Irish Eurovision star Bambie Thug has released a powerful rendition of the Cranberries' hit song "Zombie", speaking out in support of Palestine ahead of the Eurovision final on Saturday. 

The singer, who became the first Irish act to reach the Eurovision final since 2018 with their song "Doomsday Blue, said they were told to remove the word "ceasefire" from their outfit during Tuesday's semi-final or they would not be allowed to perform. 

"After my first dress rehearsal, I was asked to remove both free Palestine and ceasefire in Ogham from my outfit," Bambie Thug said in a post on Instagram alongside the haunting cover of "Zombie".

They added that the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) "eventually agreed" to let the word ceasefire remain on the outfit. 

"About an hour before my call time, I was informed that they (EBU) had an internal meeting and ceasefire was no longer acceptable, and if I didn’t remove this I would not be allowed on stage." 

Earlier in the week, Bambie appeared at dress rehearsals sporting Ogham script on their face and legs. However, they were told to remove the make-up for the live semi-final to respect the show's "non-political nature". 

"I am pro-justice and pro-peace and this will never change, I only hope with a platform I can reach more people's ears. My heart and prayers are with the people of Palestine.

"To be clear, being pro-Palestinian does not mean I am antisemitic, it means I am anti-war, anti-occupation, anti-oppression, and anti-killing of innocent civilians and children!! Everyone born into this world should have the right to a home, safety, water, food, freedom, and compassion." 

Sharing their haunting cover of "Zombie" on Instagram, Bambie Thug said the song was an "important piece of music that needs to be remembered". 

"History repeats in rhyme until we learn the lesson.

"An important piece of music that needs to be remembered and is sadly still so relevant to our world today." 

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