Europapa or Baby Lasagna? Contestants to look out for at Eurovision 2024

The Eurovision Song Contest, a music kitsch-fest watched by some 200 million people, kicks off in Malmö, Sweden, on Sunday with its "turquoise carpet" gala, in what fans say is a wide-open year with half a dozen countries having a shot at the title.

Bookmakers have Croatia, Switzerland and Ukraine as the top three favorites to win, while streaming data from Spotify suggests a strong chance for the Netherlands, Italy or host nation Sweden.

"This year is so exciting because there are four or five countries who really have a good shot at winning," William Lee Adams, editor of Eurovision fan site Wiwibloggs, told Reuters.

"Eurovision is so boring when you have one clear favorite months in advance. But this year there is so much left to play for."

Croatia's contestant Baby Lasagna (real name Marko Purišić, 28) this week overtook Switzerland as bookmakers'...