Eurovision's 2023 Grand Final was everything the internet hoped for and more
With its fusion of pop spectacle, diverse cultural elements, and some very lovely camp, the Eurovision Song Contest never fails to disappoint. 2023 marked the 67th edition of the international song competition and its main event, The Grand Final, was nothing short of spectacular. The world's biggest, wackiest, most wonderful musical competition was a riotous extravaganza and social media brought out its memes for the occasion.
This year's event was hosted in Liverpool, England in lieu of Ukraine due to its ongoing war with Russia. Traditionally, the winning country hosts the festivities the following year, in this case, Ukraine, which won Eurovision 2022 with Kalush Orchestra's "Stefania." Due to the war, the UK, last year's runners-up, hosted on Ukraine's behalf.
Even before the start of the Grand Final, Twitter users were already hotly debating who would be this year's winner. While the fan favorite so far seems to be the infectious "Cha Cha Cha" by Finland's Käärijä, the frontrunner without a doubt was Sweden.
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If you want full context about what makes Eurovision so great, you can read our write-up here.
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As the show progressed and each country gave the performance of their life, the memes were not lacking whatsoever. Austria kicked things off with a lovely Edgar Allan Poe tribute.
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Kate Middleton also made an appearance during introductions
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Performances from France and Serbia sent social media into a tailspin, with some confused by or in love with the staging of each song.
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Spain was...well, not very good.
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The memes for Finland and Sweden's performances were, just like their songs, immaculate. But also a shoutout to the Estonian singer who communicated "Cha Cha Cha" to viewers.
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The Grand Final goes to...
According to the BBC, this year's Eurovision was the most-watched final in the competition's history. It's easy to see why hundreds of millions of fans worldwide watched as Sweden and Loreen won once again. Her second win since 2012, Loreen becomes the first woman to win the contest twice, with Sweden tying Ireland's Eurovision wins record at seven a piece. Most were delighted for Loreen and Sweden, others were suspicious, and many felt that their country was robbed.
Outside of Sweden, the top five included runners-up Finland, Israel, Italy, and Norway. You can view the full list of winners on the Eurovision website.
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Chance Townsend is the General Assignments Editor at Mashable, covering tech, video games, dating apps, digital culture, and whatever else comes his way. He has a Master's in Journalism from the University of North Texas and is a proud orange cat father. His writing has also appeared in PC Mag and Mother Jones.
In his free time, he cooks, loves to sleep, and greatly enjoys Detroit sports. If you have any tips or want to talk shop about the Lions, you can reach out to him on Bluesky @offbrandchance.bsky.social or by email at [email protected].
