A further 10 countries have gone through to the Eurovision 2025 Grand Final, including Israel’s contestant Yuval Raphael, Austria’s JJ and Malta’s Miriana Conte.
The second semi-final of this year’s competition saw 16 acts perform at the 12,000-capacity St Jakobshalle arena on Thursday 15 May.
Raphael made it through to the final amid significant controversy surrounding Israel’s participation in Eurovision due to its war on Gaza.
Meanwhile, there was disappointment for Ireland’s entry Emmy, who failed to qualify for the final. Austria’s JJ, a strong favourite in this year’s competition, did make it through, along with Greece’s Klavdia and Armenia’s PARG.
Twenty-six acts will now compete in the Eurovision 2025 grand final on Saturday 17 May.
Here are the finalists, including the “big five”.
- UK: Remember Monday – “What the Hell Just Happened?”
- France: Louane – “maman”
- Spain: Melody – “ESA DIVA”
- Italy: Lucio Corsi – “Volevo Essere Un Duro”
- Germany: Abor & Tynna – “Baller”
- Switzerland: Zoë Më – “Voyage”
- 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”
- Norway: Kyle Alessandro – “Lighter”
- Albania: Shkodra Elektronike – “Zjerm”
- Sweden: KAJ – “Bara Bada Bastu”
- Iceland: VÆB – “RÓA”
- Netherlands: Claude – “C’est La Vie”
- Poland: Justyna Steczkowska – “GAJA”
- San Marino: Gabry Ponte – “Tutta L’Italia”
- Estonia: Tommy Cash – “Espresso Macchiato”
- Portugal: NAPA – “Deslocado”
- Ukraine: Ziferblat – “Bird of Pray”
Sweden’s entry KAJ are the first ever Finnish act to represent Sweden at the Eurovision Song Contest, while “Bara Bada Bastu” is the first Swedish-language song the country has submitted since 1998.
The Vörå-formed trio comprises comedians and musicians Kevin Holmström, Axel Åhman and Jakob Norrgård, who have released seven albums and also written and performed two musicals at the Wasa Theatre in their native Finland.
Should they win, the 2026 Eurovision Song Contest contest would return to the country just two years after it was held in Malmö, following Loreen’s triumph.
Earlier this week, an open letter signed by former Eurovision contestants called on the European Broadcasting Union, which organises Eurovision, to ban Israel and its national broadcaster KAN from the contest.
About 1,300 Swiss police officers will be on duty in Basel while the contest is taking place, with more forces drafted in from the Swiss Armed Forces, federal police and neighbouring countries Germany and France ahead of the two semi-finals on Tuesday and Thursday, and the Grand Final on Saturday.
Basel police’s head of communications Adrian Plachesi told the Press Association that no permission has been granted for protests, but officers would be stationed for expected pro-Palestinian demonstrations.
He added officers “might have to intervene” if demonstrations interfere with “public safety”.
The Eurovision 2025 grand final takes place on Saturday 17 May and will be broadcast on BBC One from 8pm.
