Bambie Thug not boycotting Eurovision

Cork Eurovision hopeful Bambie Thug has confirmed that they will participate in the upcoming Eurovision Song Contest, despite facing mounting pressure to boycott the event.

Amid calls for Ireland to withdraw from the competition due to Israel's controversial involvement, Bambie Thug, hailing from Macroom, took to Instagram to confirm their decision that they will perform in Malmo, Sweden, next month.

“As an Irish person with a shared history of occupation and a queer individual, I cannot and will not remain silent,” they said.

“I am aware of the calls to withdraw, but stepping back now would mean one less Pro-Palestinian voice at the contest.

“My heart and solidarity has and always will lie with the oppressed, and I remain committed to supporting and using my platform to raise awareness and advocate for change,” they added.

The non-binary artist, who will perform their song ‘Doomsday Blue’, also released a joint statement with 8 other Eurovision artists, including the UK’s Olly Alexander, which said: “We stand against all forms of hate, including anti-semitism and islamophobia. We firmly believe in the unifying power of music, enabling people to transcend differences and foster meaningful conversations and connections.

“We feel that it is our duty to create and uphold this space, with a strong hope that it will inspire greater compassion and empathy.”

Russia was banned from the Eurovision in 2022 following its invasion of Ukraine, and Bambie Thug has previously urged for similar sanctions to be placed on Israel.

Last month, RTÉ revealed that it received nearly 1,500 emails requesting that the national broadcaster boycott the Eurovision Song Contest due to Israeli participation.

Israel's contestant, Eden Golan, initially submitted a song titled 'October Rain' for the competition. However, after it was suggested that the song references the victims of the Hamas attack on 7 October, it was renamed 'Hurricane' to comply with Eurovision's ban on political statements.

Bambie Thug is scheduled to perform fourth in the line-up during the Eurovision semi-final on Tuesday 7 May.

The first semi-final will feature a total of 15 acts, while the second semi-final will showcase 16 performers. The top ten acts from each semi-final will advance to the contest's final round, slated for Saturday 11 May.