Bambie Thug to make statement about trans rights on stage during Eurovision performance

Bambie Thug, who is non-binary, has a dramatic costume reveal halfway through the staging and casts off a gothic gown to unveil a bespoke ensemble in the light blue and pink colours of the trans flag.

Bambie Thug has previously spoken about being non-binary and a queer artist. They told the Sunday Independent their EP ‘Cathexis’ was “about being a queer person, overlooked in the world”.

On Monday afternoon, those performing in the first semi-final took to the stage for their dress rehearsal.

Bambie Thug’s staging sees the artist perform ballet moves, and dance with a half man-half monster in a spell circle. There are also elaborate pyrotechnics and buckets of dry ice.

The favourite to win the song contest is currently the Croatian act Baby Lasagna with their song ‘Rim Tim Tagi Dim’, the Ukrainian and Swiss entries are also among the favourites to win the prestigious competition.

‘I don’t think it’s fair to bully artists’ – Bambie Thug on calls for acts to boycott Eurovision

Most of the staging of Tuesday night's semi-final is extremely elaborate. There are towering faux mountain tops; giant denim eggs that hatch; and a man who runs around in a nude thong before changing into a pair of denim hotpants.

During the interval, ‘Mr Eurovision’ himself, Johnny Logan, will perform Loreen’s Eurovision winner Euphoria.

Both Loreen and Logan are the only people in the history of Eurovision to win the competition twice.

Logan won with ‘What’s Another Year?’ written by Shay Healy in 1980 and again in 1987 with ‘Hold Me Now’.

He also wrote Linda Martin’s winning entry ‘Why Me?’ in 1992.

Loreen won last year's song contest with ‘Tattoo’ and with ‘Euphoria’ in 2012

There was a strong and highly-visible police presence in the city of Malmo this week.

According to reports, forces have been drafted in from across Sweden, with reinforcements from Denmark and Norway.

Drone cameras are being used throughout the festival as a means of surveillance and some police officers will be armed with supplementary weapons.

There was a particularly heavy police presence around the Malmo Arena and the Eurovision village.

There have been ongoing calls for the organisers of Eurovision, the European Broadcasting Union, to exclude Israel from the contest. In 2022, the EBU expelled Russia following the invasion of Ukraine.

The EBU says this expulsion was as a result of “consistent breaches of membership obligations and the violation of public service media values”.

There are large demonstrations planned during the course of the week and alternative Eurovision concerts being held.

Along the ‘Eurovision Street’, usually called Friisgatan Street, there were multiple Palestinian flags hanging from windows in a display of solidarity.

Malmo local, Sanaa Zakaria, is one of those taking part in the protests.

She said she was not protesting the Eurovision but Israel’s involvement.

“I will be at the protests … I am human and we should all care about human [life],” she said.

There have been multiple calls for artists to stand down from the contest.

Some of the contestants addressed the politically charged atmosphere in Malmo wen walking the turquoise carpet on Sunday night.

Non-binary Swiss act Nemo said; “I think it is really important the protests are happening and there is room for them. I also understand people who boycott this year”.

Australian acts Electric Fields said; "Artists are the medicine people and we are bringing healing and I say more medicine, more healing.”