LIVERPOOL, England (AP) 鈥� won the on Saturday night with her power ballad 鈥淭attoo,鈥� at a colorful, eclectic music competition clouded for a second year running by the war in Ukraine.
The diva from Stockholm beat acts from 25 other countries to take the continent鈥檚 pop crown at the final of the competition in Liverpool. Finnish singer K盲盲rij盲 was second in a close-fought battle of the Nordic neighbors.
Loreen previously won Eurovision in 2012 and is only the second performer to take the prize twice, after Ireland鈥檚 Johnny Logan in the 1980s. It鈥檚 Sweden鈥檚 seventh Eurovision victory, matching Ireland's record.
Loreen said winning a second time was 鈥渙verwhelming.鈥�
Britain hosted Eurovision ton behalf of Ukraine, which won last year but couldn鈥檛 take up its right to hold the contest because of the war. Air raid sirens sounded across Ukraine as the contest was underway, and Ukrainian media reported a strike in Ternopil, home town of Ukraine鈥檚 Eurovision entry, Tvorchi.
Under the slogan 鈥渦nited by music,鈥� Eurovision final fused the soul of English port city that birthed The Beatles with
The sights and sounds of Ukraine ran through the show, starting with an opening film that showed singing and dancing in the Kyiv subway, with the tune picked up by musicians in the U.K. 鈥� including Kate, Princess of Wales, shown playing the piano.
The folk-rap band itself then emerged onstage in the Liverpool Arena on a giant pair of outstretched hands, accompanied by massed drummers.
Contestants from the 26 finalist nations entered the arena in an Olympics-style flag parade, accompanied by live performances from Ukrainian acts including Go A, , Tina Karol and Verka Serduchka 鈥� all past Eurovision competitors.
Now in its 67th year, Eurovision bills itself as the world's biggest music contest 鈥� an Olympiad of party-friendly pop. Competitors each have three minutes to meld catchy tunes and into performances capable of winning the hearts of millions of viewers.
Loreen had been the bookies' favorite and won by far the most votes from professional juries in Eurovision's complex voting system. She faced a strong challenge from K盲盲rij盲, a wildly energetic performer whose rap-pop party anthem 鈥淐ha Cha Cha鈥� won the public vote.
Israel鈥檚 Noa Kirel came in third with power-pop anthem 鈥淯nicorn,鈥� while Italy鈥檚 Marco Mengoni was fourth with his ballad 鈥淒ue Vite鈥� (Two Lives).
The varied tastes of the continent were on display in a contest that took in the cabaret-style singing of Portugal's Mimicat; the Britney-esque power pop of Poland's Blanka; echoes of Edith Piaf from La Zarra for France; and smoldering balladry from Cyprus' entry, Andrew Lambrou.
From Australia 鈥� a Eurovision contender despite its far-away location 鈥� guitar band Voyager evoked head-banging '80s stadium rock. Croatia鈥檚 Let 3 offered a surreal antiwar rock opera, and Austrian duo Teya & Salena sent up the music industry in Poe-referencing song 鈥淲ho the Hell is Edgar?鈥�
Electronica duo Tvorchi paid tribute to Ukraine鈥檚 resilience on 鈥淗eart of Steel," coming sixth.
Britain's Mae Muller drew the unenviable final performance slot of the night with her jaunty breakup anthem 鈥淚 Wrote a Song.鈥� She came in second to last place 鈥� but at least avoided the humiliation of getting 鈥渘ul points鈥� 鈥� zero points.
While votes were cast and counted, Sam Ryder, last year鈥檚 runner-up for Britain, performed his new single 鈥淢ountain,鈥� accompanied by Queen drummer Roger Taylor. A 鈥淟iverpool Songbook鈥� segment featured past Eurovision stars performing songs from the city, including John Lennon鈥檚 鈥淚magine,鈥� 鈥淵ou Spin Me Round (Like a Record)鈥� by Dead or Alive and the unofficial civic anthem 鈥淵ou鈥檒l Never Walk Alone" 鈥� with the audience joining in, as a tribute to both Liverpool and Ukraine.
About 6,000 fans watched the show inside the arena, and tens of thousands more at a Liverpool fan zone and at big-screen events across the U.K. The global television audience has been estimated at 160 million.
Under spring sunshine, fans flocked in their thousands to city鈥檚 dockside area 鈥� now a vast party zone 鈥� near the contest venue ahead of the contest. Many were draped in flags of their favored nations or dressed as their favorite acts.
鈥淛ust to come down and see people from all different nationalities, all different cultures 鈥� it鈥檚 good fun,鈥� said Australia fan Martin Troedel, sporting a kangaroo on his hat.鈥淔rankly there鈥檚 some quite odd acts, which is what I love about it. You never know what to expect.鈥�
Liverpool embraced Eurovision, and Ukraine, with businesses across the city flying Ukrainian flags and a program of cultural events introducing locals to the art, music and food of the eastern European country.
But organizers said they turned down a request by to make a video address. The European Broadcasting Union said that would breach 鈥渢he nonpolitical nature of the event.鈥�
Founded in 1956, Eurovision is a European cultural institution that has produced breakout stars 鈥� ABBA and Celine Dion are both past winners 鈥� alongside performers whose careers sank without a trace.
In recent years, it has once again become a platform that can launch stars. Italian rock band M氓neskin, who won in 2021, have played major U.S. festivals and opened for the Rolling Stones on tour. Ryder has had a No. 1 album and performed at the Glastonbury festival.
鈥淎BBA did it in the 1970s, then it went quiet and it wasn鈥檛 quite seen as the launchpad it is now," said Steve Holden, host of the official Eurovision Song Contest podcast. "Now, the music industry, the world, knows that if you appear at Eurovision, you could be in for a great thing.鈥�
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Jill Lawless, The Associated Press
