Voting begins in Eurovision Song Contest final in Switzerland
The winner will be determined by viewer votes, which have already begun, and juries made up of music industry professionals across European countries, who cast their votes based on rehearsals.
The Irish jury's 'douze points' were awarded to Austria, as announced by Westlife singer and broadcaster Nicky Byrne.
Earlier, BBC commentator Graham Norton said there was a 'mixed response' in the arena to Israeli singer Yuval Raphael.
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The 24-year-old October 7th-attack survivor sang her entry New Day Will Rise, and saw cheers and boos on Saturday evening, said Norton.
The performance developed an added edge when a song contest crew member was hit with paint, after two people tried to rush on stage to disrupt Israeli singer Yuval Raphael's performance, organisers have said.
Israeli singer Yuval Raphael representing Israel with the song New Day Will Rise. Photograph: AFP
A spokesman for SRG SSR (Swiss Broadcasting Company) said: 'At the end of the Israeli performance a man and a woman tried to get over a barrier on to the stage. They were stopped. One of the two agitators threw paint and a crew member was hit. The crew member is fine and nobody was injured. The man and the woman were taken out of the venue and handed over to the police.'
Before the event began Sweden, Austria and Israel were considered among the favourites in the
song contest
, final.
Ireland failed to make it
beyond the semi-final
on Thursday night, despite high hopes for the catchy Laika Party performed by Norwegian-born Emmy Kristiansen.
Bookmakers give Sweden's entry, comedy trio KAJ, a 42 per cent chance of winning the world's biggest music event.
A win for KAJ would be Sweden's eighth overall, moving it clear of Ireland to become the most successful country in Eurovision history.
KAJ's song, Bara Bada Bastu, translates as Let's Just Sauna and celebrates the power of saunas.
'It is a cherished way of everyday life, just relaxing and connecting and like staying quiet,' said KAJ member Kevin Holmstrom before the final.
Latvian group Tautumeitas representing Latvia with the song Bur Man Laimi during the flag ceremony before the grand final of the Eurovision Song Contest 2025. Photograph: Getty Images
Albanian duo Shkodra Elektronike representing Albania with the song Zjerm during the flag ceremony. Photograph: Getty Images
Other frontrunners include Austria's JJ (Johannes Pietsch) with the emotional song Wasted Love, Israeli singer Yuval Raphael with the ballad New Day Will Rise, Finland's Erika Vikman with the innuendo-laden German language song Ich Komme, France's Louane with Maman, and Dutch singer Claude Kiambe's C'est La Vie.
There has also been buzz around host country Switzerland's Zoe Me with Voyage, Estonia's Tommy Cash with Italian parody Espresso Macchiato, and Malta's Miriana Conte, who changed her song's title, Kant – due to a complaint about its similarity to a certain English word – to Serving.
Finnish Group KAJ representing Sweden with the song Bara Bada Bastu were among the favourites to lift the prize in Basel. Photograph: Getty Images
Icelandic duo Vaeb representing Iceland with the song Roa before the contest tonight. Photograph: Getty Images
The winner will be determined by a combination of points from national juries and viewer votes in the participating 26 countries, along with a separate rest of the world poll.
Earlier, there was speculation that Canadian singer Celine Dion, who won for the Swiss in 1988 with Ne Partez Pas Sans Moi, could take to the St Jakobshalle stage, amid her stepping back from touring due to health issues.
During the week, several pro-Palestinian protests were held in Basel and more are expected to happen on Saturday. Protesters have been calling for people to boycott the event because Israel is represented amid the ongoing military bombardment of Gaza.
More than 300 Gazans have been
killed in Israeli strikes
since Thursday, according to local health authorities, one of the deadliest phases of violence since a truce collapsed in March.
Ukrainian band Ziferblat representing Ukraine with the song Bird of Pray. Photograph: Getty Images
The European Broadcasting Union has resisted calls to exclude Israel from the competition. The union previously banned Russia from the Eurovision after it invaded Ukraine in 2022.
On Thursday, the Basel government said more than 200,000 people have visited the city so far for the contest, after the competition returned to Switzerland, which first hosted it in 1956 in Lugano. – Additional reporting: PA/Reuters
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Irish Times
15 hours ago
- Irish Times
Ryan Tubridy still has the Tiggerish verve and breezy name-drops. So why does it feel sour?
In a world riven by social division and online venom, there's a place where the vibe is unwaveringly upbeat, negativity is determinedly banished and everyone is nice to each other, or to one person at least. So fervently cheerful is the mood on The Ryan Tubridy Show (Q102, weekdays) that it's possible, just for a minute, to forget about troubles roiling the globe and even the payments scandal that saw the host exit RTÉ two years ago this month. Broadcasting from the London studios of Virgin Radio UK, the station he joined in January 2024, Tubridy approaches his late-morning show with Tiggerish verve, bringing an unflagging enthusiasm to the insouciant musings, breezy interviews and industrial-scale namedropping with which he punctuates his soundtrack of indie oldies. The net effect is akin to the opening monologue of his old RTÉ Radio 1 weekday programme being shorn of anything vaguely news-related and spread out over three hours. READ MORE Instead there are countless recollections of Tubridy's encounters with sundry celebrities, invariably cast in a glowing light. He lauds the idiosyncrasies of the Star Trek actor William Shatner: 'I had the pleasure of meeting him.' He highlights the musical talents of Michael Flatley while assessing the dancer's presidential aspirations : 'A nicer man you won't meet'. And on it goes. Even when he doesn't know someone, Tubridy can't help imagining them as friends: 'I think I'd get on okay with Bill Nighy'. Meanwhile, though his show is primarily aimed at a British audience, the host's frame of reference is still firmly Irish, whether he's giving tips on Dublin pubs or previewing the upcoming presidential election. In fairness, this characteristic seems to be a selling point for the British market – the tagline for his show on Virgin Media UK's website reads 'the craic continues' – while it surely chimes with his audience on Q102. [ The show mustn't go on for RTÉ underperformers, say RTÉ news staff Opens in new window ] Admittedly, the tone varies a bit. Tubridy enjoys the company of Tim Minchin , the Australian comic songwriter and musician, who proves a wry and perceptive guest during their interview. And the host has his own moments of disarming self-deprecation. 'I'm just a spoof,' he larkily says of his ability as a cinema critic. Mostly, however, the show is fuelled by an unceasing jollity: even his playlist of alternative classics by the likes of the Buzzcocks, The Cure and Primal Scream is stirring in tenor. Of course, as Roy Keane might say, it's his job. Tubridy is a natural behind the mic, and his radio show is predicated on his chirpy exuberance and ability to gab easily about mainstream pop culture, not his sensible civics-teacher persona, though that side occasionally seeps through. (He laudably offers listeners books he bought cheaply outside his local library.) But, taken together with his books podcast and his resurgent visibility in the social pages, the unmistakeable impression is of someone living his very best life. And, you might say, why shouldn't he? Having endured a torrid period of public approbation and political scrutiny following the revelations about RTÉ's controversial payments to him which were not disclosed publicly , Tubridy has come out the other end, if not quite redeemed, then refreshed and relaunched. So why does all this positivity carry a faint backnote of sourness? Tubridy may not have been the cause of RTÉ's need to remunerate presenters so handsomely in a market it dominated. But public outrage at the host's surreptitious top-ups – €150,000 of which hasn't been repaid – contributed to a precipitous drop in licence fees. And while Tubridy can be excused being permanently clad in sackcloth and ashes, his on-air jauntiness comes perilously close to making him sound pleased with himself at a time when his former colleagues face an uncertain future, as does the network that once promoted his career so lavishly. If Tubridy's old home at RTÉ Radio 1 has soldiered on since his departure, it's still grappling with more recent developments. First and foremost, there is the sad and dreadfully premature death of Seán Rocks , the presenter of the long-running arts show Arena, whose passing was announced as this column was going to press. The loss of such a versatile and engaging broadcaster is immense, to radio and the arts, and – most of all – as a warm, smart, friendly human being. [ Seán Rocks, presenter of RTÉ radio's culture show Arena, dies aged 63 Opens in new window ] Meanwhile, Liveline (RTÉ Radio 1, weekdays) putters on without the retired Joe Duffy , amid conclave-esque levels of speculation and opacity surrounding his successor. In the absence of a permanent replacement, the phone-in show perhaps unavoidably has the feel of an extended audition, with Colm Ó Mongáin currently helming after a fortnight's stint by Philip Boucher-Hayes. Whatever the outcome – Katie Hannon remains the favourite for the post – Ó Mongáin's spell highlights his virtues as a broadcaster while indicating the limits of the Liveline brand without Duffy. Ó Mongáin cuts a likably understated figure, his quietly encouraging manner drawing out stories from callers. 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Irish Times
16 hours ago
- Irish Times
Survivor of Miami Showband massacre says UK government doing a ‘dreadful job' on legacy issues
The legacy of the Miami Showband is about more than just music, it is bringing people together, a survivor of the loyalist ambush which targeted the group's members has said. Singer Fran O'Toole, guitarist Tony Geraghty and trumpeter Brian McCoy were shot dead on a roadside close to Newry , Co Down, on July 31st, 1975, after being pulled over at a bogus security checkpoint. Two loyalist terrorists from the Ulster Volunteer Force were also killed in the incident when a bomb they placed on the bus exploded prematurely. Survivors Des Lee and Stephen Travers were among those who gathered at the roadside where the atrocity happened on Thursday to remember their bandmates. READ MORE It was the first of a series of events, including in Newry and Dublin, being held on Thursday to mark the 50th anniversary. Mr Travers said 50 years of tears have dried up and they want to tell the whole world of the legacy of the Miami Showband. 'It's far more than a band at this stage because bands come and go, and music comes and goes, and styles change, and if you were to ask anybody under 50 years of age to name all of the members of the Rolling Stones, I'm sure they'd have a problem,' he said. 'These things come and go, but the legacy of the Miami Showband is one that I am enormously proud of, and it is simply this: when people came to see us, whether they were Catholic, Protestant, unionist, nationalist, they left sectarianism outside the door of the dance hall and they saw each other as human beings, and they danced with each other, and sometimes they even fell in love.' It was the most horrendous scene I have ever seen in my life, when I got up off the grass and I had to make a run up that embankment to get help. When I got on to the main road, it was the worst sight anyone could ever imagine ... They were my brothers, you know, three of my brothers — Des Lee Fr Brian D'Arcy opened the commemoration at the site on the Buskhill Road, describing the survivors as proof 'that music and goodness survives'. 'That's what we're celebrating today, the survival of good, music and peace, and joy and bravery,' he said. First Minister Michelle O'Neill was unable to attend the event, but in a message said the incident was 'deeply traumatic' for everyone and 'remains a painful reminder of our troubled past'. 'I commend you all for your commitment to remembering your friends by celebrating their lives and the joy of music they brought to so many in their tragically short lives. I truly hope that while never forgetting the pain of the past we continue to move forward as a society towards a peaceful, inclusive and better future for all of our people,' she said. Earlier, Mr Lee said he remembered 'every single thing in the finest detail' from the atrocity 50 years ago. 'It was the most horrendous scene I have ever seen in my life, when I got up off the grass and I had to make a run up that embankment to get help,' he said. 'When I got on to the main road, it was the worst sight anyone could ever imagine ... They were my brothers, you know, three of my brothers.' [ Miami Showband massacre: 'I heard my platform shoes click against each other. I still had both legs' Opens in new window ] While there has been criticism of a loyalist band parade planned to take place in Portadown on Saturday to remember one of the attackers, Mr Lee said he has 'no problem with that whatsoever'. 'They are entitled to commemorate their dead as much as we are entitled to commemorate ours,' he said. He was, however, critical of the UK government over its handling of the past, saying he feels they are doing a 'dreadful job'. 'They're trying to push all the families under the carpet and hope that it all goes away, and as long as I'm alive, I will fight for Fran, Brian and Tony,' he said. PSNI chief constable Jon Boutcher on Thursday expressed hope for a new agreement on how to deal with the legacy of Northern Ireland's troubled past. Speaking following the Miami Showband commemoration, he said: 'Everybody knows my position on legacy, I think transparency and openness are critical. The report that I did on Operation Kenova reflects that, and I am very alive to and aware of national security issues. [ Miami Showband massacre 50 years on: 'The trauma lasts for ever' – Stephen Travers Opens in new window ] 'I think we may be close to coming to a position, and certainly I hope we are, where there will be a new agreement around what the future of legacy looks like, and I'm keen to hear the fruits of the recent talks between the two governments.' He said it was time 'to get legacy right', noting that a lot of people did not trust police or security forces at the time when many of the unsolved cases happened. 'The volume of things that were happening, the murders, the attacks, meant that the security forces couldn't deal with them,' he said. 'There was then without doubt failures within a number of those investigations. We have now got to put that right.' – PA
Irish Times
16 hours ago
- Irish Times
The National Concert Hall's official memos: On revamp costs, one-off payments and HR ‘issues'
Ambitious plans to redevelop the National Concert Hall (NCH) promise to transform the Dublin venue into 'the beating heart of music and music education in Ireland'. In a memo for the Department of Culture, NCH chair Maura McGrath also said the multimillion euro project would form the core of a 'compelling new vision' for the National Concert Hall, National Symphony Orchestra (NSO) and associated choirs. 'The new facilities will offer the NCH significantly enhanced opportunities, not just for the site itself but also the National Concert Hall quarter of the city,' she said. Beyond the vision and behind the scenes – and in a time of increased scrutiny on public spending – decisions have to be made on the project as it gathers pace. READ MORE Internal documents obtained by The Irish Times show the organisation has asked the Government to guarantee the NCH will not have to fund the multimillion euro costs of the major redevelopment of its Earlsfort Terrace site. Aside from the redevelopment, the NCH has also warned of other legacy human resources issues which pose 'significant risks' to the organisation. The NCH won planning permission for the project last September. It provides for the restoration and redevelopment of more than 16,000 sqm of space in what it has billed as the largest redevelopment project in Ireland for a national cultural institution. The former pathology block of the UCD School of Medicine, which is on the NCH site, will become a hub for music learning and engagement under the plans. Illustration: NCH It will involve the expansion, refurbishment and remodelling of the main auditorium, a new rehearsal studio, extra performance and recital spaces, new creative spaces and studios for emerging artists and new practice rooms. Improved public facilities and civic spaces are envisaged. The cost was originally predicted to be about €78 million under Project Ireland 2040, the State's long-term plan for national investment, but a final budget has yet to be established. The site was originally the Exhibition Palace from 1865 and it was the home of University College Dublin for decades before becoming the National Concert Hall in 1981. Internal documents reveal that NCH chair Ms McGrath, who also chairs the Arts Council , sent a memo to the Department last September outlining how it had 'previously been advised that there is no requirement for the NCH to contribute to the cost of the project'. 'The NCH Board would welcome official confirmation of this from government,' she wrote. The documents show that NCH also raised legacy issues last year stemming from the 2022 transfer of the National Symphony Orchestra and its associated choirs. NCH chief executive Robert Read wrote to Feargal Ó Coigligh , secretary general at the Department of Culture, in an email accompanying Ms McGrath's memo. Mr Read said the memo referred to 'significant risks posed by the unresolved and outstanding [human resources] issues' associated with the transfer of the orchestra and choirs. He 'urgently' sought decisions on a range of matters, including a request to 'buy out' annual emolument payments made to NCH staff and to retain flexibility 'to offer increased increments along the pay scale in order to appoint world-class standard of musicians'. The NCH also sought a 'one-off recognition payment' to two people, who it said provided interim leadership to the orchestra, combined with their existing roles, when its general manager moved to a new position in August 2023. The NCH also asked for a similar one-off payment to junior members of the NSO team, who had to take on additional responsibilities 'far in excess of their grades' at the time. Ms McGrath's memo also referred to the 'difficulty and delay' in dealing with legacy HR issues, which she said were a 'serious cause of concern' for the leadership and the board of NCH 'and is a risk to business as usual at the NCH'. Her memo said the 'most significant risk' to cost control at the refurbishment project came from potential delays to the scheme, which would 'incur greater inflation costs and impact on the NCH's commercial and box-office income'. Ms McGrath also urged clarity on the long-delayed National Children's Science Centre, a stand-alone project not associated with the NCH, but which will be located on Earlsfort Terrace, adjacent to the concert hall. 'While the NCH has no role in this project, the continued ambiguity on its future and the absence of a government decision on funding is a matter of considerable concern for the NCH, in particular as it relates to the future redevelopment of the Earlsfort Terrace site,' she said. The Dáil's Public Accounts Committee (PAC) heard that development of the science centre could cost €70 million, amid concerns from TDs that the project could turn into a 'debacle' and a 'mini-national children's hospital' . The redevelopment of the NCH is to be split into two phases. The first, which is due to break ground next year and for which a tender process is under way, will encompass a Discover Centre in the former UCD pathology block, which the NCH has described as a 'new vibrant hub for music engagement, participation and learning'. The main project is expected to take place over several years and is expected to be completed in 2029. During that time, the orchestra and choirs will relocate to a temporary Dublin base and will perform around the country, Ms McGrath told the department. In a statement, NCH said the correspondence with the department reflected normal and necessary engagement. 'This forms part of standard, collaborative processes,' a spokeswoman said. Regarding HR issues around the transfer of the orchestras and choirs to the NCH, the spokeswoman said 'all such requirements are being progressed on a satisfactory basis'. On the wider redevelopment plan, the NCH said it 'operates fully within its allocated government funding and revenue frameworks, while also progressing our keynote transformation project for a renewed, future-focused national music institution'. 'As with all large-scale capital developments, it is expected that a range of matters and options will be examined and discussed,' she said. She said the NCH had a 'very close and collaborative working relationship with the department in relation to the delivery of NCH programmes, operations and projects'. A spokeswoman for the Department of Culture said the ultimate budget for the redevelopment would be informed by the response to tenders, which are in the pre-tender project design phase. 'All costs will be re-examined before any decision is made to award contracts,' she said. The department said the project was one of a number being considered under the National Development Plan . 'The development of the project is subject to continuous evaluation and planning', it said, adding that a risk management plan had been developed, with regular meetings between the department, the Office of Public Works and the NCH. Regarding the legacy HR issues, the department said the transfer of the NSO and choirs was governed by an oversight and a working group and it said a financial consultant was engaged to provide advice on pensions and benefits for transferring employees. 'Following extensive consultation, all queries relating to employees' terms and conditions and pension entitlements were fully addressed.' It said it worked with the NCH to ensure workforce plans were consistent with government policy and were financially sustainable.
