The Eurovision Song Contest 2025 will conclude with the grand final on Saturday 17 May in Basel, Switzerland. The event will be broadcast live from 20:00 BST on YouTube, BBC One and BBC iPlayer. Inside St Jakobshalle, the event will feature international coverage hosted by Hazel Brugger, Sandra Studer and Michelle Hunziker.
Radio listeners can tune into BBC Radio 2 or BBC Sounds, hosted by Scott Mills and Rylan Clark. Singer Sophie Ellis-Bextor will present the UK’s jury results after actor Ncuti Gatwa withdrew from the role.
Switzerland Hosts After 2024 Win by Nemo
Switzerland is hosting this year’s event under the theme “Welcome Home”. The phrase marks the return of Eurovision to its founding nation. Nemo won the 2024 contest with the entry The Code, earning the country its hosting rights.
Nemo is also scheduled to appear as a guest performer. In 2024, Nemo criticised the contest for its lack of support for artists. This year marks Switzerland’s third time hosting the event. Its 2025 contestant is Zoë Më with the entry Voyage.
Figure 1: The previous season’s winner, Nemo is set to appear as a guest performer
UK Entry Hopes to Reverse Recent Decline
The United Kingdom’s entry is Remember Monday, a country-pop trio from Farnborough, Hampshire. The group comprises Lauren Byrne, Holly-Anne Hull and Charlotte Steele. They will perform What The Hell Just Happened during the final.
The group first gained attention through the talent show The Voice in 2019. Members Lauren and Holly-Anne have previously appeared in West End musicals Phantom of the Opera and Six: The Musical. They aim to improve on recent UK performances. Olly Alexander and Mae Muller finished at the bottom in 2024 and 2023 respectively.
Figure 2: UK entry, Remember Monday during the second Eurovision semi-final
Thirty-Seven Nations Compete in 2025 Contest
Eurovision 2025 includes 37 countries, with Montenegro returning after a two-year absence. Moldova has withdrawn due to financial and logistical issues. Russia remains banned following its 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
Most participants are European, but countries such as Israel and Australia compete due to European Broadcasting Union membership. Australia first joined in 2015 and competes annually. However, it cannot host if it wins.
Six Nations Automatically Reach Grand Final
The “big five” countries—UK, France, Germany, Spain and Italy—automatically qualify for the final. These nations contribute extra financial support. Host country Switzerland also gains automatic qualification.
Céline Dion, who won Eurovision for Switzerland in 1988, delivered a pre-recorded message during the first semi-final. She celebrated the contest’s return to Basel as “beautiful”.
Semi-Final One Produced Ten Finalists
The first semi-final took place on 13 May. Ten countries qualified for the final:
- Albania: Shkodra Elektronike – Zjerm
- Estonia: Tommy Cash – Espresso Macchiato
- Iceland: VÆB – RÓA
- Netherlands: Claude – C’est La Vie
- Norway: Kyle Alessandro – Lighter
- Poland: Justyna Steczkowska – GAJA
- Portugal: NAPA – Deslocado
- San Marino: Gabry Ponte – Tutta L’Italia
- Sweden: KAJ – Bara Bada Bastu
- Ukraine: Ziferblat – Bird of Pray
Second Semi-Final Completed Final Line-Up
The second semi-final added ten more finalists to the line-up:
- Armenia: PARG – SURVIVOR
- Austria: JJ – Wasted Love
- Denmark: Sissal – Hallucination
- Finland: Erika Vikman – ICH KOMME
- Greece: Klavdia – Asteromáta
- Israel: Yuval Raphael – New Day Will Rise
- Latvia: Tautumeitas – Bur Man Laimi
- Lithuania: Katarsis – Tavo Akys
- Luxembourg: Laura Thorn – La Poupée Monte Le Son
- Malta: Miriana Conte – SERVING
Controversy Surrounds Israel’s Participation
More than 70 former Eurovision contestants have signed an open letter opposing Israel’s participation. The letter accuses Israeli broadcaster KAN of complicity in “Israel’s genocide against the Palestinians in Gaza”.
Eurovision maintains a stance of political neutrality and has declined to ban Israel. Israel’s contestant Yuval Raphael has said she is “expecting” boos during her performance. The artist previously attended the Nova music festival, where over 360 people were killed in Hamas attacks on 7 October 2023.
On that day, 1,200 people were killed in Israel and 251 were taken hostage. Gaza’s Hamas-run health ministry reports over 53,000 people have been killed in Israel’s subsequent military campaign.
Figure 3: Israel’s entry Yuval Raphael
Voting System Balances Jury and Public Input
Each country provides two sets of scores—one from a professional jury and one from public voting. Viewers can vote through phone, SMS or the official Eurovision app. They can vote up to 20 times but cannot vote for their own country.
Votes are tallied into a “Top 10” list per country. The top pick receives 12 points, second receives 10, and the rest get 8 to 1 points. Non-participating countries contribute through a “rest of the world vote” combined into a single score set.
Eurovision Rules Maintain Song and Performance Standards
Eurovision rules limit songs to three minutes and require original material released after 1 September 2024. Lead vocals must be performed live without lip-syncing or auto-tune. A maximum of six performers are allowed on stage.
The rules continue to maintain the competition’s performance integrity and ensure consistent production standards across all participating countries.
Basel Prepares for International Stage
St Jakobshalle in Basel is set to welcome performers and audiences from across Europe and beyond. The arena will host the international broadcast, while millions are expected to watch from home. The show promises musical variety, cultural exchange and heightened anticipation as Europe crowns its next Eurovision winner.
