Dutch artist misses Eurovision rehearsal after ‘incident’, organizers say

MALMO, Sweden (Reuters) – Dutch singer Joost Klein was absent from Eurovision Song Contest rehearsals on Friday after an “incident,” the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), which organizes the event, said in a statement.

“We are currently investigating an incident reported to us involving the Dutch artist. He will not rehearse until further notice,” the EBU statement said, adding that it would not make any further comments at this time.

It wasn’t clear whether Klein, whose quirky song “Europapa” originally made him a favorite, would perform in Saturday’s finale.

EBU and Klein did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

On Thursday, more than 10,000 people demonstrated against Israel’s participation in the southern Swedish city of Malmö, where the competition is taking place.

Eurovision Song Contest organizers have resisted calls to exclude Israel over its military campaign in Gaza, sparked by the Hamas attack on October 7, arguing that the contest is a non-political event.

Israeli solo artist Golan, 20, was one of eight acts who qualified for the final on Thursday and has become one of the favorites among bookmakers to win the competition.

(Reporting by Johan Ahlander; Editing by Frances Kerry)