Eden Golan is the key figure of the Eurovision Song Contest 2024. The singer, 20 years old, represents Israel in the competition in Malmo, Sweden with the song Hurricane, and for weeks she has been at the center of controversy and protest. The military operation conducted by Israel in the Gaza Strip has been contested for days in the Swedish city, the scene of pro-Palestine demonstrations. On the show, presenters and commentators from other countries walked out in protest against Israel. In a climate of very high tension, the young artist received a message of encouragement from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu: “You sing against anti-Semitism”, she told her.
Who is Eden Golan
The singer was born in Kfar Saba to Jewish parents who arrived in Israel from the former Soviet Union. She is also a Russian citizen, having lived in Moscow since the age of 6. The family recently returned to live in Israel, where the artist’s career has finally taken off. Her first steps date back to 2015, with participation in the Junior Eurovision Song Contest under the Russian flag, with a fifth place finish. In 2016 she took to the stage of the New Wave in Crimea, in the peninsula occupied and taken from Ukraine, performing the song Howl at the Moon together with her Njusa.
In 2018, she became even more popular when she took part in the Russian version of The Voice Kids, impressing with her performance of Rihanna’s Love on the Brain. She also appeared on TV in Israel, participating in I Can See Your Voice in 2023. So, she began the process of selection ahead of Eurovision 2024 and in February this year she became the country’s designated contestant.
