Eurovision's Netherlands act misses rehearsals due to "incident"
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The Netherlands' representative for the Eurovision Song Contest missed Friday's dress rehearsal as origanisers investigated an "incident" involving the performer.
Joost Klein was set to sing the Netherlands' official entrant track 'Europapa' during the show on Friday night (May 10), but an announcement was made to the live crowd that Klein would not appear.
A spokesperson for the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) has told Sky News: "We are currently investigating an incident that was reported to us involving the Dutch artist. He will not be rehearsing until further notice.
"We have no further comment at this time and will update in due course."
Related: Why is the UK performing in the Eurovision semi-finals?
There is no official word yet on whether Klein will perform during Saturday's grand finale in Malmö.
Klein had been present on stage at the beginning of Friday's rehearsal at Malmö Arena for the flag parade before a decision was made to cancel the artist's live performance.
Instead, organisers replayed Klein performing 'Europapa' from the semi-final earlier in the week.
Klein was also present during a press conference on Thursday where Israeli entrant Eden Golan was asked whether her involvement was causing a security risk for other contestants.
Swedish presenter Jovan Radomir interrupted to tell Golan she didn't have to answer the question before Joost Klein could be heard asking: "Why not?"
Related: Bambie Thug becomes Ireland's first Eurovision finalist in 6 years
Controversy continues to envelop this year's Eurovision Song Contest due to the humanitarian crisis unfolding between Israel and Palestine.
The long-running conflict between Israel and Palestine reignited following Hamas's attack on Israel on October 7, 2024, which has led to recurring attacks by Israel. Ongoing calls for a ceasefire continue including from the UK, which voted for a ceasefire at the UN Security Council in March.
Some have called for the expulsion of Israel from Eurovision 2024, and some fans have boycotted the event entirely.
Eurovision competitors including UK's Olly Alexander made a statement calling for a ceasefire, and other celebrities have made similar calls, including Mean Girls’ Reńee Rapp, Euphoria star Hunter Schafer, and Marvel actor Mark Ruffalo. In February, Mark Ruffalo told Deadline: "We've come to understand this bombing isn't working, we're not going to bomb our way to peace, and all we're saying is, what's wrong with giving a ceasefire a chance?”
Writer/director Jonathan Glazer also spoke out at the Oscars in March during his acceptance speech for Best International Feature for The Zone of Interest, which depicts a family living next door to a concentration camp in Auschwitz.
The grand finale of the Eurovision Song Contest 2024 will air on Saturday at 8pm on BBC One, following the two-part season premiere of Doctor Who.
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