Love, voice and identity. ADONXS and six queer artists will shine at Eurovision this year
On Tuesday 13 May, the first semi-final of the 69th Eurovision Song Contest will kick off. The second semi-final will take place two days later, on Thursday 15 May, and the grand final will take place on Saturday 17 May.
This year's host city is Basel, Switzerland, and a total of 37 countries are taking part, including Montenegro, which is returning after a two-year break. The Czech Republic is represented this year by the singer ADONXS, under the stage name Adam Pavlovcin, who will perform in the second semi-final with the song Kiss Kiss Goodbye. All live broadcasts will be broadcast by Czech Television on ČT1 from 21:00.
Adam Pavlovčin became famous thanks to his victory in the Czech and Slovak SuperStar competition in 2021. Under the stage name ADONXS, he subsequently launched a successful career crowned by his debut album Age of Adonxs and the singles Moving On and Game.
In 2022, he was awarded Singer of the Year and Musical Discovery by Radio Europe 2 and included in the prestigious Forbes 30 under 30 list. ADONXS is not only a singer - he is also a dancer, model and vocal advocate for the queer community. In Slovakia, where same-sex marriage is still not allowed, he has been involved in a number of campaigns in support of LGBTQ+ rights.
LGBTQ+ representation on stage: six names, six stories
Eurovision has long served as a space where LGBTQ+ artists can perform without pretense and with full visibility. This year's contestants include six artists who claim an LGBTQ+ identity, each bringing their own voice, aesthetic and message to the contest.
JJ (Austria) - Countertenor Johannes Pietsch, known as JJ, is an Austrian-Filipino opera singer who has performed at the Vienna State Opera. He publicly claims a queer identity and in an interview with queer.de, he emphasized the message of love and mutual support.
Miriana Conte (Malta) - The Maltese singer is competing this year with her song SERVING, inspired by real events. For Conte, who contested Eurovision as a 16-year-old in 2017, her return to the stage is also a reminder of queer determination and visibility.
Erika Vikman (Finland) - The bisexual singer and actress, who broke through with platinum hits like Cicciolina and Syntisten Pöytä, brings strong queer appeal and a provocative glam-pop aesthetic to the contest.
Red Sebastian (Belgium) - Seppe Herreman, performing as Red Sebastian, rose to fame on Belgium's Got Talent and his performance of Strobe Lights draws inspiration from Lady Gaga's work. In interviews, he embraces his LGBTQ+ identity and believes Eurovision can "beautify the world through music".
Marko Bošnjak (Croatia) - The young singer of the hit song Poison Cake recently came out publicly about his sexual orientation, admitting that coming out in a live broadcast was "the right thing to do" despite a wave of criticism. Bosnjak sees visibility as a key step towards acceptance.
A contest with history and current challenges
Eurovision has been held annually since 1956, with the exception of the pandemic year of 2020. It is the largest non-sporting television event in the world, regularly attracting millions of viewers.
But the contest does not remain isolated from social events. Last year's edition in Malmö, Sweden, was accompanied by protests against the participation of an Israeli contestant and took place against a backdrop of pro-Palestinian demonstrations. The winner was the Swiss non-binary singer Nemo, reaffirming Eurovision's role as a platform for diversity.
