Eurovision 2025: your guide for this year's event including semi-final dates and what bloc voting is

• Excitement builds throughout April ahead of this year’s Eurovision Song Contest Grand Final in Switzerland.
• The big five have already confirmed their entrants into this year’s event, but who are in the semi-finals - and what is ‘bloc voting?’
• We aim to clear up almost everything you need to know as a first timer to the Eurovision party, and for the stalwarts a look at other country’s entries this year.

It’s little over a month until the biggest musical party in Europe takes place: the Eurovision Song Contest 2025.

For long-time fans of the song contest, welcome back! What do you think of the UK’s chances this year? And for first-timers or those newly converted to the beloved contest - welcome!

It might seem a little confusing at first, and you might hear terms like ‘nul points’ or ‘bloc voting’ without knowing their meaning in the context of the competition. You might also be curious about how acts qualify for the Grand Final, or which countries automatically qualify and why.

Ahead of this year’s Grand Final, taking place on May 17, 2025, and once again to be broadcast on the BBC with the incomparable Graham Norton, let’s dive into (almost) everything you need to know about the Eurovision Song Contest 2025.

Including all the acts and their songs participating in the semi-finals, all hoping to reach the grand finale.

Your (almost) comprehensive guide to Eurovision 2025

Where is Eurovision 2025 taking place?

Based on the tradition of the winning country hosting the following year's contest, Eurovision 2025 will take place at St. Jakobshalle in Basel, Switzerland.

This is because Nemo, representing Switzerland with the song The Code, won the Eurovision Song Contest 2024 in Malmö, Sweden.

Who has qualified for the Eurovision Grand Final 2025 so far?

As of writing, six countries have qualified for the grand final; Switzerland, by virtue of winning the 2024 edition, along with the ‘big five’ countries of France, Spain, Italy, Germany and the United Kingdom.

Eurovision Song Contest 2025 - grand finalists so far

• Switzerland - Zoë Më - Voyage
• France - Louane - Maman
• Germany - Abor & Tynna - Baller
• Italy - Lucio Corsi - Volevo essere un duro
• Spain - Melody - Esa diva
• United Kingdom - Remember Monday - What the Hell Just Happened?

Who is representing the United Kingdom at Eurovision this year?

That would be Remember Monday, with their song What The Hell Just Happened? - the country-pop act were revealed live on Scott Mills’ BBC Radio 2 Breakfast Show last month.

You might already be familiar with the entry: Remember Monday first captured the attention of British television audiences in 2019 during their run on The Voice UK. Impressively, they reached the quarter-finals of the competition, guided by the mentorship of the acclaimed 'EGOT' winner, Jennifer Hudson.

Will they have similar luck in Basel this year?

How is the UK’s Eurovision Song Contest entrant selected?

The United Kingdom has used various methods to select its Eurovision entrant over the years. In recent years, the BBC has often opted for an internal selection process. This involves the BBC music team choosing both the artist and the song, sometimes working with established songwriters and performers.

Occasionally, they have also involved some form of public input or a smaller selection panel.

What countries are not participating in Eurovision 2025?

As of writing, several countries have confirmed they will not be participating in the Eurovision Song Contest 2025. These include Andorra, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Slovakia, as their respective EBU member broadcasters announced their non-participation prior to the official list of participants being released.

While there was discussion of a potential return, North Macedonia ultimately did not appear on the final list of participating countries for 2025. Furthermore, Kosovo's formal request to debut in the contest in 2025 was rejected by the EBU's General Assembly in July 2024.

Who is in the semi-finals ahead of the Eurovision Grand Final?

31 countries will vie for the chance to compete in the Eurovision Song Contest Grand Final, when it takes place on May 17 2025. The countries and their representatives are as follows:

Semi-final 1 (May 13 2025)

• Iceland - Væb - Róa
• Poland - Justyna Steczkowska - Gaja
• Slovenia - Klemen - How Much Time Do We Have Left
• Estonia - Tommy Cash - Espresso Macchiato
• Ukraine - Ziferblat - Bird of Pray
• Sweden - KAJ - Bara bada bastu
• Portugal - Napa - Deslocado
• Norway - Kyle Alessandro - Lighter
• Belgium - Red Sebastian - Strobe Lights
• Azerbaijan - Mamagama - Run with U
• San Marino - Gabry Ponte - Tutta l'Italia
• Albania - Shkodra Elektronike - Zjerm
• Netherlands - Claude - C'est la vie
• Croatia - Marko Bošnjak - Poison Cake
• Cyprus - Theo Evan - Shh

Semi-final 2 (May 15 2025)

• Australia - Go-Jo - Milkshake Man
• Montenegro - Nina Žižić - Dobrodošli
• Ireland - Emmy - Laika Party
• Latvia - Tautumeitas - Bur man laimi
• Armenia - Parg - Survivor
• Austria - JJ - Wasted Love
• Greece - Klavdia - Asteromata
• Lithuania - Katarsis - Tavo akys
• Malta - Miriana Conte - Serving
• Georgia - Mariam Shengelia - Freedom
• Denmark - Sissal - Hallucination
• Czechia - Adonxs - Kiss Kiss Goodbye
• Luxembourg - Laura Thorn - La poupée monte le son
• Israel - Yuval Raphael - New Day Will Rise
• Serbia - Princ - Mila
• Finland - Erika Vikman - Ich komme

How is it determined who from the semi-finals makes it to the Grand Final?

The results of the semi-finals are determined by votes from the viewing public in each participating country (including those not in that specific semi-final, but excluding their own country) and a professional jury in each participating country.

The weight given to the public vote and the jury vote is typically 50/50. The top ten countries from each of the two semi-finals, based on the combined scores of the public and the juries, will then qualify for the Grand Final.

How does voting work for the Eurovision Grand Final?

Voting in the Eurovision Grand Final also involves both the viewing public in each participating country and a professional jury in each participating country, with a 50/50 split in their weighting.

Viewers can vote via phone, SMS, or through the official Eurovision app. Voting lines are open for a set period after all the songs have been performed. Each country's public vote and jury vote are tallied separately.

The spokesperson from each country then announces the points awarded by their national jury (giving points from 1 to 8, then 10 and finally 12 to their top ten). The points from the public vote for all participating countries are then combined and announced by the hosts, usually starting with the country that received the fewest public votes and culminating with the country that received the most.

The country with the highest total score (jury vote + public vote) at the end of the voting process is declared the winner but be warned (and you will get reminded throughout the Grand Final), viewers cannot vote for their own country.

I keep hearing about ‘bloc voting’ - what does that mean?

Ah yes, the age old debate about bloc voting at Eurovision - a phrase you may have heard quite a lot, but never really understood what it meant.

Bloc voting refers to the perceived tendency of voters from certain countries or regions to consistently vote for each other, regardless of the actual quality of the songs. Essentially, it suggests that political, cultural, or geographical ties can sometimes influence voting patterns more than purely musical taste.

One of the most frequently cited examples of a perceived voting bloc is the ‘Eastern European bloc’: for a period, countries from Eastern Europe and former Soviet states often gave high scores to each other.

For instance, countries like Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, Poland, and the Baltic states (Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia) were often seen exchanging high points. Similarly, countries in the Balkans (e.g., Serbia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Albania) have also shown tendencies to vote for each other.

The perception of bloc voting has led to discussions and debates about the fairness of the Eurovision voting system; some argue that it disadvantages countries without strong regional allies, while others believe it's a natural reflection of cultural connections and shared tastes.

The European Broadcasting Union (EBU) has implemented various voting reforms over the years in an attempt to mitigate the perceived impact of bloc voting, such as the introduction of professional juries alongside televoting.

Who are the most successful countries that have competed in Eurovision?

That would be both Ireland and Sweden, tied with a remarkable seven wins each. Ireland's reign of dominance, particularly in the 1990s, cemented their place in Eurovision history - and a parody on the classic British sitcom, Father Ted.

Similarly, Sweden has proven to be a perennial powerhouse, consistently adapting to evolving musical landscapes and producing numerous entries that have achieved both critical and commercial success on a global scale.

Can I attend either the semi-finals or the Eurovision Grand Final?

You absolutely can and public participation is not only welcomed but implored by organisers!

However, owing to the popularity of the event, the first two waves of tickets have all sold out; however, there is set to be a grace period before ticket resales commence. For more information on how to get tickets, visit the Eurovision Song Contest page for more information and TicketCorner for tickets.

Much like with events over in the United Kingdom, don’t buy from third-party vendors and always stick to approved ticketing agents named by Eurovision.

Have you been to a Eurovision Song Contest Grand Final previously? We’d love to hear your tales from the ‘frontline’ of Europe’s biggest music competition; send your stories to us online via YourWorld at www.yourworld.net/submit. It's free to use and, once checked, your story will appear on our website and, space allowing, in our newspapers.