Tel Aviv Calling: Update

It's time for your weekly Eurovision update as the largest music festival in the world slowly comes closer! We will update you on the latest news, gossip and more weekly here on OUT.tv
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Israeli lawyer wants BDSM band Hatari banned from competing


The Icelandic BSDM band Hatari has turned heads with their music and looks. They’re an politically outspoken BDSM band and not everyone is all that eager for them to take the stage in Tel Aviv. Nitsana Darshan, Leitner, an Israeli lawyor, is calling for the Interior Minister to ban Hatari from performing at Eurovision in May. This because of their widely publicized stance on Palestine.

Nitsana is the head of Shurat HaDin, an NGO which offers legal representation for people involved in Jewish and Israeli causes. Nitsana claims that Hatari intend to take advantage of the Eurovision opportunity to stage a protest against Israel.

2017 Winner reflects on ‘’fast-food music’’ remark

The winner of The Eurovision Song Contest 2017, Salvador Sobral, stirred a little bit of controversy during his winner’s speech. He referred to Eurovision music as ‘’fast-food music’’. Now it seems that the Portuguese singer has taken on a more sympathetic stance towards the songs.

“Nowadays I think maybe I was too fundamentalist, maybe too extreme. Because Eurovision… My opinion is it’s not really about music. It’s about the show. It’s a show to make people enjoy all the new technology, the new sound of things, you know.”

While he changed his tune regarding the music, he did not seem to reflect all that fondly on his Eurovision experience, describing his Eurovision participation as his ‘’prostitution’’.

The Netherlands becomes bookmakers’ favorite!



With the song Arcade, Duncan Laurence has become one of the most popular contestants among bookmakers. He surpassed the previous favorite, Russia’s contestant Sergey Lazarev, in the predictions.



Alexander Rybak (2009 winner & 2018 contestant) is still in favor of Sergey however. He expressed his support to Sergey on Instagram, saying: “Seryozha, congrats. It’s real art! This time, you will win. Not because ‘Russia’, but because ‘music’.”

All contestants have been announced! Watch the latest contestants below.
Armenia: Srbuk – Walking Out


Azerbaijan: Chingiz – Truth


Belarus: ZENA – Like It


Ireland: Sarah McTernan – 22


Macedonia: Tamara Todevska – Proud


Malta: Michela – Chameleon


The Netherlands: Duncan Laurence – Arcade


Poland: Tulia – Fire of Love


Russia: Sergey Lazarev – Scream


San Marino: Serhat – Say Na Na Na


Sweden: John Lundvik – Too Late For Love


Switzerland: Luca Hänni – She Got Me

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