Madonna to perform two songs at Eurovision in Tel Aviv
Nicholas Hunt/Getty
Madonna is set to perform two songs at the final of this year’s Eurovision Song Contest in Tel Aviv on May 18.
The pop star will sing one well known track alongside a new song and will be paid $1 million for the performance, according to Haaretz.
Madonna had been rumoured to be performing at the contest for months, but had reportedly clashed with organisers when she said she wanted to perform a new song with political messages.
This will be her fourth time performing in Israel. She first played in the country in 1993, followed by performances in 2009 and 2012.
Madonna is expected to spend several days in Israel ahead of the performance, and will travel with an entourage of 160 people.
Canadian-Israeli billionaire Sylvan Adams is reportedly set to pay for Madonna’s performance at Eurovision.
An associate of Adams, businessman Danny Ben Naim, told YNet in February that they were holding “round-the-clock” negotiations with Madonna’s representatives.
“Adams believes that the participation of an artist like Madonna in this year’s how will significantly increase the exposure and media coverage of the Eurovision Song Contest itself and the corresponding events… as well as of the wonderful people and beauty of the State of Israel.”
The Eurovision Song Contest has attracted controversy this year because of the ongoing Israel-Palestinian conflict
The news comes as the Eurovision Song Contest continues to attract controversy, with some calling for a boycott over the ongoing Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
In January, 50 cultural figures—including Peter Gabriel—in the UK signed an open letter to the Guardian in which they said they could not ignore “Israel’s systematic violation of Palestinian human rights.”
“Adams believes that the participation of an artist like Madonna in this year’s how will significantly increase the exposure and media coverage of the Eurovision Song Contest itself and the corresponding events.”
– Danny Ben Naim
“When discrimination and exclusion are so deeply embedded, Eurovision 2019’s claim to celebrate the diversity and inclusion must ring hollow.
“Much more in tune with ‘inclusivity’ is the outpouring of support across Europe for the Palestinian call for artists and broadcasters not to go to Tel Aviv,” the letter continued.
Madonna (Theo Wargo/Getty)
There was a 54 percent increase in homophobic incidents in Tel Aviv in 2018
Meanwhile, there was a 54 percent increase in homophobic incidents recorded in 2018 in Israel, with one third of incidents taking place in Tel Aviv.
Tel Aviv is widely considered the country’s most LGBT+ friendly city and was chosen by Eurovision organisers as the home of the 2019 Eurovision song contest.
42 countries are set to compete at the 2019 Eurovision Song Contest—despite calls for boycotts in many countries.
Madonna was recently awarded the Advocate for Change Award by GLAAD. Last week, she teased a new project on Instagram—likely a new album, which she has said she is working on—by posting a series of images that together formed a big red X.
