Just over a week has gone by since the Grand Final of Eurovision 2024 took place in Malmö, Sweden and we saw Nemo, from Switzerland crowned the winner with their song “The Code”.

Now that the dust is settling and before we look ahead to JESC 2024 and then to next year’s ESC contest in Switzerland, we at Eurovision Ireland decided to take a look back at what was quite an eventful two weeks and give our final thoughts about the contest as a whole by answering six set questions . Here’s what we said

Do you think Malmö did a good job of hosting this year’s contest and why ?

John: “Malmo did a good job, bearing in mind the issues that were outside the city’s and broadcaster’s control . The venue was ideal with good transport links and a decent shopping centre. The Blue carpet event was maybe lacking a little , but that seemed principally to do with security concerns .”

James : “Eurovision 2024 was always going to be contentious ,given what’s going on in the world at the moment and I think Malmö did stellar job under the circumstances. Yes fans have bemoaned a lot happened this year( I’d argue more “went wrong”or was controversial with this year’s contest than all of the 2010’s put together !)but the show was still visually brilliant and the running order’s mix of random draw and producer choice made for an entertaining show , all well presented by Petra and Malin . I wonder if a less experienced broadcaster would have faltered under the additional pressures and I honestly think it’s a real shame Malmö have said they don’t want to host again – I think a city on the doorstep of two countries is a perfect Eurovision host city !”

Sarah : “Given all the distraction from other , less desirable events going on . I think Malmö did a good job considering all this . They really couldn’t have done any more than they did . In the end , we got really good quality shows and Petra and Malin were excellent hosts , as expected . The Blue Carpet event was a bit of a let down compared to other years but I guess there were very good reasons for this .”

Richard: “Personally, I believe Malmö did a good job in hosting ESC 2024 .Following Liverpool, Malmö felt like the right sized host city -although the theme art wasn’t everywhere like last year , which for me was something Liverpool did well.Yes, there were protests because of a certain political tension that is currently taking place but the police and security teams had everything under control . For those worried about attending the contest, there was really nothing to fear.”

Bogdan : “I think Malmo tried their best to put on a good experience for all Eurovision fans. However, there are things in life you cannot control and this is why I think Eurovision in Malmo wasn’t a great experience.”

Did We end up with the right winner?

John: “It seemed a more open contest than other recent ones, so definitely one of the right performers won.”

James: ” There were always 3 potential winners for 2024 and after one was unceremoniously booted out, it became a 2-horse race! Switzerland wasn’t one of my favourites going into the contest, but Nemo is a very talented performer and their voice is undeniable. There’s a line of thought that says we always get the right winner, and while I was personally rooting for Croatia, still think Switzerland’s victory was well deserved.”

Sarah : “In a year where the contest was probably more open than any other years , it created more excitement as to who could win . However at the end of the day, going on the bookies odds, it became a two horse race between Switzerland and Croatia . I would have been happy to see either win .”

Richard: “Yes! I would’ve been happy with either Switzerland or Croatia to be honest. I’d like to give Ireland an admirable mention too. Bambie Thug really brought Ireland something special. “

Bogdan: “Personally, I do not think we’ve got the right winner, but the safer choice. I would have preferred to see Croatia getting the trophy.”

What , for you personally , were the highlights of Eurovision 2024 ?

John : “The highlights included a number of countries getting through to the Grand Final for the first time in several years. Latvia, Georgia and most importantly Ireland among them. It proves that the public probably do know a good song when they hear it. Also pleased for Ukraine doing as well as they did from performing second.”

James :“Seeing Luxembourg back at the Eurovision Song Contest was definitely a highlight for me, as I honestly thought it would never happen! I’m also thrilled that Latvia qualified for the final, Hollow was one of my pre-contest favourites and I feared for its chances. Ireland’s staging was also a revelation and think proves that you should never just discount a country at the contest because it’s had a run of not qualifying or low results. Also, I enjoyed the interval acts of this year’s contest – not something I say often!! Petra Mede has impeccable comic timing and is hilarious! Also, who doesn’t love a good gentle poke at their neighbours during Eurovision?”

Sarah : ” For me, seeing Luxembourg back in the contest , ironically represented by a singer who wasn’t even born when Luxembourg were last in the contest ,was one of the highlights . I also enjoyed the appearance of Linda Woodruff again, bringing us her usual comedy and wit ! The interval act , “We just love Eurovision too much” was great and in my view , should have been the interval act in the Grand Final rather than in one of the semi-finals “

Richard : “That is a tough one, as I knew SVT would deliver a successful Contest once again. For me, the uniqueness of the stage design was something special – especially as the crowd surrounded it, with the exception of the catwalk right at the back by the LED screen/Green Room wall.”

Bogdan: “It’s really difficult to have highlights in such a tumultuous year. However, my absolute favourite moment was Spain with Nebulossa and Zorra to hear all audience singing along and literally being United By Music. That and Baby Lasagna’s moment were the highlights for me.”

What, for you, were the shocks and surprises of this year’s contest?

John: “One surprise for me was Belgium failing to qualify for the Grand Final. I was also pleased for Germany and Armenia doing well. I would have liked to see the radio-friendly song from Poland qualifying, but maybe it suffered from the curse of death-by-staging.”

James : “I think my biggest shocks came from the Second Semi Final. No Denmark, no Belgium (who I had pegged as a potential outright winner!!), Latvia qualifying… my nerves we shot by the end of that evening! A good surprise as I’ve already mentioned was Ireland’s staging, Bambie’s team did an incredible job staging Doomsday Blue and everyone just ate it up! The UK’s staging was complex and brilliant, so seeing it fall so flat in the televote was a surprise too, though I suspected it would be a very marmite song. I’m reluctant to go into it too much, but I was shocked (though not surprised) at the reactions in the hall to Martin Osterdahl… I know there’s been a lot of anger surrounding Eurovision this year and I sincerely hope next year it feels that bit calmer and more loving.”

Sarah : “It’s been a year of shocks and surprises in many ways, but for me , one of the biggest shocks was Denmark not qualifying . I was pretty certain Saba had done enough to qualify but it wasn’t to be. Another shock was Belgium not qualifying, when every one was convinced Mustii would go through . Another Kate Ryan moment for Belgium ??? ” I was surprised the UK got 0 points in the public vote. Given Olly Alexander’s fan base and the fact that the staging was quite unique , I didn’t think he would do so badly !

Richard : “There were plenty of shocks and scandals at the 2024 Eurovision Song Contest. Sadly for me, it was the behaviour of the so-called ‘fans’ in the arena. I found it unforgivable and it made me feel really uncomfortable.”

Bogdan : “I continue my idea from my previous answer. I think it’s a mystery how come one of the most loved songs of the night didn’t reach top 10. I’m still talking about you Spain. On a positive note, I was extremely happy to see France being so appreciated.”

Ireland achieved their best result for some years, getting 6th place. Did you expect them to achieve this result and do you think they can build on this going forward to next year?

John :” I was happy that Ireland made the Grand Final. I’ve said it elsewhere that safe doesn’t win Eurovision, and Bambie’s song was anything but safe. It proves that taking a chance can pay off, and I hope RTÉ don’t revert to something beige in 2025.”

James :“I remember the first time I listened to Doomsday Blue I thought it was genius – and even in recordings for Eurovision Ireland’s YouTube channel I raved that as much as I loved the song, I suspected that sending it to Eurovision would be a mistake. But I stand corrected, it was a bold move and it paid off! I expected it to qualify, but to be the storming success it was… WOW!! As for building on this success, well, that will be the telling part, won’t it?! We’ve seen it with many countries, they suddenly do very well at Eurovision but then we have to wait till the next year to see if it’s the beginning of a new chapter, or a fluke. Arguably Switzerland started on an upward trajectory in 2019 that led to victory. The UK came 2nd in 2022 and promptly found themselves languishing near the bottom of the scoreboard again in the next 2 contests… let’s hope this success with Bambie ignites the start of an Irish resurgence at Eurovision!”

Sarah : ” I was delighted to see Ireland not only qualify for the Grand Final for the first time since 2018 but also get a very respectable 6th place too ! Yes, this was probably one of the most “unsafe ” songs that Ireland could have sent but Bambie Thug clearly knew what it would take to impress audiences around Europe and they produced some very unique and different staging ! I really hope RTE take note of this year’s result and continue to give acts prepared to go that extra mile and produce something other than safe , a chance .”

Richard : “Ireland, what can I say. I am so proud of everyone who was part of their delegation and further team this year. At one point, Bambie Thug was 4th favourite to win the whole Contest, so finishing 6th will be a massive achievement for RTE. At the end of the day, reaching the Grand Final was the main goal. I hope RTE go forward and continue taking the risk that they did this year.”

Bogdan : “I was not surprised to see Bambie Thug in the 6th place. The show was captivating; it was well constructed, performed and definitely memorable. I hope Ireland learns from this experience and stop sending generic songs like in the past years. Safe and generic songs don’t remain in the audience’s mind.”

What are your hopes for Switzerland 2025 and which city would you prefer to host?

John:“I hope that Switzerland manage to run a less turbulent contest in 2025, ensuring it’s all about the music. I’m happy with either Geneva or Zürich hosting. Geneva is closer to the EBU base, but Zürich has the more suitable venue.”

James : “As always, I would like to see more countries come back to the fold for next year’s contest. I’ve hoping that rumours about Monaco, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Montenegro and Bulgaria prove to be true! I’ve love the likes of Andorra, Slovakia and Türkiye back in too, but one step at a time!! I’m curious to see what a Swiss hosting will look like, it’s been a long time since 1989! If I could choose where to host the next contest… hmmm… I love Geneva and Zürich for different reasons. I feel like Geneva’s stance as city of international diplomacy would be a welcome home for our beloved contest, but Zürich is closer to Austria and Liechtenstein for day trips… I’ve also heard Bern is lovely too!”

Sarah : ” I hope that next year , the contest will run much more smoothly, without all the drama and upset that happened in Malmö. I have no preference for host city , there are so many fabulous places to see in Switzerland . I would also like Gjon’s Tears to get the opportunity to perform the song he should have performed at Eurovision 2020 but didn’t because of the contest being cancelled. If Italy can give that opportunity to Diodato, I am sure Switzerland could do the same for Gjon’s Tears !”

Richard: “My hopes for the 2025 Eurovision Song Contest, in Switzerland? Firstly choose a host city that’ll deliver the standards of Liverpool – Malmo nearly had it, but the theme art could’ve been used further. With the Contest been held in the original host country, I’d like to see SRG SSR, the Swiss national broadcaster, really embrace the Contest’s heritage.”

Bogdan : “I just want to see a good show in Switzerland. I am feeling quite nostalgic, but wouldn’t it be wonderful to have the contest back in Lugano?”

So that’s what we all think about Eurovision 2024 , what a contest it’s been ! We at Eurovision Ireland would like to thank our readers and followers for following us on the journey to Malmö and beyond !We will now close our coverage of this year’s contest and turn our attentions to the upcoming Junior Eurovision Contest to take place in Madrid later in the year. Look out for news on that in the next weeks and build up to the contest .

Let us know your thoughts on Eurovision 2024 .Do you agree with our views? You can leave a comment below or find us on our Facebook, x and Instagram feeds .

Author :Sarah Rudman

Source : Eurovision Ireland .