Bambie Thug, Ireland’s non-binary Eurovision finalist, has been forced to alter the pro-Palestine message of their performance by the competition’s organisers. Bambie Thug was chosen to represent Ireland after winning RTÉ’s Eurosong contest. The artist performed the track ‘Doomsday Blue’ at the semi-finals held on May 7th, earning a place in the final on May 11th.
Originally, the Eurovision hopeful wore body paint in Ogham script, translating to ceasefire and freedom. The message was in reference to the ongoing conflict in Gaza and the inclusion of Israel in the competition. However, the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) deemed the body paint as in violation of the contest rules that protect its non-political nature, and Bambie Thug was forced to change their message to ‘crown the witch only’.
Bambie Thug expressed disappointment at having to change the message, revealing that justice and peace were essential to them. The situation triggered a collective outpouring of support among artists around the world for Palestine. However, Bambie Thug asserted their support for Palestine whilst saying the focus should be on criticising the broadcasters rather than the artists.
There have been calls for a boycott of the competition for various reasons in recent years with over 1,000 Swedish artists signing a petition to boycott Israel’s participation under the name of humanity. Uruguay also withdrew their participation in February 2023 citing “financial reasons”, while over 1,400 Finnish music industry professionals signed a petition to disqualify Israel from participating in the contest.
Eurovision organisers have drawn criticism for their decision to remove Palestinian flags and pro-Palestinian symbols, with fans expressing their disapproval on social media. However, Jean Philip De Tender, the deputy director-general of the EBU, defended the decision, stating that while Eurovision is a family event, there must be compliance with the competition’s rules
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