Iceland’s most rubber-curious zombie-tween techno group Hatari have advanced to the final of the Eurovision Song Contest 2019.
After months of speculation about whether they’d be disqualified for speaking out about Israel and Palestine, withdraw as a protest, or unfurl a Palestinian flag on the main stage of Eurovision, Hatari’s performance went by smoothly. They gave a scorching rendition of “Hatrið Mun Sigra”—a song about the fall of Europe—complete with dizzying visuals and pyrotechnics.
The band have come under considerable criticism for taking part, from Palestinians and Israelis alike. And, for their part, they have been transparent about their personal politics and reasons for taking part.
Criticism aside, the Eurovision audience were vocal in their enjoyment of the performance. Going in as strong favourites, Hatari received the biggest cheer of the night in the arena.
Let’s take this moment to reflect on how weird #Eurovision is. A bunch of people cheering fireworks in a convention centre. Also: What th FUCK? ESTONIA? That was the worst one!
— Reykjavík Grapevine (@rvkgrapevine) May 14, 2019
The final takes place on Saturday. Get a commemorative poster of our Hatari cover story here. Read our live-tweet thread of the evening here, and follow us on Twitter to see Saturday’s live commentary.
Read more about Hatari here.
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