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16 May 2025 12:41
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  •   Home > News > International

    This is who is going through to the Eurovision grand final from the first semifinal

    The Eurovision Song Contest is in full swing for 2025 in Basel, Switzerland. Here's who made it through to the grand final from semifinal one.


    Spoilers ahead. You have been warned.

    Glitter? Check. Sequins? Check. Leather? Oh, it must be another Eurovision semifinal.

    The 10 countries that have qualified for the Eurovision grand final from the first semifinal in order of their announcement are:

    • Norway — Kyle Alessandro — Lighter
    • Albania — Shkodra Elektronike — Zjerm
    • Sweden — KAJ — Bara Bada Bastu
    • Iceland — VAEB — RÓA
    • Netherlands — Claude — C'est La Vie
    • Poland — Justyna Steczkowska — GAJA
    • San Marino — Gabry Ponte — Tutta L'Italia
    • Estonia — Tommy Cash — Espresso Macchiato
    • Portugal — NAPA — Deslocado
    • Ukraine — Ziferblat — Bird of Pray

    That means five countries have missed out. Those who have not made it through in order of appearance are:

    • Slovenia — Klemen — How Much Time Do We Have Left
    • Belgium — Red Sebastian — Strobe Lights
    • Azerbaijan — Mamagama — Run With U
    • Croatia — Marko Bošnjak — Poison Cake
    • Cyprus — Theo Evan — Shh

    Sweden is at the top of the odds this year, with the group KAJ performing Bara Bada Bastu.

    KAJ are friends Kevin Holmström, Axel Åhman and Jakob Norrgård. They are well-known for celebrating Nordic culture with their music. Even though they are representing Sweden at Eurovision, they are not actually Swedish. The trio are all from Vörå, in the Swedish-speaking region of Ostrobothnia in Finland.

    Switzerland and the Big Five

    France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the United Kingdom are known as the big five. They automatically qualify for the grand final along with the previous year's winner, which, of course, is Switzerland this time around.

    Eurovision is back in the country where it all started — Switzerland — thanks to Nemo winning the competition with the song The Code last year.

    That win came 36 years after Switzerland's last win, in 1988, with Celine Dion singing Ne Partez Pas Sans Moi.

    Dion appeared via satellite to reflect on her win and express her regret for not being in Basel for the competition this year, saying it was "so beautiful to see Switzerland winning and hosting" the event once again.

    Switzerland was the inaugural winner when Lys Assia took out the competition with her song Refrain in 1956.

    When can I watch Australia compete?

    Australia's entrant, Manjimup-bred musician Marty Zambotto, known as Go-Jo, will perform first during the second semifinal, which will be broadcast live on SBS from 5am AEST on Friday.

    And hopefully, Go-Jo will be back for the grand final.

    The grand finalists will compete on Sunday from 5am AEST, with the competition broadcast on SBS TV and SBS On Demand.

    ABC News Digital will blog the final, get all the latest right here.


    ABC




    © 2025 ABC Australian Broadcasting Corporation. All rights reserved

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