Eurovision 2025 kicks off tonight, live from St Jakobshalle in Basel!
Tonight, 15 countries will participate for the chance to qualify for the final. With 10 spots available, the artists will be doing all they can to impress the public at home.
Here’s your guide to Eurovision 2025 Semi Final 1!
The Hosts
Hazel Brugger
Hazel Brugger is a Swiss-German TV presenter and comedian born in the United States and raised in Zürich. She was formerly a correspondent on satire show The Heute-Show, and has a YouTube channel with her husband Thomas Spitzer, where they host their podcast and post comedy and behind the scenes videos.
Sandra Studer
Singer & presenter Sandra Studer makes her return to Eurovision 2025 as one of this year’s hosts. She represented Switzerland in Eurovision 1991 as Sandra Simó with ‘Canzone per te’, which placed 5th.
Sandra & Hazel will host the semi finals together, and will be joined in the final by model, actress and TV presenter Michelle Hunziker.
Competing Entries and Running Order
Semi Final 1 features 15 contestants, and the running order is as follows…
- Iceland 🇮🇸: Væb ~ ‘RÓA’
- Poland 🇵🇱: Justyna Steczkowska ~ ‘GAJA’
- Slovenia 🇸🇮: Klemen – ‘How Much Time Do We Have Left?’
- Estonia 🇪🇪: Tommy Cash – ‘Espresso Macchiato’
- Ukraine 🇺🇦: Ziferblat – ‘Bird Of Pray’
- Sweden 🇸🇪: KAJ – ‘Bara Bada Bastu’
- Portugal 🇵🇹: NAPA – ‘Deslocado’
- Norway 🇳🇴: Kyle Alessandro – ‘Lighter’
- Belgium 🇧🇪: Red Sebastian – ‘Strobe Lights’
- Azerbaijan 🇦🇿: Mamagama – ‘Run With U’
- San Marino 🇸🇲: Gabry Ponte – ‘Tutta L’Italia’
- Albania 🇦🇱: Shkodra Elektronike – ‘Zjerm’
- The Netherlands 🇳🇱: Claude – ‘C’est La Vie’
- Croatia 🇭🇷: Marko Bošnjak – ‘Poison Cake’
- Cyprus 🇨🇾: Theo Evan – ‘Shh’
Like last year, the three Big 5 countries that vote in Semi Final 1 will be performing for the first time in full during the live semi-final, between the competing semi finalists.
Spain will perform between Estonia & Ukraine, as Melody takes to the stage to perform. ‘Esa Diva’.
Lucio Corsi will perform ‘Volevo Essere Un Duro’ for Italy between Belgium & Azerbaijan.
Host country Switzerland will be on between Croatia and Cyprus. They’re represented by Zoë Më with ‘Voyage’ – her position in the final has already been drawn in the Head Of Delegation meeting back in March, seeing Switzerland perform 19th in the final on May 17th 2025.
The Favourites
Only 10 countries will qualify for the final, meaning 5 countries will miss out on performing their entries again. The current favourites to qualify are:
Sweden 🇸🇪: KAJ – ‘Bara Bada Bastu’
Once again, Sweden aren’t just ones to watch in this semi final, but they’re also the ones to watch overall. The current favourite to win Eurovision 2025, ‘Bara Bada Bastu’ by KAJ isn’t exactly what you’d expect from the Scandinavian nation known for their slick pop, English language entries. Their first song in Swedish since 1998, ‘Bara Bada Bastu’ stormed to victory in Melodifestivalen in March, performed by a trio of Finns – Kevin, Axel & Jakob – who formed the group in Vörå, Swedish-speaking area of Finalnd. If you’d like to know more about KAJ, click here to read all about their journey to the contest.
Estonia 🇪🇪: Tommy Cash – ‘Espresso Macchiato’
A likely favourite with the televote, you can expect to see ‘Espresso Macchiato’ by Tommy Cash sailing through the semi final. One of Estonia’s biggest stars, Tommy Cash has made a huge impact especially on TikTok with his entry this year, which is also endorsed by former Eurovision contestants (and his friends) Käärijä and Joost Klein, and has found the song to be growing in popularity in Italy – helpful, considering they’re voting in this semi final.
Ukraine 🇺🇦: Ziferblat – ‘Bird Of Pray’
Ukraine have selected Ziferblat with ‘Bird of Pray’ this year, and looking at the odds it seems like they won’t be ending their 100% qualification streak anytime soon. The group is made up of twin brothers Danill & Valentyn alongside their drummer Fedir, and they’ve attempted to represent Ukraine twice before – finally winning Vidbir in 2025. The song underwent a revamp ahead of this years contest, with added pauses and orchestral elements that take it to the next level.
The Netherlands 🇳🇱: Claude – ‘C’est La Vie’
The Netherlands are another favourite to win Eurovision 2025 this year, with their entry ‘C’est La Vie’ by Claude. A popular artist in his home country, Claude was announced back in December, with the song – which is both in English and French – being released at the end of February. You may remember that last year, despite qualifying, The Netherlands were also a favourite but disqualified on the day of the final. Should Claude make it through during Semi Final 1, it’ll be the first time we’ll watch The Netherlands competing in a final since S10 back in 2022.
Albania 🇦🇱: Shkodra Elektronike – ‘Zjerm’
One of this year’s fan favourites, the hype from the Eurovision fandom has translated into wider support for Albania’s Shkodra Elektronike, who’ll compete with ‘Zjerm’. Selected way back in December 2024 through their national final Festivali i Këngës, ‘Zjerm’, unlike many other Albanian entries, didn’t undergo a huge revamp or language change – a move which has seemingly paid off. They’re just outside of the odds top 10 to win the contest, but are expected to qualify comfortably – marking their return to final for the first time since 2023.
The Voting
Alongside the 15 competing countries voting, 3 of the Big 5 (plus the host) will also vote. In semi final 1, this will be Spain, Italy and Switzerland.
This year the voting will remain 100% televote only, with the ‘Rest Of The World’ vote returning. Countries who aren’t competing in the contest can use this to vote for their own favourites in the contest at a cost of €0.99. More information on this can be found at eurovision.tv.
There is however an important change to the way qualifiers are announced. Unlike the previous way, where all countries sat to find out if they’re through to the final, the producers have implemented a new system which is as follows: 3 countries will be highlighted and shown on a split screen – one will make it through, but the others will still be in contention. Countries can be shown in this split screen more than once, but no more than 3 times to ensure fairness. When we have 9 qualifiers, the system will revert to the old-way for the final 6 countries – one country of these 6 remaining nations will make it to the final.
The Intervals
Swiss Eurovision History
This semi final will feature an interval act from former Swiss Eurovision artists. Returning to the show are Paola (1969, 1980), Peter, Sue & March (1971, 1976, 1979, 1981), Luca Hänni (2019) and Gjon’s Tears (2020, 2021), who will sing past Swiss entries in a medley. Gjon’s Tears will also be featured beyond Semi Final 2.
Well also welcome back 2024’s Silvester Belt (Lithuania), Jerry Heil (Ukraine), Marina Satti (Greece) and Iolanda (Portugal), performing a cover of Celine Dion’s 1988 Eurovision winner ‘Ne parties pas san moi’.
So that’s Semi Final 1 covered! There’s only one thing left to say…
Let The Eurovision Song Contest 2025 begin!
