Overview

Madonna Eurovision Performance refers to a performance at the 2019 Eurovision Contest in which she appeared to make a political statement calling for peace between host-nation Israel and Palestine. The moment was criticized by viewers who felt it was ham-fisted and unsuccessful. Organizers were unaware Madonna would perform the stunt and denounced it.

Background

On May 18th, 2019, Madonna performed her new single "Future" with Quavo from Migos at the 2019 Eurovision Contest. During the performance, two backup dancers, walked arm in arm with the Israel and Palestine flags on their backs before Madonna whispered "Wake Up" at the end of the performance. The stunt appeared to be a well-intentioned ploy to advocate for peace between the two warring nations.^[1]

Prior to the performance, activists called for Madonna to cancel the performance in response to a recent violent skirmish that led to four dead Israeli soldiers and 20 people in Gaza. Madonna responded by saying "I'll never stop playing music to suit someone's political agenda nor will I stop speaking out against violations of human rights wherever in the world they may be."

Developments

The performance received divided reaction from viewers, critics, and event organizers. Eurovision stated that they did not know the stunt was going to happen, and said Eurovision was a "non-political event"^[2] (shown below).

Some fans were unhappy with the performance. User @BakerLuke called her performance a "waste of money" (shown below, left). However, user @gavinworby said Madonna "made her point" and added he thought it was "great," gaining over 150 retweets and 760 likes (shown below, right).

CNN writer Holly Thomas^[3] wrote that Madonna's performance "missed the mark," stating that "the nuance of these events, and the capacity for a small spark to escalate into large-scale violence, was lost in her hand-holding finale." The Guardian^[4] was also critical of the performance.

Search Interest

External References