
Eurovision 2025: the 10 countries that qualified for the final
Norway's Kyle Alessandro, Albania's Shkodra Elektronike and Sweden's Kaj have qualified for the
Eurovision Song Contest
final in Basle, Switzerland.
Also through is Dutch act Claude Kiambe, Iceland's Vaeb and Poland's Justyna Steczkowska.
San Marino's Gabry Ponte, Estonia's Tommy Cash and Portugal's Napa also progress.
The last country that was announced as making it to the final was Ukraine group Ziferblat
READ MORE
The contest kicked off with absurd acts and performances as the contest returned to Switzerland, where it started more than six decades ago.
Switzerland, where the competition began in Lugano in 1956, hosted Tuesday's first 2025 semi-final in Basle at the St Jakobshalle arena.
Ireland
has been drawn
in Thursday night's second semi-final.
Emmy Kristiansen
is third in the running order between Montenegro and Latvia. The 24-year-old Norwegian singer will perform the song Laika Party – co-written with
Russian
-born,
Westmeath
-based Larissa Tormey.
The contest has kicked off with a pre-record of the Swiss landscape and an opening performance that included a revamped version of 2024 winner Nemo's The Code.
At the arena in St Jakobshalle Basle, there was a mix of dancing, before hosts Hazel Brugger, Sandra Studer and Michelle Hunziker took to the stage during Tuesday's semi-final.
Brugger said that this is 'the biggest welcome home party that Eurovision has ever seen', as the contest comes back to Switzerland, where it started more than six decades ago.
[
Eurovision 2025: When is it on, what are Ireland's chances and how does voting work?
Opens in new window
]
Estonia
's Tommy Cash performed an Italian parody performance, flicking his feet around the stage while singing the silly Espresso Macchiato, which referenced typical Italian phrases, and a screen behind him on stage said 'winner's cafe'.
The performance also featured a fake fan, appearing to leap out at him before being caught by onstage security guards and dancing with him as the screen changed to a 'Tommywood sign', referencing Hollywood.
Earlier, Icelandic electronic musician brothers Matthias Davio Matthiasson and Halfdan Helgi Matthiasson, known as Vaeb, started the event with their energetic Roa – complete with matching silvery outfits, ending with a group hug.
Opting for a quieter and simpler staging surrounded by lights, Slovenia's Klemen belted out his entry How Much Time Do We Have Left, and ended saying 'thank you everybody, we love you' to the crowd.
Favourites, Sweden's act Kaj had a co-ordinated dance for their song Bara Bada Bastu (Just Sauna).
It saw dancers acting as lumberjacks, and in a fake sauna stage wearing towels – while the Swedish-speaking singers, from Finland, were dressed in dark green suits.
Ukrainian band Ziferblat representing Ukraine with the song Bird of Pray performs during the first semi-final of the Eurovision Song Contest. Photograph:The first semi-final began with a pre-record of the Swiss landscape and an opening performance that included a revamped version of 2024 winner Nemo's The Code.
A translation of Italian glam rocker Lucio Corsi's Volevo Essere Un Duro (I Wanted To Be A Tough Guy), was displayed in the broadcast, after Eurovision confirmed there were artists singing in 20 different languages this year.
'This is the highest number since the regulation requiring songs to be in a national language was eased in 1999, prompting the rise of English as the song language of choice,' organisers said.
There was a mix of dancing before co-host Hazel Brugger said that this is 'the biggest welcome home party that Eurovision has ever seen', as the contest comes back to Switzerland, where it started more than six decades ago.
The hosts later introduced a section about props, before footage was shown of Finnish musician Windows95Man's giant egg when he performed No Rules! in 2024, and Irish puppet Dustin The Turkey's 2007 song Irlande Douze Points.
Italian singer Lucio Corsi, representing Italy, with the song Volevo Essere Un Duro performs during the first semi-final of the Eurovision Song Contest. Photograph:On Tuesday, Basel's local government released figures saying that more than 38,000 people have visited its European Village since the free event began on Saturday until Monday.
Basle police confirmed that a protest against anti-Semitism will take place in Basle, Switzerland on Thursday, ahead of Israeli singer Yuval Raphael performing in the second Eurovision semi-final that same day.
A pro-Palestinian group is planning a large demonstration on both Wednesday, and Saturday.
Wednesday's action will be a 'silent march', the group Basle for Palestine has said.
During a demonstration at the opening ceremony on Sunday, the police received a report of 'threatening gestures', that appeared to be directed at Raphael while she took part in the opening ceremony.
Israel's government shared a clip on X from the protest on Sunday, and said: 'Israel's Eurovision representative Yuval Raphael, a Nova massacre survivor, was 'welcomed' in Basle by a hostile crowd of pro-Hamas protesters.
'Yet she stands tall, singing for her country. Her love will always outshine their hate.' - PA
Should Ireland boycott Eurovision over Israel?
Listen |
24:08
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Sunday World
19 hours ago
- Sunday World
Country star Michael English on how Louis Walsh's mother played key role in music career
The top entertainer was the favourite Irish singer of Maureen Walsh, who died this week at the age of 94 Louis Walsh looks on as the remains of his mother Maureen are taken from church Country music star Michael English told yesterday how Louis Walsh's mother played a key role in one of the biggest highlights of his career. The top entertainer was the favourite Irish singer of Maureen Walsh, who died this week at the age of 94 and whose funeral took place in Kiltimagh, Co Mayo. And Michael English gave his final performance for Maureen when he was chosen to sing at her funeral service on Thursday, where the attendance included Westlife stars Shane Filan, Kian Egan and Nicky Byrne, plus Eurovision winner Dana. Michael says: 'It was a huge honour to sing at it with the Kiltimagh Parish Choir. I was looking down the church and seeing the Westlife lads and seeing Dana and all these other singers, so it was a great privilege to get the opportunity to do it for Maureen. Kian Egan and wife Jodi Albert with Louis Walsh 'Maureen and her daughters Sarah and Evelyn and other members of the Walsh family used to come to my shows in the early days. 'And the first time I met Maureen she told me I was her favourite singer. It was around 2008 and I was a bit younger at the time and a bit chuffed that Louis Walsh's mother was into what I did. Family and friends of Maureen Walsh attend her funeral Today's News in 90 Seconds - 08 June 2025 'Maureen was just a lovely country woman who reminded me of my own mother. We struck up a little bond and she said, 'I'm going to get Louis to ring you now and see if he can help you in any way.' 'I thought no more of it, but sure enough Louis did ring me and we arranged to meet up. We had a good chat and I found Louis to be very similar to the rest of his family. I thought he was going to be completely different, but we got on like a house on fire.' Shane Filanwas among the mourners Louis went on to land a major record deal for English with Sony Music – and Michael ended up recording with British producer Nigel Wright, whose work includes the score for The Phantom of the Opera. 'It was a huge experience for me at such a young age and also a huge thrill to be working with Nigel because I'd been a massive fan of The Phantom of the Opera and have seen it about 15 times,' Michael says. 'Nigel arranged for me to go backstage one time to see the workings of it and the illusions that were created by magician Paul Daniels. Dana was among the mourners 'So as well as getting the opportunity to record two great albums I was living the dream – and it was Maureen who had made all that happen for me. 'I would go on to concentrate on the country music scene, but Louis had been great to me while we worked together.' Maureen had been living with Alzheimer's for 12 years before she died. 'I went to see her a few times in the nursing home,' Michael says. 'I was so fond of her and she was a very much loved person in the area, not just because her son was on The X Factor but because of who she was. Louis Walsh looks on as the remains of his mother Maureen are taken from church 'Her house was open to everybody. I was in the house a hundred times and it reminded me of my house, when people would come into my mother she'd say 'will you have a cup of tea?' and she'd take every different kind of biscuit out of the press. 'Louis's mother was like that. She ran an open house and a very welcoming house,' Michael adds.


Extra.ie
a day ago
- Extra.ie
Samantha Mumba calls for axe of Late Late eurosong special
Pop star Samantha Mumba said the song contest to choose Ireland's Eurovision entry should not be staged on The Late Late Show. The teen 'Gotta Tell You' singer, now 42, yesterday indicated the RTÉ chat show is not the best venue for the Eurosong competition, saying it 'deserves its own [show]' and 'ideally' should be in a venue that is 'set up, even sound-wise, for musicians'. 'Because I don't think [a television studio] is the set-up,' she told the Brendan O'Connor Show yesterday. Samantha Mumba peforming on The Late Late Eurosong Special. Pic: Andres Poveda Mumba said she stands by her criticism of the Eurosong judging panel and was a 'bit surprised' at the amount of coverage her comments got. Mumba criticised the panel − made up of choreographer and Dancing with the Stars judge Arthur Gourounlian, 2FM broadcaster Laura Fox, cook and TV presenter Donal Skehan, and singer Bambie Thug − following The Late Late Show Eurosong Special on February 7, where she came second with My Way. Norwegian singer Emmy won with Laika Party. In an Instagram post in February, Mumba thanked supporters and expressed pride in her performance. In a later post, she said she felt 'strongly' that the judging panel 'were dismissive of all the contestants'. EMMY performs Laika Party at Trinity College Dublin. Pic: The Late Late Show via YouTube Donal Skehan responded that he stood by his role and the feedback he gave on the night, saying his comments were 'never personal'. RTÉ had also said at the time that it was 'extremely grateful' to the Eurosong judging panel for 'their professionalism, their insight, integrity, and good humour'.


Irish Times
2 days ago
- Irish Times
TV guide: Love Island, Not Going Out and the other best things to watch this week
Pick of the Week From that Small Island – the Story of the Irish Sunday, RTÉ One, 6.30pm For such a small island , we've got world-class levels of modesty. I mean, you never hear us boasting about the disproportionate number of bestselling authors, Oscar -nominated actors or stadium-filling pop stars we produce, or how many times we've won Eurovision . So let's give ourselves a big pat on the back for not having big heads like a Macnas parade. This four-part series, written and produced by Bríona Nic Dhiarmada, asks who are these mysterious, super-talented and not-at-all vainglorious people from that tiny island on the western end of Europe, where did they come from, and how did they go from a population of six million to a global community of 80 million who claim to be Irish? Mary McAleese in episode one of From that Small Island – the Story of the Irish It also asks deeper questions about what it means to be Irish today, and how has our history and geography shaped our endearingly self-effacing personalities and fuelled our huge impact on the world at large. Colin Farrell is our narrator and guide on this magical history tour – did we mention he was nominated for an Oscar? Highlights The Gold Sunday, BBC One, 9pm The Gold: Hugh Bonneville as DCS Brian Boyce. Photograph: BBC/Tannadice Pictures In November 1983, armed robbers broke into a warehouse near Heathrow airport and made off with £26 million in gold bullion, along with a stash of diamonds and a good few bob in cash. The Brink's-Mat robbery became the biggest and most notorious robbery in the UK, putting the Great Train Robbery in the ha'penny place. The first series of The Gold dramatised the story of this daring heist and its aftermath, and followed the efforts of DCS Brian Boyce (Hugh Bonneville) and his taskforce to track the gang down before they can launder their haul. It ended with some of the gang members, including Kenneth Noye (Jack Lowden), getting banged up good and proper, but we're not done and dusted yet. READ MORE Turns out that only half the gold has been accounted for, and in this second series, Boyce and his team will have to use all their policing nous to uncover what happened to the rest of the gold, somehow get it back, and track down the rest of the gang and bring them in front of the Old Bill. Charlotte Spencer, Emun Elliott, Stepfanie Martini and Peter Davison are among the returning cast, with new additions including Tom Hughes, Stephen Campbell Moore, Joshua MGuire and Tamsin Topolski. An Ghig Mhór Monday, RTÉ One, 8pm An Gig Mhór: John Spillane, who mentors Kilkenny band The Donnys in episode one. Photograph: Clare Keogh In every town in Ireland, there's a potential U2, Cranberries or Hozier hoping to break out of the bedroom or garage and step into the big time. All they need is someone to help them get a gig so they can showcase their talent to the masses. In this new series, well-known Irish musical artists are recruited as mentors to young, up-and-coming acts. Their job is to help them organise a live gig in their hometown so they can take those vital first steps to international fame. Each young act has their own individual sound, but all have one thing in common: they perform both in English and as Gaeilge. These bilingual, multitalented youngsters include singer-songwriter Hannah B from Gaoth Dobhar, Na hEasógaí from Conamara, and punk rockers Hex from Leixlip. First up are Kilkenny band The Donnys, who may be millennials, but are in thrall to classic 60s and 70s rock. Singer-songwriter John Spillane is drafted in to guide them through the process of putting on a live show. Other mentors through the series include Kila's Rónán Ó Snodaigh, hip-hop duo Tebi Rex and singer-songwriter Síomha. Shardlake Monday, UTV, 9pm Shardlake: Sean Bean as Oliver Cromwell. Photograph: Disney If you subscribe to Disney+, you may have already watched this four-part murder mystery based on the historical whodunits by CJ Sansom. Matthew Shardlake (Arthur Hughes) is a lawyer in 16th-century England tasked with solving a brutal murder in a monastery (I'd say most murders in those days were pretty brutal). His boss is none other than Oliver Cromwell (Sean Bean), whose own boss is King Henry VIII, the Tudor Trump on a crusade to force the Catholic Church to submit to his sweeping reforms. In the tradition of telly detectives, Shardlake needs an assistant, and cocky youngster Jack Barak (Anthony Boyle) is sent along on the investigation – although he could well be a spy sent by Cromwell. Despite the huge fan base out there for Sansom's novels, and the positive reviews for the series (cliched but fun seems to be the verdict), Disney is not renewing the series, but maybe ITV are testing the terrestrial TV waters to see if it's worth making a second one. Love Island Monday, ITV2, 9pm The evenings are getting longer, the kids are starting their school holidays, and there's nothing on the telly. Except Love Island, of course. It's time to spend another hot, steamy summer in the Love Island villa, and this year ITV has searched high and low to find another bunch of good-looking, vain, pouting, pec-flexing young things who are happy to parade around on telly in their swimwear and undies and wear the face off their housemates (I know – it's a big ask). This will blow your tiny little mind: Love Island is officially 10 years old this year, and the new series promises to raise the stakes to mark the decade anniversary. Maya Jama is back to present the show, sort of like the David Attenborough of dating shows, and among the rumoured Love Islanders is 'jaw-droppingly gorgeous' Manchester model Shakira Khan. Hell for Leather: The Story of Gaelic Football Monday, RTÉ One, 9.35pm Hell for Leather: The Story of Gaelic Football. Photograph: RTÉ For such a small nation, we've got a big grá for the Gaelic football, and sure why wouldn't we? It's woven into the fabric of our lives, and plays a huge role in our sporting, cultural and social history. This five-part series promises to be the definitive history of Gaelic football, filmed in cinematic 4K, and featuring more than 80 interviews with sporting legends, players, managers, commentators and historians, including the last-ever TV interviews with legendary commentator Micheál Ó Muircheartaigh, Kerry's Seán Murphy and Mick O'Dwyer, Dublin's Jimmy Gray and Mayo's John O'Mahony. The series will trace the origins of Gaelic football, how it grew out of the struggle for independence to become an indigenous alternative to foreign games, a sport that Irish people could rally round and identify with as their very own. It tracks the growth of the game over the past 100 years, as it became integral to every town and village, and took a foothold in Northern Ireland, making it an island-wide sport. The series, filmed by Crossing the Line Productions in partnership with Coimisiún na Meán, has been five years in the making, and among the contributors are – deep breath – Michael Murphy, David Clifford, Jack McCaffery, Juliet Murphy, Shane Walsh, Brian Fenton, Mick O'Connell, Cora Staunton and Joe Brolly, along with input from managers Jim McGuinness, Padraic Joyce, Seán Boylan and Kevin McStay. Uncharted with Ray Goggins Wednesday, RTÉ One, 9.35pm Ex-special forces soldier Ray Goggins has taken several celebs to the edge of their endurance, dragging them up mountains, down valleys and along glaciers in some of the most extreme environments on earth. Former taoiseach Leo Varadkar, singer Lyra, hip-hop trio Kneecap, Paralympic gold medallist Ellen Keane and camogie star Ashling Thompson have already survived their outdoor challenges, and in this final episode, champion Galway hurler Joe Canning and track and field star Thomas Barr will head deep into the jungles of Colombia, where they'll take a perilous river journey, navigating lethal, class-five rapids and dodging deadly snakes and venomous spiders along the way. Not Going Out Friday, BBC One, 9pm Not Going Out: Sally Bretton and Lee Mack. Photograph: BBC/Avalon/Mark Johnson The long-running sitcom starring Lee Mack will be celebrating its 20th anniversary next year with a new batch of episodes – not bad for a show about a guy who is completely unmotivated and generally reluctant to leave the house. Meanwhile, series 14 brings us a Dr Who-ish time jump, as we fast-forward a few years and Lee and Lucy (Sally Bretton) find themselves in an empty nest and with all the time in the world to get to know each other again (good luck with that). The couple decide to move house, and are viewing their dream home when Lee puts the deal in jeopardy by asking the vendor if he can use the loo. Streaming Trainwreck: The Astroworld Tragedy From Tuesday, June 10th, Netflix Astroworld was the popular annual festival run by rapper Travis Scott to celebrate the vibrant hip-hop scene in his hometown of Houston, Texas, and give something back to the fans who supported him on his rise to superstardom. But during the third Astroworld festival, in Houston's NRG Park on November 5th, 2021, the celebration turned to tragedy when the stoked-up crowd surged forward as Scott came on stage, with the ensuing crush resulting in the deaths of 10 fans. This documentary, the first in a new anthology series of the Trainwreck strand, explores how the festival descended into chaos as organisers lost control of the enthusiastic crowd, and tells the story of the unfolding catastrophe from the perspective of survivors and other witnesses. Although no blame is attributed, a picture soon emerges of an entirely preventable tragedy. Fubar From Thursday, June 12th, Netflix Fubar: Arnold Schwarzenegger and Monica Barbaro. Photograph: Netflix When it was announced that Arnold Schwarzenegger would be returning for a second series of this comedy spy show, the 'I'll be back' quips came thick and fast. In his first foray into TV territory, Arnie plays CIA agent Luke Brunner, who has had to defer his retirement for one last espionage job. Now it looks as if the gold-watch ceremony will have to wait a bit longer, as in series two he faces a deadly foe in the form of an old flame, the German spy Greta Nelso, played with suitably over-the-top gusto by Carrie-Anne Moss. In series one Luke was pulled back out of retirement to rescue a fellow CIA operative – who turned out to be his daughter, Emma (Monica Barbaro). The cast members have all talked about how much fun they had making this series – let's hope it's just as much fun for us to watch.