I had never watched the entire Eurovision Finals, from start to finish, until the 2018 show in Lisbon, Portugal. But we weren’t at the indoor arena where the slick concert was held, with masterful lighting and visual effects to accompany the energetic musical numbers. 

Instead, we were with thousands of Portuguese and international fans crowded into the “Eurovision Village” in a massive ornate old square in downtown Lisbon. Giant screens showed the performances just like you’d see them on TV across Europe, or via live streaming around the world. 

The 26 finalist countries showed an impressive array of songs and styles, and 17 artists sang in English, by my count, presumably for broader appeal. The native English-speaking countries were just the United Kingdom, Ireland and Australia, again an invited guest. France’s entry, “Mercy,” was sung in French by Emilie Satt and Jean-Karl Lucas, Spain’s duo of Amaia and Alfred did their ballad “Tu Cancion” (Your Song) in Spanish, and Italy’s male duo of Ermal Meta and Fabrizio Moro sang in Italian. 

But Lithuania, Norway, the Czech Republic, Bulgaria, among others, took the stage in English, as did the Netherlands, with an American country and western knockoff, “Outlaw in ‘Em,” also in English. The three winning songs of the night were all in English: Israel’s Netta, the winner, with “Toy,” followed by Cyprus, represented by Eleni Foureira, with her dance tune “Fuego” (Fire), an oddsmakers’ pick just before the Final. 

Third was Austria’s Cesar Sampson, and his soulful rendition of “Nobody but You.” The popular vote – by phone calls, text messages or the Eurovision app – came from the 43 countries that made it to the final rounds in Lisbon, and the vote upended the earlier cliffhanger results from the juries of musical experts from the 43 countries. 

The massive crowd in downtown Lisbon – people of all ages including young children – danced the night away during the 3.5-hour show, and waved their national flags. Especially a spirited contingent from Israel, which went from anxiety to joy as Netta emerged victorious, thanks to the popular vote, at the very last minute.