- Written by Adrian Murray
- Report from Malmö
Security has been stepped up in Sweden's third largest city, Malmö, in preparation for the Eurovision Song Contest, with large-scale demonstrations planned to coincide with the event, and the country is already on high alert.
Police and organizers said they were well prepared and expected it to be a “fun” event.
The annual pop and showbiz feel-good extravaganza is this year overshadowed by complaints from some quarters about Israel's participation in the Gaza war. Sweden is already facing increasing security challenges, and Malmö is expected to be the site of the largest police operation in the country's history.
As many as 100,000 visitors are expected to descend on the city on Sweden's southwest coast for the world's biggest live music competition.
Colorful Eurovision banners adorn many of the city's streets, and Malmö is the third host city since last year when Swedish artist Laureen won the competition in Liverpool with her hit song “Tattoo”. This is the second time.
The celebratory program begins on Saturday with semi-finals taking place next Tuesday and Thursday, culminating in the grand final on May 11th. An estimated 200 million viewers worldwide are expected to watch his four-hour spectacle.
Troops were recruited from all over Sweden, with reinforcements from neighboring Denmark and Norway. Swedish police are usually armed, but some officers carry larger weapons as a precaution.
Malmö police chief Petra Stenkla said the entire country was already at a “four out of five terror level”.
“I think it's clear that the anxiety in the world is having an impact on Eurovision as well,” she told the BBC. “There have been protests against Israel's participation in the competition in Sweden, especially in Malmö.''
The police chief said there was no particular threat in connection with the incident, but the alert level was raised in August last year after a series of Koran burnings that angered the Islamic world.
An internal police report picked up by Swedish public broadcaster SVT identifies Sweden as a “priority target” for violent jihadist groups. Eurovision's 23-page threat assessment also lists riots, cyber-attacks and broadcast disruption as other potential risks.
“In Sweden, the police are used to dealing with very complex problems and I think they have a good plan in place,” Petra Stenkla said.
Surveillance cameras have also been installed and drones are also being used. Guests will also have to pass through airport-style security checks, including scanners and checks, when entering the venue, where hand luggage is prohibited.
“This is a very big deal for the city of Malmö, so of course it is important that everything goes smoothly,” said Malmö's security director Per Eric Everstal. “We feel very prepared.”
Officials have been planning for months and are also working with authorities in Liverpool, which hosted last year's tournament. “It was very, very helpful to us,” he told the BBC.
Malmö has hosted the Pope and also hosted a Holocaust remembrance conference two years ago. But the city's security chief said what is new is the threat to Sweden and large gatherings in general.
“This is not about Eurovision per se,” he said, noting that similar security was in place during the recent ice hockey playoffs and is planned for this month's Taylor Swift concert in Stockholm. He pointed out.
When the BBC visited the Malmö Arena on Thursday, fencing had been erected and additional cameras had been installed. Rehearsals for the 37-piece show had already begun inside the venue.
“We have a really exciting show coming up,” said Eva Adielsson, SVT's Eurovision executive producer.
“We know the discussions there, we know the demonstrations and we are well prepared. We hear it and we respect it,” she said. “But I really hope it doesn’t cast too much of a shadow.
Israeli contestant Eden Golan (20) and her song “Hurricane” will definitely attract attention.
The song, originally titled “October Rain,” alluded to the Hamas attack on southern Israel on October 7 last year. Israel's public broadcaster agreed to change the lyrics, and the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), which is in charge of the contest, gave the song the green light.
Approximately 1,200 people were killed in Israel in the Hamas attack, and 253 were taken hostage.
Since then, Israeli military attacks have killed more than 34,500 people in the Gaza Strip, according to the Hamas-controlled region's health ministry.
Commentators have suggested it is one of the most politically charged Eurovision events to date.
Earlier this year, 1,000 Swedish musicians signed an open letter calling for the exclusion of Israel.
Artists have also been the target of criticism, with the EBU saying in a statement last month that it “firmly opposes all forms of online abuse, hate speech and harassment against artists”.
SABA, a new entrant from Denmark, told foreign reporters this week that it was under huge pressure. “I've gotten a lot of messages and people can be very personal on the street.”
Israel's National Security Council issued an advisory against travel to Malmo on Thursday.
With a population of 360,000, it is one of Sweden's most diverse cities. Some members of Malmö's 1,200-strong Jewish community say they are feeling tense and anxious.
Malmö also has a large Palestinian community, and the contest sparked strong sentiment and months of weekly protests calling for an Israeli boycott of Eurovision.
“Israel is not welcome in Malmö because it is bombing civilians in Gaza,” one of the rally organizers, Palestinian resident Yomun Kadoura, told the BBC in the busy Triangeln district.
Kadoura points out that it was banned after Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
“We cannot condone or normalize genocide,” she said, a charge Israel vehemently rejects.
Police told the BBC that 10 separate demonstration applications had been submitted over the next week.
Two large rallies will be held in central Malmö, a few kilometers from the venue, on Thursday and next Saturday, to coincide with the second semi-final and final.
Other protests take place “near” the arena, but not in front of it. Alternative music performances will also be staged.
Police expect this demonstration to be larger than previous protests. Police Chief Petra Stenkla said, “Some weekends there were up to 20,000 people.''
“Even if we bring in a large number of protesters, we hope that they will follow the rules,” Per Eric Everstal said, adding that previous protests had been well organized and without problems. added.
Some demonstrations include the burning of Qurans, but police have not yet decided on that. Sweden has no law against desecrating religious texts, but such acts often cause tensions.
“This is something we are always working on, but there have been some hard feelings about these things before in Malmö,” the city's police chief said.
But despite the off-stage tensions, Eurovision will always be Eurovision, with a number of events taking place, including a special ABBA exhibition to celebrate 50 years since the Swedish quartet stole the show at Waterloo .
Eva Adielsson from Swedish Television said: “We really hope it's a great and fun week here in Malmö.'' She said: “There's so much love and passion for the Eurovision Song Contest.”