The best memes from Eurovision’s first semi-final

It’s the best time of the year: Eurovision week!

Every year, the European Broadcasting Union puts on the world’s biggest song contest, with countries all across Europe (and some outliers like Australia) sending musical acts to compete. Entries range from sincere ballads to poppy dance numbers to hard rock hits — all tinged with classic Eurovision weirdness… After all, it’s Eurovision: If it wasn’t a little bit strange, I’d be worried.

Luckily for Eurovision numbers, 2023’s contest — which takes place in Liverpool in the United Kingdom, as 2022’s winner Ukraine was unable to host due to the ongoing war with Russia — has gotten off to a fantastic start. Semi-final 1 featured a bevy of bizarro bops, from Croatia’s anti-war anthem to Moldova’s flute rave. And while not every song featured in the semi-final made it through to Saturday’s final, many of them were immortalized in the internet’s love language: memes.

Here are some of our favorite memes from Eurovision’s first semi-final. And if you haven’t tuned it, maybe these’ll convince you yet…

Eurovision can be hard to explain, but it’s so worth it.

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Just because you don’t know the language doesn’t mean you won’t love the song.

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Croatia’s looks are simply iconic.

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Middle-earth got the chance to compete this year.

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Watch out for injuries courtesy of Israel’s dance break.

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Czechia gets in on the Barbie memes.

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Malta continues the Eurovision tradition of Epic Sax Guy.

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Sweden’s Loreen won major praise.

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And what is Eurovision, if not a time to make a fashion statement?

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