Boy George will make his Eurovision debut for San Marino in the contest’s opening semi-final tomorrow evening, joining Italian vocalist Senhit on the stage in Vienna. The 64-year-old singer co-wrote the entry Superstar and also added backing vocals to the disco-influenced track.
For San Marino, the appearance is another gamble on a name with global recognition. The microstate’s broadcaster, SMRTV, selected Superstar through its national process earlier this year, then paired Senhit with Boy George after the two worked closely on the song. Senhit, who is returning for her third outing representing San Marino, first took the stage for the country in 2021 alongside American rapper Flo Rida.
Boy George did not hide how unusual the invitation felt. He described the Eurovision offer as a “bonkers request” and said he was drawn to it because it felt “camp”. He later appeared via LED visuals during the San Marino Song Contest final in March, where he and Senhit secured victory before reuniting for live rehearsals in Vienna ahead of this week’s semi-final.
The prize is simple and unforgiving. San Marino must finish among the top ten acts in the semi-final to reach the grand final on May 16, and that puts real pressure on a country that has often used the contest as a way to get noticed rather than as a realistic path to the trophy. This year’s Eurovision in Vienna has 35 participating nations, and it is the smallest field since 2003 after a partial boycott over Israel’s involvement.
That backdrop explains why SMRTV has increasingly tried to recruit internationally recognised stars to boost the microstate’s visibility on the Eurovision stage. Officials have previously said the aim was to attract major British names to promote tourism and raise San Marino’s profile, a strategy that has now brought Boy George into the fold.
He has also faced scrutiny over the contest’s politics and has rejected calls to withdraw in protest at Israel’s participation. “Are people asking me as a principled human being to turn my back on my Jewish friends? It's not going to happen, it's never going to happen,” he said. “I have many, many Jewish friends that I've had since I was 15 or 16 years old,” he added.
The immediate question is no longer whether Boy George would say yes. He has. The answer now will come on the Eurovision stage, where San Marino needs the song to land with enough voters to survive the semi-final and carry the pair into the grand final two nights later.
