Eurovision 2023: Sweden’s Loreen Tops Finland’s Käärijä in Scandinavian Scorcher

Catchy tunes, slick dance moves, and outfits that may or may not be in jest—ah, yes, it must be the annual Eurovision Song Contest. The 67th edition of the spectacle was held this weekend in Liverpool, England, a replacement for Ukraine. (The stage was unveiled by King Charles III and Queen Camilla just a few days before another big British affair you may have heard about.) 

The 39-year-old Swedish pop star Loreen bested 36 challengers with her song “Tattoo.” Loreen is now one of two double Eurovision-winners, having first taken the prize in 2012. She joins Ireland’s Johnny Logan, who won in 1980 and 1987, in this exclusive club. Sweden now ties Ireland for the most wins in the contest, at seven. (Eurovision also launched Sweden’s most famous musical export, ABBA, in 1974.) 

Behold Loreen, emerging from some kind of Dune-inspired tanning bed. 

Ireland wasn’t in the mix for 2023, but the performance notching second (and was maybe most memorable?) came from Finland’s Käärijä, making this year something of a Scandinavian shoot-out. Take look at the 29-year-old pop star in his Incredible Hulk-inspired get-up, performing “Cha Cha Cha.” 

“Cha Cha Cha” actually beat “Tattoo” in the “popular vote” from home viewers by a slim margin, but not enough to cover the jury vote. You can analyze the stats and look for hanging chads if you like. 

Israel’s Noa Kirel took the bronze medal with the song “Unicorn.”

As she accepted her trophy, Loreen described the second win as “overwhelming.” She had previously said that the return to Eurovision’s stage was “like coming back to a family.” The performer got her start on Sweden’s version of American Idol (simply called Idol) in 2004.

Normally, the winning nation of the previous year hosts the tournament, but since 2022’s champ was the Ukrainian rock-rap group Kalush Orchestra, it was decided to have the runner-up handle it. (The U.K.’s Sam Ryder came in second last year.) Indeed, the Ukrainian city of Ternopil was hit by Russian missile attack during the competition; Ternopil is home to the musical duo Tvorchi, who represented Ukraine at the 2023 contest.