The staging of singer Jonas Lovv, representing Norway at Eurovision 2026, was reportedly deemed “too risqué” during rehearsals for the competition, the final phases of which are being held in Vienna, Austria, from May 12 to 16.
During the Eurovision opening ceremony this weekend, the Norwegian delegation was reportedly warned by the organizers to make the performance of their candidate and his song “Ya Ya Ya” more audience-friendly. “To cut to the chase: it was simply too sexy,” confessed singer Jonas Lovv according to Norwegian media NRK. “We cannot go into details about the exact subject of the warning, but we clearly need to tone down certain aspects,” he added.
Mads Tørklep, the head of the Norwegian delegation, confirmed receiving a warning from the EBU (European Broadcasting Union organizing the event, which previously made an exception for Finland): “We were asked to tone down the sex appeal, as the performance was not ‘family-friendly’ enough. So, we will comply obediently,” he explained, clarifying that they “did not seek to go over the top” and stating that “it is simply his style” referring to the Norwegian candidate. “As you are very comfortable on stage, even the slightest hip movement or jerky gesture immediately takes on a different dimension,” he added, speaking directly to the singer.
The latter emphasized that the Norwegian delegation is taking “this message very seriously.” “I think they warned us to make sure we don’t push the boundaries too far. Even though we are certainly not the worst!” punctuated the performer who will appear live during the second semi-final taking place on Thursday, May 14.
