Eurovision 2024: Dates, Songs, and the Bookies' Favorites to Win

Many fans of Europe's most iconic international singing contest might not know this, but betting on Eurovision, placing money behind who might win, has become a surprisingly popular pastime in recent years.

This means that it's not just European music fans looking forward to this year's Eurovision Songfestival. Bookies and bettors also have their eyes on the Eurovision 2024 favorites who will be battling it out for fame, glory and national pride this year.

For newcomers unfamiliar with what the competition is all about, let's go over the basic rules, notable dates and a little history before exploring who bookies believe might be the ultimate winners in 2024.

The magic of Eurovision

The Eurovision Songfestival is more than just a song contest; it's something of a cultural phenomenon. From catchy tunes and eye-catching costumes to passionate national rivalries and heartwarming displays of unity, Eurovision offers a truly special kind of culturally-charged entertainment. Since all the way back in 1956, the international singing contest has been responsible for introducing the wider musical scene to some incredibly influential names.

Did you know that both Celine Dion and ABBA have the contest to thank for their massive, worldwide stardom? Both separate sets of performers are previous contest Eurovision winners and this achievement has undoubtedly helped them quite a bit to launch their careers.

Where will the event be held this year?

For the third time in the competition's storied 68 year long history, the main event will be held in Sweden. More specifically, in the city's iconic Malmö arena. Passionate fans will be filling seats or watching online from the 7th to the 11th of May.

Each participating country sends one original song and performance, vying for the coveted title. The winner is chosen through a combination of votes from professional juries and the public.

How are winners chosen?

The rules behind who can compete and what kinds of songs will be considered is pretty complicated. While anyone interested in betting on Eurovision contestants doesn't have to know every rule by heart, it's a good idea to have an overview of how it all works.

Determining the Eurovision Songfestival's winner is a two-part process. Each country gives points to their favorite songs from other participating nations. These points are a mix of jury and public votes. Why? To make sure there's a balance between audience popularity and industry expertise.

If public voting has so much sway, why don't the biggest countries with the largest populations always win? Well, countries cannot vote for their own entry.

To add another layer to all this, not all countries automatically qualify for the grand finale. Some must compete in semi-finals, with the specific selection process for these semi-finals subject to small changes every year. This two-stage format keeps the competition exciting and unpredictable for regular fans and betters alike until the final note is sung.

Betting heats up the competition

The fact that people from every corner of the globe can put money behind who might win has changed the nature of the competition somewhat. Music fans worldwide can now not only cheer on their favorite entries but also stand a chance to line their pockets while testing out their musical predictions. Betting on Eurovision has only made the contest more popular as time has passed.

For the most part, music fans generally wager on who might be the ultimate winner. But they can also place bets on everything from the qualifiers to which performances will get the highest scores. This year's diverse range of talented artists means that the Eurovision 2024 betting scene is expected to be even hotter than ever, adding an extra layer of excitement to the already electrifying atmosphere of the contest.

Who's got the best odds to win this year?

While it's anyone's guess who might win overall this year, bookmakers have some ideas. They've singled out a few frontrunners based on early buzz and placed favorable odds on singers from a few different European countries. The specific odds vary between platforms that allow these kinds of wagers, but many agree on the top 5 or so performances most likely to bring their country the win.

Here are some of the artists and songs with favorable odds of winning:

• Croatia: Baby Lasagna with "Rim Tim Tagi Dim"
• Italy: Angelina Mango with "La Noia" (The Boredom)
• Ukraine: alyona alyona & Jerry Heil with "Teresa & Maria"
• Netherlands: Joost Klein with "Europapa"
• Switzerland: Nemo with "The Code"

While pretty much all the songs that will be sung this year have the potential to run away with the win, the performers from these 5 countries stand out. Why? Because they are all catchy, unique and memorable entries. The artists behind these entries also already have large followings. This fact will help them during the public voting stages of the event. Frontrunners like Joost Klein with his powerful vocals and Angelina Mango with her fascinating stage presence could potentially sway votes by a significant degree during the live shows.

It's good to point out that even though bookies believe one of these songs might win, nobody knows where the majority of votes will go. So, if you're a fan interested in placing a wager or two this year, be sure to do some homework beforehand. Even without a small wager, the show this year promises to be very entertaining.