The Eurovision Song Contest 2024 grand final will take place on Saturday (May 11) in Malmo, Sweden, with the 26 finalists set to be announced after the second semi-final tonight.
UK entrant Olly Alexander is hoping for glory with his dance track Dizzy, however, notorious “curses” surrounding the competition suggest that he will not be successful.
The UK’s luck in the competition has waned in recent decades and Sam Ryder’s second place in 2022 was a rare British success after a string of lower placings.
The UK last won in 1997 with Katrina And The Waves’ Love Shine A Light, which was 16 years after Bucks Fizz’s triumph with Making Your Mind Up.
Here, Express.co.uk takes a look at the Eurovision superstitions to look out for this weekend.
Performers who wear green or incorporate the colour into their stage design tend not to fare well. They often fail to make the final, receive many “Douze Points”, and may also be awarded what used to be known as the Barbara Dex Award, given to the worst-dressed participant.
Named after the Belgian singer who performed in a handmade dress in 1993, it was rebranded in 2022 as the You’re a Vision Award and now celebrates notable outfits that champion creativity, diversity, and positivity.
Germany’s Katja Ebstein was the first to experience the infamous Curse of Green in 1970, and more recently, France’s Alvan and Ahez incorporated green lights into their performance only to finish second last in 2022.
Perhaps the most notorious curse of Eurovision, the second song performed during the final has never clinched the competition.
In fact, those who have performed in this spot have ended up last nine times – three of which were awarded the dreaded “Nul Points”. The first victim of this curse was Netherlands’s Corry Brokken who won in 1957 but finished last when she performed second the following year.
Regarding the semi-finals, introduced in 2004, the second performer has seldom qualified. This curse seemed to hold true last year as Portugal, who performed second, came in 26th place with 59 points.
The curse typically affects countries that won the competition two years prior and do not fare well or qualify for the final. Those who won the competition two years before and then hosted it the previous year, tend to perform poorly that year.
For instance, Russia, the host in 2009, came 11th in 2010 and Denmark, the 2013 host, did not qualify for the final the following year.
There are several theories as to why this phenomenon occurs, such as voters intentionally not selecting previous winners to allow others a chance at victory, or the recent victors choosing a less competitive song due to financial constraints of hosting another Eurovision event.
However, Ireland stands out as a notable exception to this trend, having achieved consecutive victories in 1992, 1993, and 1994.
The competition began in 1956 with just seven participating nations, but this number has steadily increased over the decades.
Since the introduction of a second semi-final in 2008, the total number of participants has reached 43.
This figure, however, is believed to be cursed. It’s been observed that whenever the European Broadcasting Union announces the list of 43 participating countries, one invariably withdraws.
The only exceptions to this pattern in the past 15 years occurred in 2008, 2011, and 2018.
