The jury show of the Grand Final of Eurovision 2025 is about to begin. Follow all the action live in our blog below!
At 21:00 CEST, the twenty-six acts performing in the Grand Final of the Eurovision Song Contest 2025 will take the stage in Basel in front of all the national juries and a full audience in the arena. The lineup is as follows:
- 🇳🇴 Norway: Kyle Alessandro – “Lighter”
2. 🇱🇺 Luxembourg: Laura Thorn – “La poupée monte le son”
3. 🇪🇪 Estonia: Tommy Cash – “Espresso macchiato”
4. 🇮🇱 Israel: Yuval Raphael – “New Day Will Rise”
5. 🇱🇹 Lithuania: Katarsis – “Tavo akys”
6. 🇪🇸 Spain: Melody – “Esa Diva”
7. 🇺🇦 Ukraine: Ziferblat – “Bird of Pray”
8. 🇬🇧 United Kingdom: Remember Monday – “What The Hell Just Happened?”
9. 🇦🇹 Austria: JJ – “Wasted Love”
10. 🇮🇸 Iceland: Væb – “Róa”
11. 🇱🇻 Latvia: Tautumeitas – “Bur man laimi”
12. 🇳🇱 Netherlands: Claude – “C’est La Vie”
13. 🇫🇮 Finland: Erika Vikman – ” Ich Komme”
14. 🇮🇹 Italy: Lucio Corsi – “Volevo essere un duro”
15. 🇵🇱 Poland: Justyna Steczkowska – “Gaja”
16. 🇩🇪 Germany: Abor & Tynna – “Baller”
17. 🇬🇷 Greece: Klavdia – “Asteromáta”
18. 🇦🇲 Armenia: PARG – “Survivor”
19. 🇨🇭 Switzerland: Zoë Më – “Voyage”
20. 🇲🇹 Malta: Miriana Conte – “SERVING”
21. 🇵🇹 Portugal: Napa – “Deslocado”
22. 🇩🇰 Denmark: Sissal – “Hallucination”
23. 🇸🇪 Sweden: KAJ – “Bara bada bastu”
24. 🇫🇷 France: Louane – “Maman”
25. 🇸🇲 San Marino: Gabry Ponte – ” Tutta L’Italia”
26. 🇦🇱 Albania: Shkodra Elektronike – “Zjerm”
Live Coverage Ended
20:50 CET // Well, what a coincidence! Fancy seeing you here. I’m Sem Anne van Dijk, coming to you live from the charming city of Basel, and yes, I’ll be your guide/Dora the Eurovision Explorer for this first rehearsal of the Grand Final. Backpack? Ready. Vibes? Oh, yes. Let’s go!
20:59 CET // Almost time!
21:00 CET // The Te Deum is playing! Let the jury show of the Grand Final of the Eurovision Song Contest 2025 begin.
20:01 CET // In a sketch, we see our hosts of the evening.
20:02 CET // The hosts: Hazel Brugger, Michelle Hunziker and Sandra Studer. Hunziker finally joins Brugger and Studer for the first time. The Eurovision trophy is not yet in the arena, what are we gonna do?!
20:03 CET // A bit like the Olympic flame, the box containing the trophy is quickly brought to the arena. Death Stranding: Eurovision Edition.
21:04 CET // And here comes the show’s opening act: Nemo! Dressed in an elegant white dress paired with a matching hat, they step onto the stage with undeniable presence. Of course, they’re performing “The Code”, last year’s winning song that still resonates with fans across the continent. It’s a perfect way to kick off the evening, blending nostalgia (yes, you can have nostalgia to something from last year) with fresh energy as the Grand Final gets underway.
21:05 CET // Drummers in traditional Swiss attire alert!
21:06 CET // The flag parade! Since 2013, every Eurovision Grand Final has started with a flag parade. The Flag Parade is used to introduce all finalists of the Contest in their running order.
21:07 CET // During the parade of flags, we hear Swiss danceable music from days gone by. I can hear Yello!
21:09 CET // Some dancers join the stage. I wish I could dance like that.
21:11 CET // Albania is the last to leave the stage. Then, even more drummers! Who doesn’t love that?! And, there’s also the flag of Basel!
21:12 CET // It’s time to welcome the hosts of the Eurovision Song Contest 2025 Grand Final: Hazel Brugger, Michelle Hunziker, and Sandra Studer! We’ve already caught a glimpse of them earlier, but now it’s time for a BIG round of applause, they’re ready to light up the stage tonight.
21:14 CET // The hosts explain why they love Eurovision and that the audience can now vote even before all the songs have been performed. (They can’t vote tonight, they are lying!). You can only vote tomorrow evening,
21:17 CET // 3, 2, 1 – Europe and the rest of the World – start fake voting now! But the national juries ARE voting tonight!
21:18 CET // “Let the Eurovision Song Contest begin!” Who doesn’t get goosebumps from that sentence?
🇳🇴 Norway: Kyle Alessandro – “Lighter”
21:19 CET // Norway has been given the honour of opening this year’s Grand Final. Will we see any changes to Kyle’s staging?
21:21 CET // The answer is no. The performance is just as good as it was in the first semi-final. “Lighter” lives up to its name with numerous pyrotechnics (fancy word for FIRE).
🇱🇺 Luxembourg: Laura Thorn – “La poupée monte le son”
21:22 CET // In the Grand Final, the second slot is basically Eurovision’s Bermuda Triangle: a song goes in, but rarely comes out with a lot of points. It’s not a running order slot, it’s a vanishing act. Could Luxembourg beat the ‘death slot’ after Ukraine last year?
21:22 CET // We are transported into a doll’s house. Henrik Ibsen would be proud.
21:25 CET // Solid performance. By the way, did you catch France Gall on television on the left? Cute little easter egg there. Gall won the Eurovision Song Contest in 1965.
🇪🇪 Estonia: Tommy Cash – “Espresso macchiato”
21:27 CET // Over to one of the most controversial entries at this year’s Eurovision: Tommy Cash. Known for his provocative style, Cash leans into exaggerated Italian clichés, from mafia nods to over-the-top espresso worship. Will the national juries like that?
21:28 CET // The cup is on the floor! Italian media outlet La Repubblica called it “a tasteless caricature”, but you just can’t deny the song’s a banger, and the staging is a bit how I like my Argentinian steak: well done.
21:30 CET // Tommy Cash thrives on exaggeration and discomfort. They’re not accidents, they’re his medium. “Espresso Macchiato” fits that perfectly: it’s not just a *weird* song, it’s a sharp commentary on how Eurovision often flattens nations into clichés. Will the juries get it? Maybe not. But I did, Tommy. I did.
🇮🇱 Israel: Yuval Raphael – “New Day Will Rise”
21:31 CET // Israel is up next.
21:32 CET // Israel has been represented at the Eurovision Song Contest 46 times since making its debut in 1973. Yuval Raphael has the honour of being the 47th.
21:33 CET // The whole chandelier is 5.5 m (18 ft), by the way.
🇱🇹 Lithuania: Katarsis – “Tavo akys”
21:34 CET // Post-punk up next.
21:35 CET // The Lithuanian lighting designers make the best use of the mountains just in front of the LED wall of all the participants. It has a truly hypnotic effect. It’s like watching a 3D film.
21:37 CET // During rehearsals this afternoon, Lukas was saving his voice a little, but not anymore. The tiger is out of its cage. It may not be to your taste, but all the jurors will have to admit that this is a *very* strong display of vocal technique from the lead singer.
21:38 CET // The “Tavo” section in the song cuts right to the bone. You feel the necessity, you feel the urgency. “Tavo akys“ was never a phase, Mum. It’s a lifestyle.
🇪🇸 Spain: Melody – “Esa Diva”
21:39 CET // Off to Spain: Melody became famous at the age of 10 with her song “El baile del gorila”, one of the biggest summer hits of 2001 in Spain. Will “Esa diva” become the soundtrack of the Spanish summer in 2025?
21:40 CET // We have to shout out Melody’s first outfit, it’s stunning. She wears a black corset with sharp points at the shoulders and hips, like a black orchid. Add a black fedora and thigh-high boots, and it’s pure cinema.
21:42 CET // The Diva has taken the field, heels on the halfway line and drama in every step. Melody isn’t just a force to be reckoned with, no, no, she’s the star striker, the referee, and the halftime show rolled into one.
🇺🇦 Ukraine: Ziferblat – “Bird of Pray”
21:44 CET // All of our eyes are now on Ukraine. “Bird of Pray” is about Ukrainians separated by war, but its message is maybe even more universal, in my opinion. It is all about the fragile connection between loved ones torn apart. The bird isn’t a predator, but a prayer in flight. Lead singer Daniil delivers it with such intensity that the message lands exactly where it needs to be.
21:45 CET // Ziferblat told us yesterday that they wanted to give Ukraine a three-minute fairy tale, and I’m certain they’ve succeeded. What a beautiful, moving performance. It’s truly heartwarming to witness the deep and special bond the members of Ziferblat share with one another.
21:46 CET // One bad note there. That’s a shame. Anyway, the Ukrainian diaspora across Europe, especially since 2014, is large and engaged. Televoting support won’t be the issue, it’s the juries who might hold this back. Still, whatever the outcome, this is a stunning entry.
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21:48 CET // A little break. The hosts are trying to do a wave with the audience.
21:49 CET // Host Sandra Studer performs a snippet of her 1991 Eurovision entry for Switzerland, “Canzone per te”. In almost the same dress!
21:51 CET // In response, Michelle Hunziker sings a snippet of “Nel blu dipinto di blu”, the iconic song with which Domenico Modugno represented Italy in 1958.
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🇬🇧 United Kingdom: Remember Monday – “What The Hell Just Happened?”
21:54 CET // Even though it’s Friday, Remember Monday is up next.
21:55 CET // If ‘stage fun’ were an Olympic sport, I think Remember Monday would have a good chance of winning gold. Just watching this musical theatre-like act makes you want to get up on stage yourself with your best friends.
21:56 CET // Apart from 2022, the United Kingdom has not had much success in this competition. Last year, Olly Alexander came 18th, Mae Muller came 25th in 2023, and in 2021, James Newman came last with zero points. Will Remember Monday be able to improve the British track record?
21:57 CET // When it comes to vocal qualities, the United Kingdom had a good chance of securing a top 10 spot. It remains to be seen whether the staging and the quality of the song will be sufficient.
🇦🇹 Austria: JJ – “Wasted Love”
21:58 CET // Austria is up next!
22:00 CET // The wind machine was already blowing hard during rehearsals this afternoon, but I almost feel like they’ve switched from ‘tropical storm’ to ‘hurricane’ mode. JJ is almost being blown away. Fortunately, his voice is rock solid.
22:01 CET // We already saw it in the Semi-Final yesterday, but the choice for the 4:3 aspect ratio is absolute cinema. The whole atmosphere is somewhat reminiscent of the film The Lighthouse, directed by Robert Eggers. The lighthouse, the drama, the paper boat. It’s a film.
🇮🇸 Iceland: Væb – “Róa”
22:03 CET // Everyone’s favourite duo (no, it’s not Ant & Dec or Waldorf & Statler) are now rowing onto stage: it’s Væb!
22:04 CET // Iceland’s staging makes genius use of the LED screen and wall, suddenly, we’re in a full-on Minecraft fever dream, and honestly? No one’s complaining. It’s pixelated, it’s weird, it’s pure vibes.
22:05 CET // In terms of vocal quality alone, this won’t score highly with the judges tonight. The question is whether that matters. This is just great fun to watch. This is why we love the Eurovision Song Contest.
🇱🇻 Latvia: Tautumeitas – “Bur man laimi”
22:07 CET // Oops, the stage crew needs some more time to set up the stage than planned!
22:09 CET // We are back. Tautumeitas transport you to an ancient forest rave, plucked from a Midsummer Night’s Dream, where moss cushions your steps, harmonies echo like folklore spells, and even Shakespeare would toss aside his quill to dance barefoot under the stars.
22:10 CET // Fun fact: The cat tails projected onto Tautumeitas are a nod to Flow, the first Latvian animated film to win an Oscar, an achievement it earned this past February.
22:11 CET // Tautumeitas’ voices seem even more magical than in yesterday’s semi-final. You can’t help but be impressed by this act. Latvian folk music has earned a wonderful place at this year’s Eurovision Song Contest. And rightly so.
🇳🇱 Netherlands: Claude – “C’est La Vie”
22:13 CET // Look, I probably won’t be able to be completely objective about the next act, because Claude represents my motherland, the beautiful Netherlands. Here we go.
22:14 CET // When Claude was little, his mother used to sing him a song. A simple tune with a profound message: in life, there are good times and times that are a little more difficult. That early lesson has always stayed with him. Now, years later, Claude is bringing a grand musical echo of that childhood song to the biggest stage of them all. His Eurovision song is a tribute to mothers, to resilience, and to the power of a melody that transcends generations. And I’m feeling it big time.
22:15 CET // Life is full of contradictions. Claude names them all: comme ci – comme ça / en haut – en bas / up – down / voici – voilà / rose – noir. Isn’t that beautiful?
22:16 CET // During the first and second rehearsals last week, Claude had some difficulty with the bridge in the song. Singing an octave higher after a vocally challenging final chorus is a technical feat. It was a big test, especially with the judges watching, but Claude passed with flying colours.
🇫🇮 Finland: Erika Vikman – ” Ich Komme”
22:17 CET // The queen of Finnish electropop is now taking the stage.
22:18 CET // You wouldn’t think so, but Vikman also studied jazz at the Pirkanmaa Music College. In 2016, she won Finland’s world-famous tango festival, Tangomarkkinat. All her experience, all her creativity, all her dreams are now with her on stage. The international press cannot contain its cheers here.
22:19 CET // Erika Vikman doesn’t own the stage: she invades, conquers and renames it Planet Erika. Every spotlight is legally obligated to follow her.
22:20 CET // THAT LAST CAMERA SHOT.
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22:21 CET // A little break. Hazel and Sandra tell us that we can buy the Eurovision Song Contest 2025 DVD, CD, or Vinyl.
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🇮🇹 Italy: Lucio Corsi – “Volevo essere un duro”
22:22 CET // David Bowie fans take note! Lucio Corsi is taking the stage.
22:23 CET // Lucio’s staging is simplistic, but the act works incredibly well on screen. The emotion that Corsi puts into the song is heartbreaking and moving at the same time. For those of us who don’t speak Italian, subtitles have been added. Corsi is here to tell a story, and we are lucky to be able to listen.
22:24 CET // He is simply Lucio, and that is more than enough. Since 2017, Italy has always made it into the top 10. Will Lucio Corisi achieve the same?
22:25 CET // I can listen to this song all day. And that says something.
🇵🇱 Poland: Justyna Steczkowska – “Gaja”
22:27 CET // Poland has taken the stage!
22:28 CET // The international press and the delegations in the press room are CRAZY about this song. Everyone is here for the Mother of Dragons, Justyna.
22:29 CET // And there she is up in the air! Iconic. I’m not sure my eardrums agree.
🇩🇪 Germany: Abor & Tynna – “Baller”
22:31 CET // “Baller” is a bit like standing in Berghain in Berlin. You can smell the sweaty bodies, the poppers, the alcohol and the delicious freedom of letting loose on the dance floor. Germany is bringing the party to the stage this year.
22:33 CET // If the illuminated cello comes up on eBay tomorrow, I think I’ll bid on it. I have to have that thing at home.
22:34 CET // The song is a big hit in Germany and Austria. It’s televote-friendly, but will it get enough jury votes to get a good result?
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22:35 CET // There we have the hosts again. We see a clip paying tribute to the technical team behind the scenes. These people work incredibly hard. It’s great to see them get a place in the Grand Final.
🇬🇷 Greece: Klavdia – “Asteromáta”
22:38 CET // Greece is next. Loud cheers from the press centre here.
22:40 CET // Klavdia definitely belongs in the club of ‘best singers of the class of 2025’. Her vibrato technique (which is really, really, really hard to do well) is unmatched.
22:41 CET // Oops, Klavdia missed one camera shot.
22:42 CET // Proud to announce she recovered pretty well. Juries will find this song really interesting.
🇦🇲 Armenia: PARG – “Survivor”
22:43 CET // Well, well, well, ESC Gabe is climbing onto the stage. The things YouTubers can do.
22:45 CET // The treadmill is what makes the whole performance work. Parg running up and down on it is still one of the smartest and most effective choices the creative team made. It keeps things moving—literally—and stops the staging from ever feeling static. Especially when Parg jumps off for a moment and then leaps back on again, it adds just the right amount of surprise and energy. You’re never bored watching it.
🇨🇭 Switzerland: Zoë Më – “Voyage”
22:47 CET // Zoë Më, representing her home country in the city she was born in, makes her voyage to the stage.
22:48 CET // This act truly comes alive when watched from the comfort of your own sofa. In the arena, Zoë is surrounded by a swarm of cameras and lights. It’s less a traditional performance and more a carefully crafted video art piece. It is a layered immersive experience designed for the screen rather than the stage. She looks you right in the eye. Watching it live feels like peeking behind the curtain, while at home (or in the press centre, where I am eating M&M’s), the full subtlety and nuance unfold perfectly.
22:51 CET // Vocally and cinematographically speaking, this is truly a masterpiece. Zoë smashed the performance – juries are going to LOVE this.
🇲🇹 Malta: Miriana Conte – “SERVING”
22:51 CET // The diva, the icon, Miriana Conte, is ready to SERVE her jury show now.
22:54 CET // Miriana still is a PLEASURE to watch. She hits all the notes and blows everyone away with her volume. This will do well with televoters. With the international jurors? I am not so sure.
🇵🇹 Portugal: Napa – “Deslocado”
22:56 CET // Up next is one of the biggest surprises in the final – NAPA!
22:57 CET // “Que eu tou a chegar a casa” (I’m coming home). NAPA truly makes you feel that warmth and comfort right there in the arena. Tonight, the performance and the song seem to connect more deeply, landing with a quiet power that feels honest and heartfelt.
22:59 CET // A big applause fills the press centre. It may not be high in the betting odds, but for some journalists it is a real favourite.
🇩🇰 Denmark: Sissal – “Hallucination”
23:00 CET // Sissal broke Denmark’s non-qualification streak on Thursday. How much further can she goes?
23:02 CET // After holding back during the first dress rehearsal earlier today, Sissal is back at full power.
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23:04 CET // Hazel and Sandra look back at their “Made of Switzerland” performance during the first semi-final. Hazel said she heard a drunk man singing this outside her hotel in Basel. That a seal of approval.
🇸🇪 Sweden: KAJ – “Bara bada bastu”
23:06 CET // Ah, look there’s Finland, *cough*, I mean Sweden! KAJ is the big favorite to win, but can they actually live up to the hype?
23:08 CET // No, it’s not ‘just’ a funny sauna song. KAJ are more like the Rembrandts of their field. Masters at crafting catchy tunes that stick with you. Writing a good novelty song is incredibly difficult, man. It’s easy to slip into cliché or pure silliness. But look at them, they’ve nailed it! They’ve created something that’s playful, clever, and genuinely memorable. That’s a rare talent, and it shows why they’re the favourites this year.
23:09 CET // I LOVE a good laser show.
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23:10 CET // We are briefly introduced in a video to Mélanie Freymond and Sven Epiney. They are hosting a large viewing party in the St. Jakob Arena next door. Normally, this is where the FC Basel football club plays their matches.
🇫🇷 France: Louane – “Maman”
23:14 CET // France is making its grand entrance now. Louane’s setup time is nearly four minutes. That’s the longest changement of the night.
23:15 CET // France’s staging is something else. The SAAAAND, SAAAAAAAAAND (Saba™) is everywhere. It’s all about the passing of time and the transience of our existence. We just need to look out for each other a little more.
23:16 CET // Louane told our colleagues at Wiwibloggs that she, of course, gets sand in her mouth when she sings. Her trick: she puts the sand under her tongue straight away, which makes it a little easier to cope with. It all looks very easy, but I can tell you – it isn’t.
🇸🇲 San Marino: Gabry Ponte – ” Tutta L’Italia”
23:18 CET // It’s time for the smallest country in this competition, San Marino.
23:19 CET // There’s that cross-eyed David again. It’s still a remarkable sight.
23:21 CET // Just a few songs are enjoyable to listen to while running. This really is one, I think. Not that I exercise, by the way. I just think it would be enjoyable.
🇦🇱 Albania: Shkodra Elektronike – “Zjerm”
23:23 CET // Gosh, how time flies. We’re already coming to tonight’s finale: Albania. Loud cheers in the press centre again.
23:24 CET // Musically speaking, Zjerm is a true masterpiece. Honestly, it deserves a place in the Louvre. We should start a petition to make it happen.
23:25 CET // Lead singer. Beatrice wears a red contact lens in her left eye, which looks both terrifying and breathtaking at the same time! The vocals are stunning—powerful, expressive, and full of emotion. Could they perhaps cause a surprise and bring the Eurovision Song Contest to Tirana next year?
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23:27 CET // And, with that, we are out of songs for now. Everybody say ‘Awwwwwwh!’
23:28 CET // A look at the Green Room!
23:29 CET // Look, there’s the first recap of all the songs in the contest.
23:35 CET // The hosts are back to speak about some Eurovision legends from the past!
23:37 CET // The first interval act! We see three blue screens on the stage. In front of them are Peter, Sue and Marc, who represented Switzerland four times!
23:38 CET // And there we have Paola, she represented Switzerland at the Eurovision Song Contest in 1980 with the song “Cinéma”.
23:40 CET // This interval is full of stars! Up next we have Luca Hänni, who represented Switzerland at the Eurovision Song Contest 2019 in Tel Aviv.
23:41 CET // An old friend from yesterday’s Semi-Final! Gjon’s Tears sings a snippet of his famous ‘Tout l’univers’, with which he represented Switzerland at the Eurovision Song Contest in 2021. What an interval act!
23:44 CET // It’s Celine Dion-time. She unfortunately can’t be here in Basel (for now…), but she’s with us via a video message.
23:47 CET // The recap of all the performances.
23:52 CET // Back to the hosts.
23:54 CET // Interval act alert! We are looking at Baby Lasagna from Croatia (Eurovision Song Contest 2024 and Käärijä from Finland (Eurovision Song Contest 2023). Two Eurovision legends are battling against each other in a boxing-like atmosphere.
23:56 CET // The legends are now performing their new collab-single “Eurodab”. It’s crazy, it’s meow meow, it’s party.
23:58 CET // We turn our attention to Michelle Hunziker in the Green Room, where she tries out the alphorn with a member of the tech team.
00:00 CET // Midnight! We turn our attention to Michelle Hunziker in the Green Room, where she tries out the alphorn with a member of the tech team.
00:02 CET // Another interval-act alert! The current titleholder of the Eurovision Song Contest, Nemo, performs their new single “Unexplainable”. They look amazing with a new wig and a glittery black catsuit.
00:06 CET // After an incredible performance by the former Eurovision Song Contest-winner, we get a new recap of all the performances of tonight.
00:11 CET // The tech team is going to rehearse the big voting sequence over here, but that’s it for this liveblog. It has been my honour and pleasure to be your Dora the Eurovision Explorer. Have a fantastic end to Eurovision week! Tot ziens, Eurovisie vrienden!
