Eurovision 2024: Key highlights, controversies, and fan reactions from Basel, Switzerland
Shreeaa Rathi | TIMESOFINDIA.COM | May 16, 2025, 18:44 IST
( Image credit : AP, TOIGLOBAL )
The 69th Eurovision Song Contest is set to take place in the vibrant city of Basel, showcasing talents from 26 nations. This year, the voting system intriguingly merges the opinions of professional juries with the fervent voices of viewers at home. Leading the pack are Sweden, Austria, and the Netherlands, while Israel's entry has sparked debates over its controversial lyrics.
The 69th Eurovision Song Contest is underway in Basel, Switzerland, drawing fans globally to support their countries' performers. The grand final features 26 performances, including those from the semifinals, host country Switzerland, and the Big Five (France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and the United Kingdom). Voting combines national juries and viewers worldwide, with favorites this year including Sweden, Austria, and the Netherlands. Controversies have arisen regarding Israel's participation and lyrical content from Malta and Estonia. A potential appearance by Céline Dion, who won for Switzerland in 1988, remains uncertain.
Thousands of spectators have gathered at Eurovision Village, a convention center transformed into a fan hub. Many attendees display national flags and dance at the EuroClub.
The event is considered a cultural phenomenon.
“Everyone knows what it is,” Holly-Anne Hull said. “And everyone, whether they like it or not, is aware of who’s won it every year.”
The grand final airs at 3 p.m. ET on Peacock for U.S. viewers. People worldwide can vote using the contest’s app or online.
Gambling firms have identified potential front-runners for the competition. Sweden, with seven past wins, is among the favorites.
The group KAJ, a trio of Swedish-speaking Finns, is entering this year with “Bara Bada Bastu,” an ode to the Nordic tradition of going to the sauna. The song features staging re-creating a sauna complete with dancers in towels.
According to Spotify, the song is the most-streamed song by far from this year’s contest.
Austria is also a top contender. Singer JJ uses extraordinary vocal range in the song “Wasted Love.”
The Dutch entry, Claude’s “C’est La Vie,” features a mix of French and English lyrics. It is this year’s third most-streamed song of the nominees on Spotify.
Other notable entries include Iceland’s Væb, with oversized silver outfits, and Finland’s Erika Vikman, singing about a “lust trance.”
Vikman performs “Ich Komme” while wearing thigh-high leather boots. The song culminates with Vikman on a giant microphone suspended in the air with sparks flying out of it.
However, unusual performances do not guarantee a spot in the final.
This year's Irish entry, a dance anthem about Laika, the Soviet space dog, did not make it past the semifinal.
Israel’s participation has drawn protests.
This year’s contestant, Yuval Raphael, survived the Hamas-led terror attack on the Nova music festival on Oct. 7, 2023.
The European Broadcasting Union (EBU) bars lyrics it views as political. Last year, Israel’s entry was required to change lyrics referencing the attacks.
Martin Green, director of the Eurovision Song Contest, addressed the controversies.
“is not immune to global events but, together with our Members, it is our role to ensure the Contest remains — at its heart — a universal event that promotes connections, diversity and inclusion through music.”
“It is not our role to make comparisons between conflicts,” he added, noting that the EBU “remains aligned with other international organizations that have similarly maintained their inclusive stance towards Israeli participants in major competitions at this time.”
Malta’s entry also faced controversy. The original lyrics to Miriana Conte’s song, “Serving,” featured a Maltese word that sounded vulgar in English.
The singer posted on her Instagram that the EBU had made her change the words.
In a statement to Sky News, NBC's British partner, at the time, the EBU said that \"if a song is deemed unacceptable for any reason, broadcasters are given the opportunity to modify it, or select a new one, before the deadline as per the rules of the Contest.\"
The Italian consumer group Codacons filed a complaint regarding Estonia’s Tommy Cash’s “Espresso Macchiato.” The lyrics reference “sweating like a mafioso” and being “addicted to tobacco.”
A potential surprise appearance by Céline Dion is being discussed.
Dion won the competition for Switzerland in 1988.
Dion appeared in a video at Tuesday’s semifinal.
She said she “would love nothing more” than to appear at the contest.
Dion has been public about her stiff-person syndrome diagnosis.
Asked via email by NBC News about the possibility of Dion appearing in person at Saturday’s final, Eurovision spokesperson Sibylle Tornay said, “There are currently no changes regarding Céline Dion — we are still in close contact with her, of course her health is the most important thing and comes first.”
Artists do not need to be from the country they represent. For example, this year, the Swedish entry is from Finland and the Irish entry is from Norway.
Thousands of spectators have gathered at Eurovision Village, a convention center transformed into a fan hub. Many attendees display national flags and dance at the EuroClub.
The event is considered a cultural phenomenon.
“Everyone knows what it is,” Holly-Anne Hull said. “And everyone, whether they like it or not, is aware of who’s won it every year.”
The grand final airs at 3 p.m. ET on Peacock for U.S. viewers. People worldwide can vote using the contest’s app or online.
Gambling firms have identified potential front-runners for the competition. Sweden, with seven past wins, is among the favorites.
The group KAJ, a trio of Swedish-speaking Finns, is entering this year with “Bara Bada Bastu,” an ode to the Nordic tradition of going to the sauna. The song features staging re-creating a sauna complete with dancers in towels.
According to Spotify, the song is the most-streamed song by far from this year’s contest.
Austria is also a top contender. Singer JJ uses extraordinary vocal range in the song “Wasted Love.”
The Dutch entry, Claude’s “C’est La Vie,” features a mix of French and English lyrics. It is this year’s third most-streamed song of the nominees on Spotify.
Other notable entries include Iceland’s Væb, with oversized silver outfits, and Finland’s Erika Vikman, singing about a “lust trance.”
Vikman performs “Ich Komme” while wearing thigh-high leather boots. The song culminates with Vikman on a giant microphone suspended in the air with sparks flying out of it.
However, unusual performances do not guarantee a spot in the final.
This year's Irish entry, a dance anthem about Laika, the Soviet space dog, did not make it past the semifinal.
Israel’s participation has drawn protests.
This year’s contestant, Yuval Raphael, survived the Hamas-led terror attack on the Nova music festival on Oct. 7, 2023.
The European Broadcasting Union (EBU) bars lyrics it views as political. Last year, Israel’s entry was required to change lyrics referencing the attacks.
Martin Green, director of the Eurovision Song Contest, addressed the controversies.
“is not immune to global events but, together with our Members, it is our role to ensure the Contest remains — at its heart — a universal event that promotes connections, diversity and inclusion through music.”
“It is not our role to make comparisons between conflicts,” he added, noting that the EBU “remains aligned with other international organizations that have similarly maintained their inclusive stance towards Israeli participants in major competitions at this time.”
Malta’s entry also faced controversy. The original lyrics to Miriana Conte’s song, “Serving,” featured a Maltese word that sounded vulgar in English.
The singer posted on her Instagram that the EBU had made her change the words.
In a statement to Sky News, NBC's British partner, at the time, the EBU said that \"if a song is deemed unacceptable for any reason, broadcasters are given the opportunity to modify it, or select a new one, before the deadline as per the rules of the Contest.\"
The Italian consumer group Codacons filed a complaint regarding Estonia’s Tommy Cash’s “Espresso Macchiato.” The lyrics reference “sweating like a mafioso” and being “addicted to tobacco.”
A potential surprise appearance by Céline Dion is being discussed.
Dion won the competition for Switzerland in 1988.
Dion appeared in a video at Tuesday’s semifinal.
She said she “would love nothing more” than to appear at the contest.
Dion has been public about her stiff-person syndrome diagnosis.
Asked via email by NBC News about the possibility of Dion appearing in person at Saturday’s final, Eurovision spokesperson Sibylle Tornay said, “There are currently no changes regarding Céline Dion — we are still in close contact with her, of course her health is the most important thing and comes first.”
Artists do not need to be from the country they represent. For example, this year, the Swedish entry is from Finland and the Irish entry is from Norway.