Security is being tightened for the Eurovision Song Contest in Sweden’s third city Malmo, with large demonstrations planned to coincide with the event and the country already on high alert.

Police and organisers say they’re well-prepared and hoping for a “joyful” event.

The annual feel-good celebration of pop and showbiz is this year shrouded by complaints from some quarters over Israel’s participation amid the war in Gaza. Sweden was already facing heightened security challenges, and Malmo is expecting one of the country’s biggest ever policing efforts.

As many as 100,000 visitors are set to descend on this city on Sweden’s south-west coast for the world’s largest live music contest.

Colourful Eurovision banners decorate many of the city’s streets, and it’s the third time that Malmo is playing host, after Swedish artist Loreen won last year’s competition in Liverpool, with her hit song Tattoo.

A programme of festivities kicks off on Saturday, with semi-finals next Tuesday and Thursday, culminating in the grand final on 11 May. An estimated 200 million viewers worldwide are expected to tune in for the four-hour spectacle.

Forces have been drafted in from across Sweden, with reinforcements from neighbouring Denmark and Norway. Swedish police are usually armed, but some officers will carry larger weapons as a precautionary measure.

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