because they’re here as a musician, not as a political act.<\/p>\n

“This should be above politics. [It] should be about enjoyment and love for other people.”<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

Organisers unable to stop politics seeping in<\/strong><\/p>\n

The lyrics of the Israeli original entry, October Rain, had to be changed after they broke the rules on political neutrality for apparent references to the 7 October Hamas attacks.<\/p>\n

Despite calls for a boycott, organisers ruled Israel could remain in the competition with its reworked entry, Hurricane.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) had to put out a statement expressing “regret” after former Swedish contestant Eric Saade, who is reportedly of Palestinian origin, wore a keffiyeh tied around his wrist as he sang. The traditional scarf has long been a symbol of support for Palestinian nationalism.<\/p>\n

While organisers are determined the event remains apolitical, they appear unable to stop politics from seeping in.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n


\n
Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Malmo is all a sparkle. Outside the city arena, sequins twinkle in the light. Eurovision fans have been arriving in force, kitted out in a range of fabulously flamboyant outfits. In the queue, we meet a group who have travelled from Iceland. They are all wearing the same multi-coloured glittering jackets. “United by sequins,” one […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":46489,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"tdm_status":"","tdm_grid_status":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/e3.365dm.com\/24\/05\/768x432\/skynews-eurovision-malmo_6547904.jpg?20240508232545","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[8239,26459,47334,1849,47335,21189,47333,308],"amp_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.talkwithrattan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/46488"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.talkwithrattan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.talkwithrattan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.talkwithrattan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.talkwithrattan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=46488"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/news.talkwithrattan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/46488\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":46490,"href":"https:\/\/news.talkwithrattan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/46488\/revisions\/46490"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.talkwithrattan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/46489"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.talkwithrattan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=46488"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.talkwithrattan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=46488"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.talkwithrattan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=46488"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}