Eurovision 2025 Live Updates: What to Expect
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May 17, 2025, 12:40 p.m. ET
This year's Eurovision Song Contest final is aiming be all about fun and spectacle.
After last year's event was overshadowed by protests over Israel's participation, Eurovision's organizer wants a return to normality this year.
And Saturday's event in Basel, Switzerland, will include dozens of sublime, ridiculous and catchy songs, just like any edition of the contest.
The bookmakers' favorite is Kaj, representing Sweden with 'Bara Bada Bastu,' an ode to the sauna. Other must-watch acts include Louane, of France, with 'Maman,' a ballad during which the singer is showered in more than 500 pounds of shredded cork; and Tommy Cash, representing Estonia with 'Espresso Macchiato,' a song about Italy's love of coffee, sung in a cheesy Italian accent.
The final is scheduled to start at 9 p.m. in Basel (3 p.m. Eastern). Here's our guide on how to watch, wherever you live. To help prepare for the spectacle, you can also read our rundown of this year's must-see acts, and our deep dive into the organization that runs the show and has tried to keep politics offstage this year.
Stay on this page for all the news from the contest as it happens. I'll be reporting from the arena, and we have fashion and music experts standing by to explain what on Earth is going on. Often, at Eurovision, the madcap performances need a little explanation!
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