Song Contest winner to perform at Antwerp Pride

From Flanders Today: Netta Barzilai of Israel, winner of this weekend’s Eurovision Song Festival in Lisbon, will perform at Antwerp Pride this year. The Pride festival takes place from 8 to 12 August.

Barzilai (pictured) will perform on 11 August during Pride Night, which follows the big parade and hours-long festival. The organisation had in fact already booked Barzilai before she won the Eurovision final on Saturday. Her song “Toy”, with its now-famous refrain “I’m not your toy / You stupid boy”, has become a gay anthem.

Belgium did not make it into the final of Eurovision this year. Flemish singer Laura Groeseneken, who goes by the stage name Sennek, represented Belgium with the downtempo number “A Matter of Time”. She wrote the song together with Hooverphonic’s Alex Callier and musician Maxime Tribèche.

After a jury and public vote, Sennek came in 12th in the first semi-final; the top 10 move on to the final. “I absolutely did my best,” the 28-year-old singer said following the semi-final. “I honestly wasn’t nervous. I enjoyed it. I admit that the elimination was painful, but that’s life – that’s what the song is about, too.”

Belgium has come in the Eurovision final top 10 for the last three years; last year Blanche placed fourth with the song “City Lights”.

Photo courtesy Eurovision