Bambie Thug: From Malmö to a song boycott – the Irish representative’s protest against Israel continues

The Irish representative Bambie Thug has once again stirred up the Eurovision community with a controversial statement and a decision to boycott their song „Doomsday Blue“ until Israel is excluded from the competition.

Their announcement, made during a recent performance at the Lowlands Festival in the Netherlands, has sparked numerous reactions.

Boycotting the Song as an Act of Protest

During the festival performance, Bambie Thug addressed the audience, explaining the reasons for not performing their Eurovision entry. „Because of the state of the world and because of the state of that competition, I am boycotting that song (‘Doomsday Blue’),“ they said, adding, „If one day they get their acts together and kick Israel out of the competition, then I will sing it again.“

The video, which went viral on TikTok, has drawn mixed reactions. While some support their firm and principled stance, others believe the move is belated, arguing they should have boycotted their participation in the contest itself rather than just their song.

Clashes in Malmö: The Ogham script incident

This isn’t the first time Bambie Thug, Ireland’s non-binary representative, has openly voiced political views. During Eurovision 2024 in Malmö, where they secured an impressive sixth place for Ireland and the country’s first final placement since 2018, a conflict arose with the European Broadcasting Union’s (EBU) rules.

The EBU instructed them to remove pro-Palestinian messages written in the ancient Ogham script from their body before rehearsals. At the time, Bambie Thug called the move censorship. At a post-final press conference, they openly criticized the EBU, stating they „felt exploited“ by the organizers.

They emphasized that the EBU allowed the Israeli broadcaster KAN to „make them a scapegoat“ and that the situation „completely overshadowed everything, going against everything that Eurovision is supposed to represent.“ They also admitted to „crying with their team“ upon learning that Israel had qualified for the final.

There’s no doubt that Bambie Thug, in addition to their unique „ouija pop“ musical style, left a significant mark on Eurovision 2024 with their political engagement. Their latest action confirms they are ready to continue raising their voice and refuse to compromise, even when it comes to the very song that brought them fame. The Eurovision community will continue to follow their every move, while the question of the contest’s political neutrality remains open.

Ireland’s representative at the Eurovision Song Contest 2024 in Malmö