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Half of Eurovision tickets remain unsold days before finale

May 14, 2019 at 9:24 am

Activists hold placards calling for the boycott of Eurovision in Bethlehem, West Bank on March 22 2019 [MUSA AL SHAER/AFP/Getty Images]

Israeli TV Channel 12 reported yesterday that half of the tickets to the Eurovision Song Contest have yet to be sold, noting that this means losses estimated at two million shekels ($558,771), Al-Wattan Voice reported.

“About 15,000 tourists are to arrive in Israel,” the channel said, adding that thousands of tickets to Saturday’s finale remain unsold.

Eurovision was highly affected by the international boycott campaign, which is being spearheaded by famous international artists, including Roger Waters among others.

BDS has called for artistsviewers and concert goers alike to boycott this year’s Eurovision, which begins in Tel Aviv this week after Israeli singer Netta Barzilai won the 2018 contest. Since Israel’s Broadcasting Authority is a member of the European Broadcasting Union, which is responsible for the event, Israel is allowed to field a contestant despite its extra-European location.

READ: ‘Madonna Don’t Go’: a spoof video to urge the singer to boycott Eurovision

Global artists call for a boycott on Eurovision in solidarity with Palestinians - Cartoon [Sabaaneh/MiddleEastMonitor]

Global artists call for a boycott on Eurovision in solidarity with Palestinians – Cartoon [Sabaaneh/MiddleEastMonitor]