Overview
- The 70th Eurovision grand final in Vienna starts Saturday at 9 p.m. local time, with 25 acts competing and a winner expected near 1 a.m.
- Spain, Ireland, Iceland, Slovenia and the Netherlands are boycotting this year’s contest in protest of Israel’s participation and the war in Gaza.
- Vienna police tightened security with wide cordons, bag bans and drone restrictions, and they vetted about 16,000 accredited people connected to the event.
- New rules restore jury votes in the semifinals and cut each viewer’s votes to 10, changes meant to curb strategic televoting after last year’s controversies.
- Betting markets put Finland’s Linda Lampenius and Pete Parkkonen out front, while Germany’s Sarah Engels starts second, a slot fans view as a handicap that matches her long odds.