Sweden’s Lorin has won a historic second Eurovision Song Contest after an emotional performance in Britain celebrating Ukraine.

Liverpool, UK
CNN
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Sweden’s Lorin won the Eurovision Song Contest for the second time in a historic victory representing Ukraine in an extravagant and popular performance in Liverpool, UK.

She cemented her legacy in the kitschy and popular music competition by winning with the pop ballad Tatu, becoming only the second artist to win the competition multiple times.

Lorin won the competition in Baku in 2012 with her career-changing hit “Euphoria”. His latest win means Sweden have overtaken Ireland for the most wins in the competition with seven, and it comes 50 years after ABBA’s triumph with Waterloo catapulted them to superstardom.

The show will be held in the UK for the first time in more than two decades, after last year’s runner-up nation took over hosting duties on behalf of 2022 winners Ukraine. year.

The United Kingdom staged a dramatic and moving show that paid tribute to wartime exiles and celebrated the music of both countries. But President Volodymyr Zelensky’s request to participate in the show was rejected, organizers said on Friday.

Ukrainian electronic duo Tvorchy finished in sixth place, while the UK returned to their traditional position, climbing to second-to-last place in 25th place.

Sweden’s winning act Lorin told CNN before the final that her first win was “one of the highlights of my life”.

“Before Euphoria, I was an artist trying to find my way,” he said. “It’s like the home of the Eurovision community,” added the singer. “It’s a safe space for me.”

She is the first woman to win the pageant twice; only Irishman Johnny Logan has done it.

“It’s crazy,” he said after his win was announced. “It’s very surreal man, I’m happy and grateful, I thank everyone who voted for me.”

“The only thing I feel right now is so much love. “I didn’t think it would happen,” he said.

But she had to beat off stiff competition from Finnish rapper Kyarija, whose energetic renditions of “Cha Cha Cha” wowed fans all week and made her a strong contender for the crown.

Israel, Italy and Norway completed the top five.

Around the host city of Liverpool, ticketless Eurovision fans flocked to theaters to watch the show on big screens, many waving Ukrainian flags.

The UK government this week issued 3,000 discounted tickets to refugees in the country.

Eurovision is a famous and exciting festival and this year’s show lived up to the bill with many great performances from the 26 finalists.

It also put the port city of Liverpool – home of the Beatles – on the cultural map of the continent.

“I knew that if we want to do this, it’s not just about making a sign for Ukraine. We wouldn’t just put up posters,” Liverpool’s cultural director Claire McColgan told CNN during the build. “What you see in the city is a real Ukrainian-Skus game, which is what we want.”