THE FIRST ROUND of the Eurovision semi-finals have taken place in Tel Aviv with ten acts now through to Saturday’s final. 

Ireland’s hopeful, Sarah McTernan will perform at the second semi-final this Thursday along with the next batch of hopefuls.

Tonight, 17 countries competed for a place in the final but only ten made it through. 

• Greece - Katerine Duska with Better Love
• Belarus -  ZENA with Like It
• Serbia - Nevene Božović with Kruna
• Cyprus - Tamta with Replay 
• Estonia - Victor Crone with Storm
• Czech Republic - Lake Malawi with Friend Of A Friend
• Australia - Kate Miller-Heidke with Zero Gravity
• Iceland - Hatari with Hatrið mun sigra
• San Marino - Serhat with Say Na Na Na
• Slovenia - Zala Kralj & Gašper Šantl with Sebi

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Iceland’s Hataris have described themselves as “an anti-capitalist, BDSM, techno-dystopian, performance art collective”. 

The group told Eurovision TV that they cannot change things, but can unveil the anomie of neoliberal society.

“Hatari represent a considered reflection on hope and hopelessness, power and repression, of image, individualism, despotism, exposing the contradictions that arise when everyone is embedded within the same system and struggling to fight against it. We are Hatari. We are all Hatari.”

The group has also claimed that their entry is a political statement against the Israeli government. 

A call for a boycott to the competition has been heard from pro-Palestine groups since it was announced the competition would be held in Tel Aviv. 

In Ireland, the call for a boycott has been led by protests from Irish-Palestinian solidarity groups campaigning against this year’s song contest. 

Earlier today, Galway City Council called on RTÉ to boycott this year’s Eurovision Song Contest “as long as its held in Israel”.