These go on to the Eurovision final on Saturday

It worked out for both Norway and Israel.

The case is updated.

There was great jubilation among the Norwegian delegation when it was revealed that Norway had progressed to this year’s Eurovision final.

– Singing that song is like giving birth, Gunnhild Sundli told the press after the broadcast.

– So now I’m very tired! she added.

Those who also progressed to the final were Latvia, Austria, Netherlands, Norway, Greece, Estonia, Switzerland, Georgia, Armenia and Israel.

Albania, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Malta and San Marino quit.

The most controversial contribution, Israel’s “Hurricane”, is therefore next. This means that the excitement associated with this year’s Eurovision is far from over.

Israel’s participation in the competition has caused strong reactions around the world, and in the host city of Malmö well over 10,000 people turned up to protest.

– I have not seen the demonstrations. I’m here, I’m focused on music, joy and love, and that’s what matters today, said Israel’s participant, Eden Golan.

It is expected that the protests will continue towards the final on Saturday.

Aftenposten assessed all the contributions along the way. Read the tributes and the slaughters here.

Large demonstrations

The Eurovision semi-finals usually don’t get much attention. This year it was different. Great excitement was attached to Israel’s performance, and during the performance Golan was met with both cheers and boos when she performed her song. On the TV broadcast, it was difficult to hear the reactions in the hall.

Recently, we have seen several boycott campaigns. Over 4,000 artists from the Nordic region have signed a petition against Israel’s participation. Among the signatures are Norwegian Eurovision legends such as Anita Skorgan and Margaret Berger.

There is also an ongoing social media campaign called “EurovisiOFF”, urging viewers not to watch Eurovision this year.

Tribute to Jahn Teigen

During the semi-final, the presenters made a big splash on Jahn Teigen.

– We have seen many legends participate in Eurovision over the years, but few have left as clear a mark as the Norwegian singer Jahn Teigen. He represented his beloved country no less than three times and each time he brought something unique to this competition, the presenters said in one of the semi-final break sequences.

In the TV broadcast, you could see clips from Jahn Teigen’s three international final contributions throughout history: “Mil etter mil” in 1978, “Adieu” in 1982 and “Do Re Mi” in 1983.

– He debuted in Eurovision in 1978, and he finished in last place with an unforgivable zero points, said the presenters.

– But that didn’t stop Jahn from coming back, and coming back again. Unfortunately, he passed away in 2020, and Norway and Eurovision lost one of its greats.