The Eurovision Song Contest is back once more, with this year’s event taking place at the Malmö Arena in Sweden. 11 May is the date of the final round, but what music fans want to know is who is going to win it. With 37 countries taking part and many different musical styles present in their songs, choosing a winner could prove to be a challenge.
Who Are the Favourites?
At the time of writing, the Eurovision 2024 odds show Switzerland as the favourite, as odds of 15/8. The Swiss have won the competition twice, with the last time being in 1988 when Celine Dion represented them by singing Ne partez pas sans moi. This year’s entry is The Code by Nemo, which deals with the singer’s non-binary identity.
Croatia sits in second place right now, at odds of 16/5. This would be their first win, as no Croatian song has finished higher than fourth until now. They’ve opted for a comedy effort this year, with Baby Lasagna’s Rim Tim Tagi Dim taking a light-hearted look at the subject of Croatians leaving the country to find work.
The Netherlands song is another that’s been hotly-tipped to win, with current odds of 5/1. The Dutch have won Eurovision on five occasions, with Arcade by Duncan Laurence producing their last win in 2019. Their entrant this time around is called Europapa and it’s a retro hardcore effort sung by Joost Klein.
How Can You Decide Which Song Will Win?
There’s no guarantee for success when betting on events like this, but you might get some inspiration by looking at some sports tips in the online betting market. The latest pieces of advice in this area cover the form of the big football teams and the weather conditions of upcoming horse races.
However, the uniqueness of Eurovision largely comes from the fact that each country’s viewers cast their votes for their favourites. This means that we need to take into account the tastes of each audience when working out who might win. It’s not simply a question of the best song winning although the introduction of a professional jury alongside the public televote in 2023 may help to make the results more predictable from now on.
What About the UK’s Entry?
The British entry hasn’t been mentioned yet and that’s because Dizzy by Olly Alexander isn’t near the top of the list of favourites. It’s an energetic dance track with synth backing that’s received a fairly lukewarm reception but could it provide the country’s sixth victory? One advantage for Dizzy is that the UK’s song misses the semi-final and goes straight to the final stage.
The recent introduction of the professional jury may make it easier to predict the winner of the 2024 Eurovision Song Contest. However, with so many interesting songs included this year, it’s still going to be an exciting event that attracts millions of viewers across Europe.