Five acts to watch out for in Eurovision 2024

The Eurovision Song Contest acts are gearing up to perform for their chance to win the title.

The Eurovision Song Contest 2024 grand final is set to take place on 11 May in Malmö, Sweden, with the semi-finals on 7 and 9 May. Every year the event offers its share of controversial, comedy and downright bizarre.

Years and Years singer Olly Alexander will represent the UK with his song Dizzy. His entry has had mixed reaction from fans, with some loving it while others complaining it is too repetitive. A poll by Yahoo UK found 78 per cent of over 1000 voters believed the song has no chance of winning this year's competition.

Israel's entry, Hurricane by Edan Golan, has caused controversy as some believe they should not have been allowed into the contest due to the conflict in Gaza. And for that reason many Eurovision fans are staging a boycott of the contest this year.

But who are the other acts taking part in this year's contest? Here are Yahoo UK's five acts to look out for in Eurovision 2024.

The Code | Nemo | Switzerland

The Code, by Swiss singer Nemo Mettler is currently the bookmakers' stand-out favourite to win Eurovision this year. The song starts as a ballad, breaks out into a rap and then becomes a dance track, as well as showing off Nemo's almost operatic vocal abilities.

Nemo has said the song - a play on binary computer code - tells the story of their journey to coming out as non-binary. Nemo said: "The Code is about the journey I started with the realisation that I am neither a man nor a woman. Finding myself has been a long and often difficult process for me. But nothing feels better than the freedom I have gained by realising that I am non-binary.”

The catchy chorus goes: "I, I went to hell and back/Too find myself on track/I broke the code, Oh oh oh/Like ammonites."

Fans can expecting a dramatic stage performance if the music video is anything to go by. Nemo walks through a train carriage singing, their clothes constantly changing but always bright, big and bubbly.

No Rules | Windows95man | Finland

There are no rules when it comes to comedy acts at Eurovision - nor in regards to racy costumes. Finland's Windows95man promises to entertain this year with retro dance number No Rules, offering a big serving of 90s nostalgia.

Windows95man is in fact visual artist Teemu Keisteri, performing with singer, TV presenter and voice actor Henri Piispanen, who actually sings the majority of the track. Fun fact: Piispanen voices roles in the Finnish dubbed versions of kids' TV shows Miraculous, Ninjago and he is Chase in PAW Patrol.

Keep your eyes peeled for Windows95man wearing a tiny, flesh-coloured thong as he performs a number of flash poses a la Tonikaku 'Don't worry, I'm wearing pants' from last year's Britain's Got Talent. And in his big finale includes shooting fireworks out of his shorts.

Rim Tim Tagi Dim | Baby Lasagna | Croatia

It's little wonder this rock entry from Croatian musician Marko Purisic, performing as Baby Lasagna is second favourite to win this year's Eurovision - it ticks so many boxes.

National folk costume - check. Angry hard rock music - check. Repetitive chorus - check. Comedic lyrics - check. Lots of eyeliner - check. Purisic even milks a cow in the music video - perhaps a nod to Poland's performing milk maids of Eurovision 2014?

Rim Tim Tagi Dim is apparently the name of a folk dance from the small rural village where he is from, and the song tells the story of small town boy, leaving Croatia in search of a better life. The song has gained attention for lyrics including, "I'm a big now/I'm going away and a sold my cow" and "Bye mum, by dad/Meow cat, please meow back."

Doomsday Blue | Bambie Thug | Ireland

Meet Bambie Thug, Ireland's Eurovision entry who claims to have developed their very own musical genre called ouija-pop. Doomsday Blue is mix of terrifying images of witchcraft, voodoo magic and heavy rock screaming with a cutesy pop track with a catchy chorus about negotiating a difficult relationship.

Bambie Thug identifies as non-binary. They told Pink News: “I allowed myself to be more free as a person and therefore more free in my music. Bambie Thug the project is two-and-a-half years old now, and it’s been steadily going up. Something in the universe said, ‘OK, now you have aligned. You are ready’."

Bambie Thug has a side hustle working as a party princess for disabled children, and has insisted they are not an angry person. They said: "I bottle it all up and I think my performance is the outlet for all my rage, because I’m not a very angry person."

Teresa & Maria | alyona alyona & Jerry Heil | Ukraine

Ukraine are doubling their chances of success this year by teaming up two of the country's most successful artists for a rousing duet.

alyona alyona is Ukraine's most popular female rapper and also happened to co-found the music label that 2022 winners Kalush Orchestra are signed with, so her credentials are solid.

She's been paired with Jerry Heil, who has amassed legions of fans since she started posting her work online four years ago and together they will be hoping for success with Teresa & Maria.

The duo have said that the song was written to remind people that "all the divas were born as human beings" - that we all start small and it is our actions that define us.

The first Eurovision 2024 Semi-Final will air on BBC One at 8pm on Tuesday 7 May. The Eurovision Grand Final takes place on Saturday 11 May.

Read more: Eurovision

• Eurovision entrants grapple with diplomacy on Gaza ahead of this year's contest (Sky News, 2 min read)

• UK Cinema Refuses To Screen Eurovision Song Contest “While Israel Remains In Competition” (Deadline, 2 min read)

• When is Eurovision 2024 and who is the UK's entry Olly Alexander? (Yahoo UK, 5 min read)