Sweden ascends to Eurovision Olympus with its seventh victory. Spain 17

Liverpool (UK), May 13 (EFE). – The Eurovision 2023 final kicked off this Saturday with the performance of the same artists who concluded the previous version, the Ukrainian Kalush Orchestra, its current champion, an unexpected champion: Kate Middleton.

It is in the opening video, after a panoramic view of Windsor Castle, when the Princess of Wales appears in a row only dressed in blue and sitting at the piano while accompanied by Keys rendition of “Stefania”, the winning theme. 2022.

Their participation served as a reminder of the wave of solidarity across Europe that Ukraine raised at the festival shortly after Russia attacked it last year, and that this conflict is still responsible for the fact that the festival is not taking place there in this edition, but in Liverpool (UK), Birthplace of the Beatles.

On its docks on the banks of the River Mersey, with its old red brick barracks converted into the city’s most prestigious area, is the Liverpool Arena, which hosts performances by 26 favorites to win, including Spain’s Blanca Paloma. , which could have slipped through the Flemish lullaby “EaEa” to number one.

Except for the surprise loophole that they gave to the Finnish funny Käärijä with “Cha Cha Cha Cha”, the stakes point above all to the Swedish Loreen as the favorite, who with “Tattoo” could repeat the victory she had already won in this in 2012 and become the first woman in the history of Eurovision raises the crystal microphone twice.

As a great novelty, in this final, the popular vote will not be limited to Europe and Australia, so that citizens of countries such as Latin America can support their favorite artists, a support that will eventually be considered one country, “the rest of the world”. , to be added to other countries in the competition.