Sawt Falasteen - Vienna abuzz for Eurovision final

This year marks the 70th edition of the world's biggest live televised music event, which despite the razzmatazz rarely escapes the politics in the background.

Spain, the Netherlands, Ireland, Iceland and Slovenia are staging the biggest political boycott in Eurovision history over Israel's participation, citing the war in Gaza, while in Vienna, hundreds of demonstrators marched past the Wiener Stadthalle concert venue.

The overwhelming favourites in the 25-country final are the Finnish double-act of violinist Linda Lampenius and pop singer Pete Parkkonen, with their song "Liekinheitin", or "Flamethrower".

However, Australia's Delta Goodrem, who has sold nine million albums, was also coming in hot with her song "Eclipse".

"It's going to come down to Finland and Australia," Fabien Randanne, a journalist at French news outlet 20 Minutes and a specialist on the contest, told AFP.

But Bulgarian pop singer Dara has been gaining traction with her high-energy and highly-choreographed dancing on the catchy floor-filler "Bangaranga".

Greece has been bringing the smiles with "Ferto", featuring singer Akylas in tigerprint coat, shorts and hat against a retro video game backdrop in a performance that also showcased knitting, a glitterball and a classical statue that came to life.

Israel's Noam Bettan is also an outside bet with "Michelle", while 22-year-old Romanian singer Alexandra Capitanescu's heavy metal song "Choke Me" caused a minor furore in the Eurovision build-up over the oft-repeated lines "I want you to choke me".

- Party time -

Some 166 million viewers watched the contest on television last year when it was hosted in Basel, Switzerland.

The final begins at 1900 GMT with more than 10,000 Eurovision fans in party mood set to pack out Austria's biggest arena.

"I'm here to see my favourite singer, my idol, my queen: Delta," said Jeremy, 45, a teacher from Britain, who was lining up with other fans wearing ponchos in the pouring rain outside the Stadthalle.

"The excitement inside of me is so beyond words that I'm here in the live grand final."

Undeterred by rain in Vienna, many have taken musical cruises on the Danube and sung karaoke in the huge fan zone set up in front of the City Hall and aboard trams crisscrossing the city.

- Protest against Israel's slot -

But elsewhere, demonstrators were marching in protest.

Hundreds marched through Vienna before the final shouting "Free, free Palestine" and "boycott Eurovision", under heavy police presence.

They held banners reading "Don't celebrate genocide".

"It's very weak of Austria that it isn't taking a boycotting stance itself," 17-year-old student Juli Pfefferkorn told AFP.

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez on Friday said he was certain his country was on "the right side of history" by snubbing the event because of Israel's "genocide".

Just before showtime, Eurovision director Martin Green admitted: "We're going through some challenging times at the moment as well and I think we learn more about this event, and how we deal with that event as we go forward as well, and the strength of the event -- and what the fans want."

- Multi-lingual show -

While stage designs vary in boldness, songs range from pop to heavy rock to ethereral and electro.

"Everyone's bringing their A-game. The show is going to absolutely astounding and vintage Eurovision," Green said on Friday.

Across Eurovision week, though 16 songs were in English, more than 20 different languages were sung on stage, including Maltese.

"I feel like we are the underdog in this year's competition," Malta's entrant Aidan, who is singing a classic romantic ballad, "Bella".

"As a huge Eurovision fan myself I've seen the need for true music, real music at Eurovision. I feel like 'Bella' does that, and it's very rich music," he told AFP.

A.Suleiman--SF-PST