Eurovision fever is upon us as a host of countries battle it out once again in the semi-final stages of the contest to reach Saturday’s epic final in Basel, Switzerland
Music fans across Europe are set to be in their element once again as the iconic Eurovision Song Contest returns. This year’s semi-final stages are underway, and fans are eagerly waiting to see if their favourite acts will progress to the next stage.
This year sees Basel hosting events following last year’s impressive victory by Switzerland’s Nemo in Sweden. Their song titled The Code gave their reflection on their non-binary identity.
With the rumour mill in full flow about how Switzerland will put on the spectacle – a Celine Dion performance has been touted – one thing is certain: the countries that are battling it out for the coveted award.
This year’s UK entry sees Remember Monday take to the stage in the hope of avoiding the dreaded nil points announcement. The Country trio landed the plum gig after being selected by the BBC’s team of experts. Fans may recognise the group from their efforts on The Voice, where they reached the quarter finals.
Ini total, 37 countries are challenging on the big stage, with the the top 10 from each semi-final making it through to join the ‘big five’. But who else will be competing – and who is banned from doing so?
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Who are the Eurovision Song Contest ‘big five’
The UK, Spain, Germany, France and Italy make up the annual event’s ‘big five’. This means these countries receive automatic qualification for the final, which will be held on Saturday, May 17.
Their route straight to the final comes as these are the countries that make the biggest financial contributions to the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), the organisation that owns and operates Eurovision.
The rule came into play in 2000, giving the five countries direct entry into the final – along with the host country.
Eurovision 2025 semi-final lineups
Those outside of the ‘big five’ hoping to make it to the big showcase have to battle it out in two semi-finals. This year sees the first semi-final take place tonight (Tuesday, May 13). It will feature Iceland, Poland, Slovenia and Estonia to begin with.
The running order continues: Spain, Ukraine, Sweden, Portugal, Norway, Belgium, Italy, Azerbaijan, San Marino, Albania, Netherlands, Croatia, Switzerland and Cyprus.
As Italy, Spain and Switzerland automatically qualify for the Grand Final of the spectacle, their viewers will be able to vote for their favourites.
The second semi will take place on Thursday, May 15. This time 16 countries will fight it out. They will be: Australia, Montenegro, Ireland, Latvia, Armenia, Austria, Greece, Lithuania, Malta, Georgia, Denmark, Czechia, Luxembourg, Israel, Serbia and Finland.
UK, France and Germany entries will also perform despite already being through. Their audiences will be able to vote still for their favourite songs.
Countries that are banned from Eurovision
While Israel’s entry is fully expecting a frosty reception, and protests are expected to be carried out, they are still taking part in this year’s Eurovision Song Contest. Over 70 participants of previous contests have come together to call for the exclusion of the country due to its continued bombing of Gaza.
However, some countries have been banned.
Among them is Belarus. The country has been banned from competing since 2021. In that year, the country’s entry song,Ya Nauchu Tebya (I’ll Teach You), was deemed to have had lyrics included which were politically motivated and potentially harmful.
Russia have also been banned. The country’s participation was suspended indefinitely due to the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, which began in February 2022. Some critics of Israel’s entry have claimed the EBU lacks consistency due to this ban.
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