Eurovision: contenders for the crown
Saturday's Eurovision Song Contest final features artists from 26 countries battling it out to win viewers' hearts and claim the coveted microphone-shaped trophy.
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Here are penpix of the top six contenders, according to bookmakers:
SWEDEN: Hot stuff
The act representing Sweden is actually a comedy trio of dour-looking Finns, marking a departure from the polished, glossy spectacles Sweden usually presents.
The three men from Finland's Swedish-speaking community -- Kevin Holmstrom, Axel Ahman and Jakob Norrgard -- aim to win a record eighth trophy for Sweden, with a quirky eulogy to the joy of saunas.
"Bara Bada Bastu" (Just have a sauna), features a comic and catchy chorus, and an accordion throughout.
The trio wear suits in a mock sauna surrounded by dancers in towels and woolly hats, and armed with bouquets of birch branches, used by sauna enthusiasts to whip up their blood circulation.
AUSTRIA: Vocal crescendo
"Wasted Love", sung by Austrian-Filipino counter-tenor Johannes Pietsch, known as JJ, fuses pop and lyrical elements in a crescendo that flows into techno sounds.
The 23-year-old grew up in Dubai before discovering classical music in Vienna, where he is currently honing his skills between talent shows and small roles at the opera.
In his Eurovision song, about the experience of unrequited love, he pivots from high soprano notes into a blend of lyricism and balladry, before ending with a techno flourish.
His falsetto voice recalls that of German great Klaus Nomi, and evokes Austria's classical music heritage.
JJ's Eurovision performance is filmed in black and white, in the 4:3 ratio of the monochrome television era.
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FRANCE: Finally?
Well-known in France, 28-year-old singer and actress Louane has infused a sense of hope that her country could win Eurovision for the first time since 1977.
Louane, whose real name is Anne Peichert, shot to French stardom in 2013 when she participated in the TV talent show "The Voice".
Her ballad, "Maman", addressed to her mother who died of cancer in 2014, exclaims: "In the end, you see, I built my life... I've grown up. From you, I've kept everything that makes me who I am."
Her performance has received a big audience reaction in Basel's St. Jakobshalle arena, with falling pieces of cork representing the sands of time. The song's final word is spoken by her own daughter.
FINLAND: A world of pleasure
Finland's Erika Vikman has been gaining momentum throughout Eurovision week with her sexually charged song "Ich Komme".
In thigh-high boots and a studded black leather bodysuit, the 32-year-old soars above the stage on a giant microphone showering sparks, to finish off her raunchy performance.
"I am Erika; All eros and stamina; Over and over and then once more; Hold on to me tight; And if you want love; Shout Encore," goes the official translation of her Finnish lyrics.
Vikman started her career as a singer in the Finnish tango style. The boundary-pushing artist had her big breakthrough hit in 2020 with "Cicciolina".
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ISRAEL: Out of the darkness
Yuval Raphael, a survivor of Hamas's deadly attack on October 7, 2023, is representing Israel.
When Hamas militants killed more than 370 people at the Nova music festival, the 24-year-old survived by hiding under a pile of bodies inside a roadside bomb shelter.
Raphael only began singing professionally after the attack, as a way to deal with her trauma.
She was selected to represent Israel after winning the "Hakochav Haba" (Rising Star) reality television contest.
Her Eurovision power ballad "New Day Will Rise", with lyrics in English, Hebrew and French, is about survival after tragedy. The chorus includes the lyrics: "Everyone cries; Don't cry alone."
There have been calls for Israel to be barred from Eurovision over the war in Gaza, which has killed tens of thousands.
NETHERLANDS: C'est la la la vie
Claude Kiambe, 21, known simply as Claude, was born in 2003 in the Democratic Republic of Congo and arrived in the Netherlands as a refugee at the age of nine, accompanied by his mother, three brothers, and two sisters.
"C'est la vie" is performed in English and French, with the lyrics evoking Claude's mother and the resilience of his family.
The singer-songwriter has more than 100 million streams to his name.
His breakthrough came in 2022 with his first single "Ladada". Claude released his debut album "Parler Francais" last year, on which he co-wrote all the songs.
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