Following last year’s heavy booing of Russia’s contestant, “embarrassed” Eurovision organisers are putting anti-booing technology and protocols into place.
Last May The Tolmachevy Twins were booed by the crowd in what many accept as a response to both Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and its anti-gay policies.
So this year Jarmo Siim, communications coordinator for the event, wants to take preemptive action to stop anything like that happening again.
“It was very embarrassing for us last year when this happened, as it is not in the spirit of the contest,” Siim told The Moscow Times. “We are here to build bridges, as the motto [of the contest] says.”
So now he and his team have installed “sound reducers”, in case the audience gets a bit rowdy.
“It is the first time we have prepared in this way, we want to be ready in all scenarios [but] we have high expectations that nothing like this will happen.”
There’s no real detail into what the ‘anti-booing technology’ will be beyond the reference to sound reducers, but it would be nice to think Eurovision organisers have some amazing piece of kit that they get to showcase this weekend.
Of course, perhaps it isn’t booing after all…
Baku, host of last year’s Eurovision final image, via Shutterstock
