Sweden’s Loreen won the Eurovision Song Contest on Saturday with her song “Tattoo.” She received 583 points, beating Finland’s Käärijä, who came in second place with 526 points. The UK’s Mae Muller finished second from bottom.
The show opened with a performance by last year’s winners, Ukraine’s Kalush Orchestra, featuring a surprise cameo by Catherine, Princess of Wales. The contest was held in Liverpool this year, because the war in Ukraine prevents them hosting.
The home city of Ukraine’s Eurovision act was hit by Russian missiles moments before the band took to the stage. Two people were injured in the attack.
Despite the attack, Tvorchi, the Ukrainian act, gave an emotional performance of their song “Heart of Steel.” They held their fists in the air at the end of their performance, and acts from other nations were also seen waving the blue and yellow flag of Ukraine.
The UK’s ambassador to Ukraine Dame Melinda Simmons described Tvorchi’s Eurovision performance as “poignant.” She added: “Reminder that the reason why Ukraine could not host this event is because Russia continues to invade and the people of Ukraine live in continuing danger.”
The Eurovision Song Contest is an annual international singing competition organized by the European Broadcasting Union. It is one of the most watched non-sporting events in the world, and this year’s contest was watched by an estimated 183 million people.
