Madonna and Icelandic Bondage Group Spice Up Eurovision Contest

(Bloomberg) -- Madonna and a leather-clad punk group from Iceland added a tinge of political controversy to Saturday’s Eurovision song contest, held this year in Tel Aviv and broadcast to a global audience of about 200 million.

The show featured Madonna singing “Like a Prayer” and her new song “Future,” which ended with two of her dancers wearing Israeli and Palestinian flags on their backs. Organizers, keen to make clear that the event is supposed to be non-political, later said the details were not an approved part of the act.

Iceland’s Eurovision act could face sanctions. Hatari, a heavy-metal bondage trio who call themselves anti-capitalist and techno-dystopian, unveiled a small Palestinian banner while the public vote for their song was being announced, prompting TV footage to cut away within seconds.

In a statement, Eurovision said its executive board will discuss the “consequences of this action.”

Even before the annual contest, themed as “Dare to Dream,” the event was a lightning rod for controversy. Some musicians, including producer Brian Eno and Roger Waters of Pink Floyd, called for a boycott, while Madonna had said she wanted to create a “new path toward peace.”

The 2020 edition may not be quite so contentious. The winning entry traditionally hosts the following year’s contest -- possibly to the organizers’ relief, Duncan Laurence of the Netherlands, came out top.

Read: Eurovision Gives Israel Controversy and Branding Opportunity

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