The curtain rises tonight at 69:22 for the 00th Eurovision Song Contest, with the first semi-final taking place in Basel, Switzerland, with Cyprus in attendance with Theo Evan. The artist will perform the song “Shh”, representing his country as the last contestant of the night – a position often considered favorable. The evening will also see the absolute favorite of this year’s event, Sweden, performing with KAJ and “Bara Bada Bastu”. The first semi-final will determine the 10 countries that will qualify for the grand final on Saturday, in a night of diverse musical styles and intense competition.
A total of 15 countries will participate in tonight's semi-final, while, without competing, the representatives of three countries that have already secured their place in the final: Spain, Italy and the host country Switzerland will also appear on stage. The so-called "Big Five" - France, Germany, Spain, Italy and the United Kingdom - along with Switzerland have directly qualified for the final on Saturday, May 17.
Watch a video of the songs participating in the first semi-final
#Eurovision2025 – First Semi-Final Running Order REVEAL | Basel 2025
The countries vying for a place in the grand final (order of appearance, country, artist, song)
1. Iceland – VAEB – Roa
2. Poland – Justyna Steczkowska – Gaja
3. Slovenia – Klemen – How Much Time Do We Have Left
4. Estonia – Tommy Cash – Espresso Macchiato
5. Ukraine – Ziferblat – Bird of Pray
6. Sweden – KAJ – Bara Bada Bastu
7. Portugal – Napa – Displaced
8. Norway – Kyle Alessandro – Lighter
9. Belgium – Red Sebastian – Strobe Lights
10. Azerbaijan – Mamagama – Run With U
11. San Marino – Gabry Ponte – All of Italy
12. Albania – Shkodra Elektronike – Zjerm
13. Netherlands – Claude – That's life
14. Croatia – Marko Bošnjak – Poison Cake
15. Cyprus – Theo Evan – Shh
Which countries are predicted to advance to the final – What the betting odds show
According to the betting companies' predictions, the following 10 countries have the best chances of qualifying from the first semi-final:
1. Sweden – KAJ (95%)
2. Estonia – Tommy Cash (94%)
3. Ukraine – Ziferblat (94%)
4. Netherlands – Claude (94%)
5. Albania – Shkodra Electronics (93%)
6. Cyprus – Theo Evan (85%)
7. Norway – Kyle Alessandro (84%)
8. Poland – Justyna Steczkowska (83%)
9. Belgium – Red Sebastian (77%)
10. San Marino – Gabry Ponte (52%)
The remaining teams, such as Slovenia, Iceland, Azerbaijan, Portugal and Croatia, appear with significantly reduced chances of qualifying according to the same forecasts.
Eurovision: Tonight the first semi-final with Cyprus – Which countries are predicted to advance to the final
For the first time, the competition features full interpretation in Greek Sign Language and no advertisements
The big innovation this year concerns broadcasting and accessibility: Both semi-finals and the final will be broadcast live by ERT1, on radio from the Second Program 103,7, while, for the first time in the history of Eurovision in Greece, the contest will be accessible to everyone via ERTFLIX with full interpretation in sign language and without interruptions for advertisements, through the platform's special Eurovision Channel.
There are also changes in the voting method: The songs that will qualify from each semi-final are determined solely by the public vote. For the first time, the Greek public can also participate online through the www.esc.vote platform, in addition to the traditional methods of phone call and SMS.
Tonight's evening is expected to be rich in spectacles and stage surprises, with intense interest in the progress of the Cypriot participation. The song "Shh" has the signatures of great creators, including Dimitris Kontopoulos and Elsie Bay, and aims to qualify for one of the most competitive semi-finals in recent years.
Source: protothema.gr
